The warmest countries to move to

If you are chasing the sun, start here. These are the warmest countries to move to, weighed up against everything else that makes a place genuinely livable for expats.

  1. #1 Monaco

    Strongest on healthcare and expat community. Weaker on English-friendliness and residency ease.

    • Cost of living: No data
    • Property: No data
    • Healthcare: Excellent
    • Safety: No data
    • Tax: No income tax except French nationals
    • Visa: ~EUR 500k bank deposit, 3yr to PR-status, no dual
    • Climate: Warm (~17°C)
    • English: Widely spoken
    • Expat community: Very large

    Read the full Monaco guide · Compare expat health insurance

  2. #2 Malta

    Strongest on English-friendliness and expat community. Weaker on tax friendliness and cost of living.

    • Cost of living: Moderate
    • Property: Affordable
    • Healthcare: Strong
    • Safety: Very safe
    • Tax: Remittance basis; 15% flat regimes
    • Visa: Residence/retirement programmes
    • Climate: Warm (~19°C)
    • English: Native / official
    • Expat community: Very large

    Read the full Malta guide · Compare expat health insurance

  3. #3 Bahrain

    Strongest on safety and tax friendliness. Weaker on residency ease and healthcare.

    • Cost of living: Very low
    • Property: Very affordable
    • Healthcare: Basic
    • Safety: Very safe
    • Tax: Zero income tax, minimal expat social security
    • Visa: ~USD 345k property buys 10yr Golden Residency
    • Climate: Warm (~27°C)
    • English: Widely spoken
    • Expat community: Very large

    Read the full Bahrain guide · Compare expat health insurance

  4. #4 Oman

    Strongest on safety and tax friendliness. Weaker on residency ease and healthcare.

    • Cost of living: Low
    • Property: Very affordable
    • Healthcare: Basic
    • Safety: Very safe
    • Tax: No income tax now, 5% flat from 2028
    • Visa: Golden Visa invest or OMR 4k/mo retiree income
    • Climate: Warm (~28°C)
    • English: Widely spoken
    • Expat community: Very large

    Read the full Oman guide · Compare expat health insurance

  5. #5 Brunei

    Strongest on tax friendliness and property affordability. Weaker on residency ease and healthcare.

    • Cost of living: Very low
    • Property: Very affordable
    • Healthcare: Basic
    • Safety: No data
    • Tax: No personal income tax at all
    • Visa: No retiree route, employer work pass only
    • Climate: Warm (~27°C)
    • English: Widely spoken
    • Expat community: Very large

    Read the full Brunei guide · Compare expat health insurance

  6. #6 Saudi Arabia

    Strongest on tax friendliness and property affordability. Weaker on English-friendliness and residency ease.

    • Cost of living: Low
    • Property: Very affordable
    • Healthcare: Moderate
    • Safety: Safe
    • Tax: Zero personal income tax for everyone
    • Visa: Iqama or fee-based Premium Residency, no dual
    • Climate: Warm (~26°C)
    • English: Moderate
    • Expat community: Very large

    Read the full Saudi Arabia guide · Compare expat health insurance

  7. #7 Kuwait

    Strongest on tax friendliness and expat community. Weaker on healthcare and residency ease.

    • Cost of living: Moderate
    • Property: Very affordable
    • Healthcare: Moderate
    • Safety: Very safe
    • Tax: No personal income tax, expats exempt from social
    • Visa: Employer-sponsored Iqama only, no PR path
    • Climate: Warm (~26°C)
    • English: Widely spoken
    • Expat community: Very large

    Read the full Kuwait guide · Compare expat health insurance

  8. #8 United Arab Emirates

    Strongest on tax friendliness and expat community. Weaker on cost of living and residency ease.

    • Cost of living: Moderate
    • Property: Affordable
    • Healthcare: Moderate
    • Safety: Safe
    • Tax: No personal income tax
    • Visa: Golden Visa; no citizenship path
    • Climate: Warm (~28°C)
    • English: Widely spoken
    • Expat community: Very large

    Read the full United Arab Emirates guide · Compare expat health insurance

  9. #9 Singapore

    Strongest on safety and expat community. Weaker on property affordability and residency ease.

    • Cost of living: Moderate
    • Property: Moderate
    • Healthcare: Strong
    • Safety: Very safe
    • Tax: Territorial; no foreign-income or CGT
    • Visa: Employment Pass; no retiree visa; no dual citizenship
    • Climate: Warm (~27°C)
    • English: Native / official
    • Expat community: Very large

    Read the full Singapore guide · Compare expat health insurance

  10. #10 Qatar

    Strongest on safety and tax friendliness. Weaker on property affordability and residency ease.

    • Cost of living: Low
    • Property: Moderate
    • Healthcare: Moderate
    • Safety: Very safe
    • Tax: No personal income tax
    • Visa: Employer-sponsored; PR rare
    • Climate: Warm (~27°C)
    • English: Widely spoken
    • Expat community: Very large

    Read the full Qatar guide · Compare expat health insurance

How these rankings are calculated

Each destination is scored from 0 to 100 on nine factors (cost of living, property, healthcare, safety, tax, visa ease, climate, English-friendliness and expat community), then weighted to the preferences above and ranked. The healthcare score reflects the public system (spending and doctors per head); private care, which many expats use, can differ, and first-hand expat ratings are coming from our own survey. Cost and property are world-comparable price levels. Figures are general information, not personal financial, tax or immigration advice.

Data sources: Expat Focus built dataset · Expat Focus climate reference · Expat Focus reference · World Bank ICP / PPP price level · World Bank ICP 2021 housing Price Level Index · World Bank health expenditure per capita + physicians per 1,000 · World Bank intentional homicide rate · World Bank international migrant stock. See our data and licences page.