Where Expats Enjoy the Best Quality of Life in 2026

➡️You’re welcome to use these 2026 Expat Insider results. Please remember to credit InterNations as the source, and where possible, include a link to www.internations.org.

In this article:

• Methodology
• Sunny & Satisfied in Spain (1st)
• Smooth & Secure Living in Singapore (2nd)
• Safe & Well Cared For in the UAE (3rd)
• Costly Care & Political Worries in the USA (31st)
• Beautiful Nature & Bored Expats in Norway (30th)
• Rough Roads & Long Waits in Ireland (29th)
• Trends in the Top 10
• Trends in the Bottom 10
• Full Ranking
• Further Reading

Methodology

The Quality of Life Index consists of five subcategories with three to six underlying factors each.

The Travel & Transit Subcategory looks into the opportunity to travel; the affordability and availability of public transport; the infrastructure for cars; and whether it’s easy and safe to get around on foot or by bicycle.

For Safety & Security, respondents shared their opinions on their personal safety; the political stability; and whether they feel they can openly express themselves and their opinions in their new home.

The Leisure Options Subcategory is made up of ratings regarding the culture & nightlife offering; the culinary variety & dining options; and the local opportunities for recreational sports.

The affordability, availability, and quality of medical care as well as how easy it is to get equal access to all kinds of healthcare services make up the Healthcare Subcategory.

Lastly, the Environment & Climate Subcategory sums up expats’ satisfaction with the host country’s natural environment; urban environment; air quality; and climate and weather. It also considers how expats rate the availability of green goods and services (e.g., renewable energy, organic food) and whether the government supports policies to protect the environment.

Expats rated these factors on a scale of one (very bad / disagree completely) to seven (very good / agree completely). A minimum of 50 respondents is required for a location to be featured in the index. In 2026, 31 countries met this threshold.

Sunny & Satisfied in Spain (1st)

For the firth year in a row, Spain tops the Quality of Life Index, ranking 1st out of 31 countries in 2026. It’s no coincidence that expats move there for lifestyle reasons: one in five (20%) relocated for a better quality of life (vs. 9% globally), and 8% moved to retire abroad (vs. 4%). Once settled, they don’t seem to regret it — 41% want to stay forever (vs. 27% globally).

Leisure Options (2nd) are a major strength. Expats rate the culture and nightlife (2nd) and their opportunities for recreational sports (2nd) among the best worldwide, and 87% praise the culinary variety and dining options (vs. 75% globally). The famous climate and weather (2nd) delights 89% of respondents (vs. 58% globally), helping Spain to a 5th place in the Environment & Climate Subcategory.

Healthcare (4th) adds to the appeal: about four in five expats are happy with its affordability (80% vs. 61% globally), availability (83% vs. 71%), and quality (83% vs. 71%). Travel & Transit (7th) rounds out the picture with affordable public transport (6th) and plenty of opportunity to travel (93% positive ratings vs. 84% globally). It’s also easy and safe to get around on foot or by bike, according to 87% of respondents (vs. 78%).

Safety & Security (11th) is Spain’s weakest subcategory — though hardly a bad result. While 77% feel free to openly express themselves and their opinions (vs. 64% globally), the political stability (18th) only receives average ratings.

Smooth & Secure Living in Singapore (2nd)

Singapore ranks 2nd in the 2026 Quality of Life Index, driven by an unmatched 1st place in the Travel & Transit Subcategory. All respondents (100%) rate the opportunity to travel positively (vs. 84% globally), and public transport is both affordable (2nd) and widely available (1st). Getting around on foot or by bike is easy and safe, too, according to 96% (vs. 78% globally).

Safety & Security (5th) is another highlight: nearly all expats feel safe (98% vs. 81% globally), and 92% rate the political stability favorably (vs. 58%) — the best results worldwide for both factors. Freedom of expression is a different story, though: not even half (44%) feel they can openly share their opinions, twenty percentage points less than the global average of 64%.

A similar contrast shapes the Healthcare Subcategory (15th). Singapore ranks 1st for both the availability and the quality of medical care (90% positive ratings each), but 30th for its affordability: 45% rate healthcare costs negatively (vs. 21% globally). Money worries seem to be a theme — close to half of expats (48%) named the high cost of living as a concern before moving there (vs. 21% globally).

Mostly work-driven — 28% were sent by their employer (vs. 7% globally) and another 22% were recruited internationally (vs. 6%) — expats in Singapore still enjoy the world’s best culinary variety and dining options (1st). However, the culture & nightlife (19th) and opportunities for recreational sports (23rd) lag behind.

