Why the city matters as much as the country

National averages hide rent, climate, safety, traffic and healthcare differences. A capital may offer the best hospitals and jobs while a regional city delivers the calm, walkability and cost that made moving attractive in the first place.

Country-by-country city shortlists

CambodiaPhnom Penh · Siem Reap · KampotComfortable plan US$1,700 / £1,275PhilippinesManila · Cebu · DumagueteComfortable plan US$1,900 / £1,425Sri LankaColombo · Galle · KandyComfortable plan US$1,550 / £1,163VietnamHo Chi Minh City · Hanoi · Da NangComfortable plan US$1,700 / £1,275ThailandBangkok · Chiang Mai · Hua HinComfortable plan US$2,000 / £1,500MalaysiaKuala Lumpur · Penang · Johor BahruComfortable plan US$2,000 / £1,500Indonesia / BaliUbud · Sanur · JakartaComfortable plan US$2,000 / £1,500JapanTokyo · Fukuoka · OsakaComfortable plan US$3,300 / £2,475PortugalLisbon · Porto · BragaComfortable plan US$2,900 / £2,175SpainValencia · Málaga · MadridComfortable plan US$2,900 / £2,175GreeceAthens · Thessaloniki · CreteComfortable plan US$2,500 / £1,875CroatiaZagreb · Split · RijekaComfortable plan US$2,600 / £1,950MaltaValletta area · Sliema · GozoComfortable plan US$3,400 / £2,550AlbaniaTirana · Vlorë · SarandëComfortable plan US$1,800 / £1,350BulgariaSofia · Plovdiv · VarnaComfortable plan US$2,100 / £1,575GeorgiaTbilisi · Batumi · KutaisiComfortable plan US$2,000 / £1,500MexicoMexico City · Mérida · Puerto VallartaComfortable plan US$2,300 / £1,725Costa RicaCentral Valley · Tamarindo · GreciaComfortable plan US$3,000 / £2,250PanamaPanama City · Boquete · CoronadoComfortable plan US$2,800 / £2,100ColombiaMedellín · Bogotá · ManizalesComfortable plan US$2,000 / £1,500EcuadorCuenca · Quito · LojaComfortable plan US$1,900 / £1,425BrazilFlorianópolis · São Paulo · João PessoaComfortable plan US$2,200 / £1,650ArgentinaBuenos Aires · Mendoza · CórdobaComfortable plan US$2,200 / £1,650MauritiusGrand Baie · Tamarin · MokaComfortable plan US$2,500 / £1,875South AfricaCape Town · Johannesburg · Garden RouteComfortable plan US$2,300 / £1,725AustraliaBrisbane · Melbourne · AdelaideComfortable plan US$4,300 / £3,225New ZealandAuckland · Christchurch · WellingtonComfortable plan US$4,200 / £3,150United Arab EmiratesDubai · Abu Dhabi · Ras Al KhaimahComfortable plan US$4,200 / £3,150

A practical city test

Stay in a normal residential area, not a hotel zone. Repeat the journeys you expect to make, inspect housing at night, locate healthcare, test mobile coverage and price groceries you actually buy. Visit in the difficult season where possible.

How to use this shortlist

Use city shortlists to choose where to investigate a legal route, healthcare and actual housing. Any displayed budget is an editable scenario for one adult, not a surveyed quotation. Compare the same household and inclusions, and test normal weekdays in two plausible areas before committing.

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