10 Affordable Countries for Expats To Live and Work Abroad

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Americans in search of an affordable, expat-friendly place to live and work don’t have to travel very far to find one. Mexico ranks No. 1 in the world as the top destination for expats, according to a new report from InterNations, a global community for people who live and work abroad.

InterNations’ Expat Insider 2023 analyzed and ranked 53 countries according to factors such as quality of life, work opportunities, affordability, ease of settling in and personal finances. The analysis is based on feedback from expats who represent 177 nationalities and live in 181 countries or territories.

Mexico’s ranking at the top continued a run of strong performances for the country. It has ranked in the top 5 since the first survey was conducted in 2014, according to InterNation. During the 10 years of Expat Insider, Mexico has consistently ranked among the best in categories like ease of settling in, friendly residents, making friends and culture.

In financial terms, Mexico ranked sixth on the list for housing. Expats give the country high marks for both the availability and affordability of homes. On a broader affordability scale, Mexico ranked second overall in personal finance. About seven in 10 expats (71%) said they are happy with the cost of living in Mexico vs. only 44% globally. Overall, 80% of expats are satisfied with their financial situation in Mexico vs. 58% globally.

Mexico also landed in the top half of the rankings in terms of working abroad (No. 22), career opportunities (No. 4), fair pay (No. 5) and work-life balance (No. 7). However, the country had mixed results in terms of quality of life, where it ranked No. 26. It had high rankings in leisure options (No. 2) but ranked low in both political stability and safety. Nearly one in five expat (18%) don’t feel safe in Mexico – more than double the global average of 85.

But Mexico ranked high overall, with 90% of expats saying they are happy with their lives there compared with 72% globally.

“Mexico has actually received excellent results since our very first Expat Insider survey ten years ago,” InterNations founder Malte Zeeck told Forbes. “It’s where expats worldwide find it easiest to get used to the local culture, where they feel most welcome and where they describe the local residents as the friendliest population worldwide. Together with the relatively low cost of living and the attractive climate, this turns Mexico into an expat magnet.”

In terms of cost of living, Vietnam ranked first among the 53 countries. It was followed by Mexico, the Philippines, Thailand and Malaysia. The top five countries for working abroad were the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Sweden, the UAE and Finland.

Here’s a look at the Top 10 countries overall to live and work abroad:

1. Mexico
2. Spain
3. Panama
4. Malaysia
5. Taiwan
6. Thailand
7. Costa Rica
8. Philippines
9. Bahrain
10. Portugal

On the other end of the scale, Kuwait landed at the bottom of the rankings for desirable expat destinations. Others that ranked poorly were Norway (No. 52), Turkey (51), South Korea (50) and Germany (51). You can check out the full report here.

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