Safe & Well Cared For in the UAE (3rd)

The UAE completes the top 3 of the 2026 Quality of Life Index. Expats there feel exceptionally secure: 94% rate their personal safety positively (vs. 81% globally), and 89% praise the political stability (vs. 58%), earning the country a 4th place in the Safety & Security Subcategory.* Only the freedom to openly express oneself (23rd) falls short of the global average.

Healthcare (6th) is another strong suit. Over four in five expats agree that medical care is readily available (84% vs. 71% globally) and of high quality (85% vs. 71%), though its affordability (18th) receives more mixed reviews.

Expats also enjoy the Leisure Options (5th), especially the culture and nightlife (3rd) as well as the culinary variety and dining options (6th). And while public transport gets average ratings, the excellent infrastructure for cars (2nd) helps the UAE to a 9th place in the Travel & Transit Subcategory.

The Environment & Climate Subcategory (19th) is the country’s weak spot: expats rank the natural environment (30th) and air quality (24th) near the bottom, and just half (50%) like the climate and weather (vs. 58% globally). In fact, 22% named the climate as a concern before moving there (vs. 15% globally). One bright spot stands out, however: expats rank the UAE 1st worldwide for government policies to protect the environment.

Costly Care & Political Worries in the USA (31st)

The USA lands at the very bottom of the 2026 Quality of Life Index. Healthcare (31st) is the biggest pain point: around two-thirds (66%) rate its affordability negatively (vs. 21% globally), the worst result worldwide, and the country also comes in last for equal access to all kinds of healthcare services. Expats seem aware of the problem before arriving — 16% named insufficient healthcare standards as a concern prior to moving, 10 percentage points more than the global average of 6%.

Safety & Security (30th) doesn’t fare much better. The USA ranks last for political stability (29% positive vs. 58% globally), and only about two-thirds (66%) feel safe (vs. 81%).

Travel & Transit (29th) adds to the frustration: the availability of public transport ranks dead last, with 43% rating it negatively (vs. 17% globally), and getting around on foot or by bike isn’t easy either (29th). In the Environment & Climate Subcategory (25th), the USA receives the world’s worst result for government policies to protect the environment (33% positive vs. 62% globally).

The one silver lining is the Leisure Options Subcategory (12th) — the USA’s only above-average result — thanks to solid ratings for the culinary variety and dining options (82% positive vs. 75% globally) and recreational sports (79% vs. 76%).

Beautiful Nature & Bored Expats in Norway (30th)

Norway ranks 30th in the 2026 Quality of Life Index, dragged down by the world’s worst Leisure Options (31st). More than half the expats (53%) are dissatisfied with the culture and nightlife (vs. 16% globally), and 45% say the same about the culinary variety and dining options (vs. 13%) — last place for both factors.

Travel & Transit (28th) is nearly as disappointing. Public transport is the least affordable worldwide (36% negative ratings vs. 16% globally), and Norway also ranks last for the opportunity to travel (just 55% positive vs. 84%). Healthcare (26th) raises concerns as well: while it’s fairly affordable (11th), its availability (29th) and quality (27th) rank near the bottom.

Even the famous Norwegian outdoors can’t fully compensate. Expats do love the natural environment (6th) and the air quality (5th), but the climate & weather (30th) is a hard sell — 46% rate it negatively, more than double the global average of 21%. Indeed, 38% already worried about the climate before moving there (vs. 15% globally), making it one of the top concerns, alongside the high cost of living (41%) and the language barrier (44%).

Safety & Security (14th) is Norway’s best subcategory in the index, with high marks for personal safety (91% positive vs. 81% globally) and political stability (84% vs. 58%). Still, over a quarter of expats (27%) plan to leave within the next five years or sooner (vs. 21% globally).

Rough Roads & Long Waits in Ireland (29th)

Ireland ranks 29th in the 2026 Quality of Life Index and last in the Travel & Transit Subcategory (31st). Public transport is neither widely available (30th) nor affordable (28th), the infrastructure for cars (28th) disappoints, and getting around on foot or by bike (28th) isn’t easy either.

Healthcare (30th) is almost as troubling. Ireland ranks last for the availability of medical care (47% positive vs. 71% globally), and fewer than half of expats praise its quality (49% vs. 71%) or equal access to services (49% vs. 63%). Leisure Options (29th) complete the bottom 3 subcategory results, with especially poor ratings for recreational sports (56% positive ratings vs. 76% globally) and the culinary variety and dining options (58% vs. 75%).

