Browse every country in our database. See summaries and key data, then compare towns or start a moving plan.
English-speaking, outdoorsy country with a top-ranked universal healthcare system, strong safety and schooling, but high costs in major cities and a competitive, points-based immigration system.
Example cities: Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth …
Familiar, English-speaking option with universal healthcare and strong public schools, but major metros have high housing and childcare costs, specialist wait times are significant (e.g., median ~28 weeks nationally in 2025), and immigration is points-based and competitive for US citizens.
Example cities: Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal, Calgary …
Very affordable Latin American option with strong private healthcare and straightforward M-11 retirement and V-Type digital nomad visas at modest 2026 income thresholds—established expat hubs in MedellĂn and Bogotá, but safety is a real concern and Spanish is essential for daily life.
Example cities: MedellĂn, Bogotá, Cartagena, Cali …
Tropical, eco-focused country with strong healthcare for residents, established expat communities, and a slower pace of life—at a cost of higher prices than much of the region and mid-level safety.
Example cities: San José, Escazú, Santa Ana, Tamarindo …
Very safe, high-quality Nordic country with top-tier healthcare, excellent English, and strong work-based immigration routes—expensive by US standards and no retirement or digital-nomad visa, but ideal for skilled US professionals and families.
Example cities: Copenhagen, Aarhus, Odense, Aalborg …
Digital-forward EU country with a clear one-year digital nomad visa (€4,500/mo), high English in Tallinn and tech (EF EPI 2025 #31), strong safety, and cost of living below the US and many Western European capitals—best for US remote workers and entrepreneurs; long-term residence usually requires work or startup, and there is no retirement visa.
Example cities: Tallinn, Tartu, Pärnu, Viljandi …
Exceptionally safe Nordic country with world-renowned schools, solid universal healthcare, and very strong English—best suited to US families and professionals who can secure local or remote-friendly jobs and handle high costs and long, dark winters.
Example cities: Helsinki, Espoo, Tampere, Turku …
EU powerhouse with top-tier healthcare (Numbeo Mar 2026), strong culture and education, and cost of living slightly lower than the US on average—balanced by high Paris costs, moderate safety (Numbeo ~44), and French essential outside major cities (EF EPI 2025 #38). Long-stay visitor visa suits retirees and remote workers; Talent Passport for skilled employees and investors.
Example cities: Paris, Lyon, Bordeaux, Nice …
EU economic powerhouse with top-tier healthcare, very high safety, and strong education—well-suited to US professionals and families. Overall cost of living is slightly lower than the US (with rent ~40% lower), though major cities remain expensive; bureaucracy and German for deeper integration are real factors.
Example cities: Berlin, Munich, Hamburg, Cologne …
Mediterranean EU country with cost of living well below the US (Numbeo Mar 2026), strong digital nomad and Golden Visa options, and established expat hubs in Athens and the islands—balanced by Greek language needs, moderate safety and public healthcare satisfaction, and bureaucracy.
Example cities: Athens, Thessaloniki, Crete (Heraklion, Chania), Corfu …
English-speaking EU country with a familiar culture for many Americans and a strong tech and pharma job market, but high housing costs—especially in Dublin—and public healthcare wait times that can be challenging. Visa paths include work permits and Stamp 0 for retirees who meet income and insurance requirements.
Example cities: Dublin, Cork, Galway, Limerick …
Mediterranean lifestyle with universal healthcare, lower cost of living than many US metros, and clear visa paths for retirees and remote workers—weighed by bureaucracy, strong Italian language needs, and moderate safety and English proficiency by EU standards.
Example cities: Rome, Milan, Florence, Bologna …
Ultra-safe, high-tech country with world-class healthcare and transit and strong public and international schooling—well-suited to US professionals on employer-sponsored visas. Cost of living in Tokyo and other major hubs is high, Japanese is essential for daily life and integration, and there is no dedicated retirement visa.
Example cities: Tokyo, Osaka, Yokohama, Fukuoka …
Small EU island nation with English as an official language, year-round sun, and Schengen access—well-suited to US retirees and remote workers, with good healthcare and lower cost of living than many EU hubs, though housing in popular areas is tight and safety is solid but not top-tier.
Example cities: Valletta, Sliema, St. Julian's, Mdina …
Very popular with US expats for climate, proximity, and affordability, but with large regional differences in safety, infrastructure, and how much Spanish you need day to day.
Example cities: Mexico City, Mérida, Guadalajara, Querétaro …
Highly livable, family-friendly EU country with top-tier healthcare, excellent cycling and transit, and the world’s highest non-native English proficiency—balanced by high housing and day-to-day costs.
Example cities: Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Utrecht, The Hague …
English-speaking country with strong universal healthcare, good safety, and excellent work-life balance—well-suited to skilled workers and short-term remote workers. Cost of living and housing are high in main cities (Numbeo COL ~61 vs US ~69); no retirement visa for under 66, and the Temporary Retirement Visitor requires significant income, investment, and health insurance.
Example cities: Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, Queenstown …
One of the world’s most expensive countries, with very high safety, strong public healthcare and education, and excellent English—best for US expats with a job offer or family ties; no retirement or digital-nomad visa.
Example cities: Oslo, Bergen, Trondheim, Stavanger …
Central American hub with the US dollar as official currency, one of the world’s most accessible retirement visas (Pensionado), and a remote-worker visa—offering good private healthcare in the capital, lower cost of living than most US metros, and diverse climates from tropical city to highland towns; Spanish is needed outside Panama City and expat areas.
Example cities: Panama City, Boquete, Coronado, David …
Sunny, affordable EU country with top-tier expat healthcare, very high safety, and among the best English proficiency in Europe—well-suited to US retirees and remote workers, with D7 and D8 visa routes and a growing international school footprint in Lisbon and Porto.
Example cities: Lisbon, Porto, Cascais, Braga …
English-speaking part of the UK with access to NHS Scotland, strong universities and schools, and historic, walkable cities—best suited to US expats with work or family routes who can handle UK-level costs and mixed safety between cities.
Example cities: Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen, Dundee …
Mediterranean lifestyle with top-ranked public healthcare (Numbeo Mar 2026), cost of living ~26% lower than the US and rent ~42% lower, and diverse city and coastal options—balanced by modest English proficiency (EF EPI #36), bureaucracy, and petty crime in some tourist zones.
Example cities: Barcelona, Madrid, Valencia, Seville …
Very safe, high-income Nordic country with strong public services, generous family policies, and world-class English—balanced by high taxes and living costs, long dark winters, and a work-focused migration system for non-EU citizens.
Example cities: Stockholm, Gothenburg, Malmö, Uppsala …
Exceptionally safe country with top-tier healthcare and infrastructure and high salaries in finance, pharma, and tech—but the highest cost of living in the set (Numbeo COL index ~111 vs US ~69) and strict, quota-limited residence options for US citizens, so best suited to those with an employer-sponsored job or lump-sum tax eligibility.
Example cities: Zurich, Geneva, Basel, Lausanne …
Affordable, warm hub for US retirees and remote workers with very low cost of living, strong private healthcare in major cities, and clear long-stay options (O-A retirement, DTV digital nomad)—weighed by Thai-language dependency outside expat areas and regional variation in safety and infrastructure.
Example cities: Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Phuket, Hua Hin …
Gulf hub with no personal income tax, very high safety and healthcare (Numbeo Mar 2026), and straightforward remote-work, Golden Visa, and retirement options—Dubai and Abu Dhabi are highly international and English-friendly with cost of living below many US cities (Numbeo COL index ~54); summer heat and cultural norms require adjustment.
Example cities: Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Ras Al Khaimah …