Best cities to live abroad if you only speak English
Language is the constraint people underestimate. Renting a flat, opening a bank account and seeing a doctor are all much harder at low English proficiency — so this ranking weights it above almost everything else.
The ranking
| # | City | Match | Monthly cost | Why it ranks here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Singapore | 82% | $3,676 | English usability scores 92/100Safety scores 94/100Getting around scores 93/100Healthcare scores 92/100No remote-work visa route |
| 2 | Stockholm Sweden | 82% | $2,735 | English usability scores 96/100Safety scores 84/100Getting around scores 91/100Healthcare scores 88/100No remote-work visa route |
| 3 | Copenhagen Denmark | 81% | $3,261 | English usability scores 94/100Safety scores 88/100Getting around scores 92/100Healthcare scores 90/100No remote-work visa route |
| 4 | Dubai United Arab Emirates | 79% | $3,417 | English usability scores 88/100Safety scores 88/100Connectivity scores 100/100Healthcare scores 80/100 |
| 5 | Abu Dhabi United Arab Emirates | 77% | $2,960 | English usability scores 86/100Safety scores 92/100Healthcare scores 80/100 |
| 6 | Hong Kong Hong Kong SAR | 77% | $3,435 | Safety scores 86/100Getting around scores 96/100Healthcare scores 84/100No remote-work visa route |
| 7 | Lisbon Portugal | 76% | $2,425 | English usability scores 82/100Safety scores 78/100Getting around scores 82/100 |
| 8 | Melbourne Australia | 76% | $3,119 | English usability scores 100/100Healthcare scores 88/100Getting around scores 83/100No remote-work visa route |
| 9 | Valencia Spain | 76% | $1,909 | Safety scores 80/100Affordability scores 79/100Healthcare scores 84/100 |
| 10 | Tallinn Estonia | 76% | $1,855 | English usability scores 80/100Safety scores 84/100Affordability scores 80/100Getting around scores 82/100 |
| 11 | Amsterdam Netherlands | 76% | $3,436 | English usability scores 96/100Safety scores 76/100Getting around scores 90/100Healthcare scores 86/100No remote-work visa route |
| 12 | Barcelona Spain | 76% | $2,515 | Getting around scores 91/100Healthcare scores 84/100 |
| 13 | Toronto Canada | 76% | $3,435 | English usability scores 98/100Safety scores 76/100Healthcare scores 84/100Getting around scores 77/100No remote-work visa route |
| 14 | Porto Portugal | 75% | $1,927 | Safety scores 80/100Affordability scores 79/100Getting around scores 77/100 |
| 15 | Vancouver Canada | 74% | $3,541 | English usability scores 96/100Healthcare scores 84/100No remote-work visa route |
The top five, in detail
Capped childcare fees and universal healthcare make family costs unusually low relative to the headline tax rate.
High taxes buy near-free childcare, healthcare and one of the best cycling cities on earth.
Zero income tax and a remote-work visa; housing, schooling and the car you will need eat most of the tax saving.
Dubai’s tax profile at roughly 20% lower housing cost, with a quieter, more family-oriented and more car-dependent city.
Other guides
Frequently asked
How was this best cities to live abroad if you only speak english list produced?
It is a calculation, not an opinion. Each of the 70 cities in the dataset is scored 0–100 on ten dimensions, weighted by the criteria for this guide (English proficiency; Total monthly cost; Safety; Healthcare; Getting around), and ranked on the weighted average. Cost is scored relative to the rest of the shortlist.
What household does this price?
1 adult, in a 1-bed, city centre, at a moderate lifestyle, without a car. You can change all of that in the live tool.
What is the number one cities to live abroad if you only speak english?
Singapore, Singapore, with a 82% match and a modelled monthly cost of $3,676 for this household. The best-run city in Asia with low taxes and top-tier healthcare — housing and car ownership are the exceptions.