Survey Reveals Best (& Worst) Expat Destinations for Your Money

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💰RANKING THE BEST COUNTRIES FOR COST OF LIVING

Perhaps the biggest draw of the expat life is the ability to live like a king (or queen) on a remote income. But what countries give you the biggest bang for the buck?

A new survey from Expat Insider asked 10,000 expats about their experiences living abroad, covering everything from quality of life, cost of living, working abroad, and the ease of settling in.

Check out the best (and worst) performers for 2025, as ranked by other expats.

🌍 Top performers

• Vietnam reigns supreme at #1 for the fifth straight year. Nearly 9 in 10 expats (89%) are thrilled with the cost of living, and 87% say their income easily covers a comfortable lifestyle.

• Colombia takes second, with 92% saying their disposable income is enough. From retirees to remote workers, expats here enjoy a quality of life that costs a fraction of what they’d spend back home.

• Panama secures third place, long a favorite for U.S. retirees. One in three expats say they plan to stay forever, and 87% report financial comfort.

⚠️ Financial struggles

• Canada lands dead last (46th), with more than half of expats citing high costs and incomes that don’t stretch.

• The UK (45th) and Finland (44th) round out the bottom, where expensive housing and steep everyday expenses make life tough even for well-paid professionals.

🔎 Trends & surprises

• Every country in the top 10 is in Asia or Latin America; Europe doesn’t crack the list at all.

• Malaysia enters the top 10 for the first time, while South Korea plunges 25 spots into the bottom tier, with expats reporting rising costs and tighter budgets.

Takeaway

If your goal is to stretch your income and enjoy life, Asia and Latin America remain the best bets in 2025. For expats chasing comfort, community, and affordability, they’re the places where your money still goes the furthest.

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🏦 SOCIAL SECURITY ABROAD: WHAT EXPATS NEED TO KNOW

For retirees living overseas, Social Security remains a lifeline, but the rules are evolving.

The SSA has been tightening its oversight of overseas recipients, stepping up the use of eligibility questionnaires and reminding expats that missing one can mean suspended payments until status is verified.

Getting your payments

Fortunately, payments are still straightforward for most retirees.

Benefits can be deposited to a U.S. bank account (the safest option, though you must maintain a valid U.S. residential address on file) or to a foreign account in one of the 100+ countries with an International Direct Deposit (IDD) agreement. Popular destinations such as Mexico, Canada, Spain, and much of the EU qualify.

One key 2025 reminder: expats who keep foreign accounts with balances over $10,000 must file an FBAR annually. Social Security is still taxable by the U.S., but the Foreign Tax Credit can help offset double taxation if your host country also taxes it.

Finally, your state of residency continues to matter. Retirees who maintain ties to high-tax states risk paying state tax on benefits even abroad, which is why many are shifting domicile to no-tax states like Florida or Texas.

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