Top 5 best countries for expats in 2023

Mexico has been named the best place to live for expats.

Internationals, the largest expat network in the world, recently compiled its annual Expat Insider report, which ranks the best countries based on 56 aspects of expat life from cost of living to housing and availability of high-speed internet. More than 12,000 expats representing 171 nationalities and living in 172 countries or territories responded, Frontier Post reports.

Mexico was ranked first by the ease of settlement index and the subcategory of friendliness of residents. 75% of expats surveyed said it was easy to make friends here, compared to only 43% worldwide.

Spain is in second place. The country has been among the top ten in the Quality of Life Index since 2014 thanks to its culture and nightlife, recreational and leisure opportunities, as well as moderate climate and weather.

"Even though the temperature in the south and north of the country is quite different, the temperature is generally mild and pleasant," said resident Patricia Palacios, co-founder of España Guide, who has lived in Spain for the past decade.

Panama is ranked third in the index due to its high scores in the categories of "ease of settling in," "ease of making friends," and "culture and welcome." Like Spain, the country has introduced a digital nomadic visa with one of the lowest fees in the world. Expats in the index rank it among the top five countries where it is easiest to get a visa. Climate and weather also contribute to the country's high ranking, which is 11th in this sub-index.

Ranked fourth in the overall index, Malaysia jumped up this year in the quality of life sub-index as residents ranked the country third in terms of travel opportunities. The Southeast Asian country also scored highly in terms of friendliness to locals and personal finance.

The only Middle Eastern country in the top 10 Bahrain ranked ninth and was the country with the largest improvement on the list from 2022 to 2023, rising 19 places. It rose the most in the personal finance index, as almost half of the expats surveyed rated their cost of living better than in 2022 and reported satisfaction with their financial situation.