Warm cities you can actually afford
Warm and cheap is the most common search on this site. Adding safety and healthcare as guardrails is what stops the list becoming useless.
The ranking
| # | City | Match | Monthly cost | Why it ranks here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dubai United Arab Emirates | 78% | $3,417 | Climate fit scores 80/100Safety scores 88/100Healthcare scores 80/100 |
| 2 | Abu Dhabi United Arab Emirates | 77% | $2,960 | Climate fit scores 79/100Safety scores 92/100Healthcare scores 80/100 |
| 3 | Singapore | 77% | $3,676 | Safety scores 94/100Healthcare scores 92/100No remote-work visa route |
| 4 | Valencia Spain | 76% | $1,912 | Affordability scores 79/100Safety scores 80/100Healthcare scores 84/100 |
| 5 | Hong Kong Hong Kong SAR | 76% | $3,435 | Safety scores 86/100Healthcare scores 84/100No remote-work visa route |
| 6 | Doha Qatar | 75% | $2,777 | Climate fit scores 79/100Safety scores 92/100Healthcare scores 78/100No remote-work visa route |
| 7 | Tel Aviv Israel | 74% | $3,626 | Climate fit scores 84/100Healthcare scores 84/100Beach access scores 100/100No remote-work visa route |
| 8 | Barcelona Spain | 73% | $2,519 | Healthcare scores 84/100Beach access scores 100/100 |
| 9 | Lisbon Portugal | 73% | $2,416 | Safety scores 78/100 |
| 10 | Taipei Taiwan | 72% | $1,747 | Affordability scores 82/100Safety scores 88/100Healthcare scores 86/100 |
| 11 | Kuala Lumpur Malaysia | 71% | $1,171 | Affordability scores 92/100Healthcare scores 76/100 |
| 12 | Porto Portugal | 71% | $1,925 | Affordability scores 79/100Safety scores 80/100 |
| 13 | Stockholm Sweden | 71% | $2,723 | Safety scores 84/100Healthcare scores 88/100English usability scores 96/100Climate fit is weak here (21/100) |
| 14 | Split Croatia | 71% | $1,754 | Affordability scores 82/100Safety scores 86/100Beach access scores 100/100 |
| 15 | Osaka Japan | 70% | $2,202 | Safety scores 92/100Healthcare scores 86/100 |
The top five, in detail
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.
Beach, bike lanes and Barcelona weather at roughly two-thirds the cost — the current value pick of coastal Spain.
A ~15% effective tax ceiling and superb transit, paid for entirely in square metres.
Other guides
Frequently asked
How was this warm cities you can actually afford 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 (Warm climate (24°C target); Total monthly cost; Safety; Healthcare), 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 warm cities you can actually afford?
Dubai, United Arab Emirates, with a 78% match and a modelled monthly cost of $3,417 for this household. Zero income tax and a remote-work visa; housing, schooling and the car you will need eat most of the tax saving.