Have you ever dreamed of living abroad? Traveling further afield for sunnier climes, better work opportunities, a different pace of life, or a new adventure when you retire?
If so, you’re not alone. In fact, about 20 percent of Americans say they would like to leave the US and move permanently to another country,
But if you’re serious about becoming an expat, the task of finding the best place to move abroad can be a complicated one.
Thankfully, Global Citizen Solutions has the answers. The residency and citizenship planning advisory firm has published its inaugural guide to the World’s Most Livable Cities for Expats, pitting 35 cities across six continents against one another to assess the best locations for the increasing number of citizens seeking new opportunities
Global Citizen Solutions’ Global Intelligence Unit (GIU) has assessed each destination through the lens of relocation, incorporating passport mobility rights as a core dimension of livability.
To identify the best cities for expats, Global Citizen Solutions assessed each location across seven livable cities indicators: cost of living, safety, air quality, healthcare, ease of settling in, English proficiency, and enhanced mobility. The team used information from publicly available datasets to create a score between 0 and 100.
Under that methodology, Lisbon earned the top spot as the best city for expats in 2026. The Portuguese capital garnered a score of 88.49 in Global Citizen Solutions’ study, earning consistently high rankings across all categories. It’s among the least expensive capitals in the index, one of the cleanest cities when it comes to air quality, and it boasts a higher safety score than other European metropolises like Paris, Rome, and Barcelona.
Additionally, Portugal offers expats several pathways to residency, including its flexible digital nomad visa, which allows participants to renew for up to four years, and its residence-by-investment program, which offers a path to citizenship.
Clocking in at No. 2 on the list is Amsterdam, with a score of 81.97 thanks to strong safety levels, high-quality healthcare, and clean air—perhaps due to the famous cycling culture. The Dutch capital also had the highest level of English proficiency across the index’s European cities, making daily life extraordinarily accessible for American expats.
Melbourne ranks as the highest-performing city outside Europe in third place. The cosmopolitan Australian city scored 81.79 points due to its accessible living environment and remarkably clean air. “High-quality healthcare, stable governance, and well-developed urban systems support a reliable standard of living, particularly for residents relocating from other English-speaking countries,” the report says.
Three Asian hubs also made the top 10 list of the most livable cities for expats. Singapore is the highest-ranked city in Asia on the list, scoring sixth place with 80.58 points.
As an international business and global financial powerhouse, Singapore is already appealing to many expats. It’s even more so with its English proficiency, which is among the highest in the report, as well as its top-ranking safety score. The city-state also locked in the index’s highest mobility score and is home to Changi Airport, which has consistently ranked as one of the world’s best airports for many years.
Elsewhere on the list, Tokyo ranked No. 8 with an overall score of 79.78 thanks to its top-notch safety and healthcare. Rounding out the list at the No. 10 spot is Seoul. The Korean capital earned a tally of 78.89 for its strong metrics on safety and cost of living, as well as its outstanding healthcare, which was the best in the index and drew more than 2 million international medical visitors in 2025.
The World’s Most Livable Cities for Expats
10. Seoul, Korea – 78.89
9. Copenhagen, Denmark – 79.57
8. Tokyo, Japan – 79.78
7. Auckland, New Zealand – 80.15
6. Singapore – 80.58
5. Barcelona, Spain – 80.7
4. Vienna, Austria – 81.07
3. Melbourne, Australia – 81.79
2. Amsterdam, Netherlands – 81.97
1. Lisbon, Portugal – 88.49