The Environment & Climate Subcategory (17th) shows a split picture: not a single respondent rates the air quality or the natural environment negatively, but over half (51%) dislike the climate and weather (vs. 21% globally). Expats saw it coming — 36% named the climate as a concern before moving (vs. 15% globally), topped only by the housing market, which worried a striking 44% (vs. 17%).

At least Safety & Security (16th) offers some comfort: expats value the political stability (10th) and their freedom to openly express themselves (9th), though personal safety (25th) gets slightly below-average ratings (75% vs. 81%).

Trends in the Top 10

1. Spain
2. Singapore
3. UAE
4. Japan
5. Austria
6. Panama
7. Denmark
8. Switzerland
9. France
10. Luxembourg

European destinations make up the majority of the top 10 in 2026: Spain (1st) is joined by Austria (5th), Denmark (7th), Switzerland (8th), France (9th), and Luxembourg (10th). Interestingly, each has a distinct profile. Denmark boasts the world’s best Safety & Security (1st) and the most affordable healthcare (1st), while Switzerland leads the Environment & Climate Subcategory (1st) — but both offer underwhelming Leisure Options (20th and 26th, respectively). France tops the Healthcare Subcategory (1st) yet only ranks 20th for Safety & Security. And Luxembourg pairs the second-best Safety & Security worldwide with a bottom 3 result for Leisure Options (30th) and the world’s least popular climate & weather (31st).

The two Asian destinations show a striking similarity: Singapore (2nd) and Japan (4th) both combine world-class results — for example, Japan follows Singapore to rank 2nd for personal safety — with some of the worst ratings for the freedom to openly express oneself (28th and 29th, respectively).

Panama (6th) is the only representative of Latin America. Expats there enjoy great Leisure Options (6th) and Safety & Security (6th), but the country ranks dead last for its infrastructure for cars (31st), resulting in a mediocre 17th place for Travel & Transit — by far the weakest subcategory result among the top 10 countries.

Trends in the Bottom 10

22. Belgium
23. Brazil
24. Netherlands
25. Canada
26. South Africa
27. Türkiye
28. United Kingdom
29. Ireland
30. Norway
31. USA

Western countries dominate the bottom 10 of the 2026 Quality of Life Index: the USA (31st), Norway (30th), Ireland (29th), the United Kingdom (28th), Canada (25th), the Netherlands (24th), and Belgium (22nd) all receive this dubious distinction. Healthcare is a recurring theme — the UK ranks last for the quality of medical care (31st), Canada places 30th for both its availability and quality, and the Netherlands doesn’t do much better (29th in the subcategory). Belgium is the odd one out: it boasts the third-best Healthcare worldwide but loses ground with the Environment & Climate (29th) and Safety & Security (24th) Subcategories.

South Africa (26th) and Brazil (23rd) share a different pattern: fantastic conditions overshadowed by safety concerns. South Africa offers a wonderful climate and weather (3rd) and natural environment (2nd), and Brazil delights with its Leisure Options (3rd) — but they rank last and second to last for personal safety, respectively.

Türkiye (27th) rounds out the list with the world’s worst results for the freedom to openly express oneself (31st), the urban environment (31st), and the availability of green goods and services (31st), plus a 30th place for political stability. Its well-rated public transport (9th for availability) and pleasant climate and weather (8th) can’t make up the difference.

Full Ranking

*) Please note that this year’s Expat Insider survey was conducted by InterNations from 1 February to 31 March 2026. Since data collection took place both before and after the outbreak of the US-Iran war, the findings should be interpreted as only partially reflecting its impact on expats living in the UAE.

Further Reading

• The Best & Worst Countries for Expats in 2026
• Balance, Prospects & Pay: The Best Countries to Work Abroad in 2026
• Where Expats Feel Welcome in 2026 — And Where They Don’t
• From Comfort to Constant Struggle: Expat Finances in 2026
• Where Handling the Essentials Abroad Is Easy & Hard in 2026
• Expat Insider Survey Demographics 2026
• Spain in 2026: Top-Tier Living vs. Tough Jobs
• Safety & Smooth Living for Expats in Singapore in 2026
• Big Careers & Easy Admin in the UAE in 2026
• Breathtaking Nature & a Lonely Welcome in Norway in 2026
• Friendly Faces & a Brutal Housing Market for Expats in Ireland in 2026
• Expat Insider 2025 | Quality of Life Index