Philippines among best countries for living and working abroad in 2023—survey

The Philippines was among the top countries for expats in 2023, according to a recent survey on living and working abroad.

In the latest Expat Insider survey, the country placed eighth in the list of best places for expats when it comes to “the ease of settling in and getting started abroad” as well as personal finances, work, and quality of life in general.

In case you didn’t know, an expat or expatriate is “an individual living and/or working in a country other than their country of citizenship, often temporarily and for work reasons.” They can also be someone who “has relinquished citizenship in their home country to become a citizen of another.”

Around 12,000 expats based in 172 countries and territories participated in the survey. Mexico, Spain, Panama, Malaysia, and Taiwan topped the list, followed by Thailand, Costa Rica, the Philippines, Bahrain, and Portugal, respectively.

According to the survey, Mexico’s top performance didn’t come as a surprise as the country has consistently been part of the Top 5 since its first edition in 2014. It has also consistently ranked among the best in the Ease of Settling In Index for ten years due to local friendliness, finding friends, easy-to-get-use culture, affordable housing and accommodation, as well as personal career opportunities such as fair pay, work-life balance, and quality of life.

Expats also said that they “feel at home and happy in Spain,” making it the second best country worldwide for them. They also found Panama, which placed third on the list, an easy destination to settle in.

Conde Nast Traveler, in a report on the same survey, said that the Philippines made it to the list likely because of its proximity to some of the world’s most beautiful islands and affordability.

“We suspect being near some of the world’s most beautiful islands probably makes expats pretty happy,” the digital travel site said. “The country ranked third in the survey’s ‘Personal Finance’ index, with people reporting an enviable cost of living and affordable housing.”

The Expat Insider 2023 survey was conducted by InterNations, an expat networking community with more than 5 million members.

The latest edition assigned ratings to more than 50 aspects of expat life, including the ease of settling in, work-life balance, cost of living, healthcare quality, and friendliness of the local population.