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The surprising European country named the best place to live in the world
Dreaming of moving abroad? This tiny European nation just beat the rest of the world be named the planet’s most liveable country
What do you think is the best country in the world to relocate to right now? Chances are a tiny Baltic nation wasn’t the first place that popped into your head. And yet, according to a brand-new global ranking, it absolutely should have been. The Rumavi Global Relocation Index 2026 has crowned Estonia the best country on the planet to move to, beating out spots like Singapore and Malaysia
The index scores 192 countries and territories across 24 different metrics, covering everything from tax structures and living costs to health, safety, and how easy it is to actually make friends. Even better, it recognises that a family of four needs different things than a solo freelancer, so it custom-weights the data to create top-10 lists for retirees, digital nomads and entrepreneurs alike
What’s the best relocation spot?
So why is Estonia suddenly running the show? The country has spent years building a reputation as one of the most advanced digital societies on Earth. Its famous e-Residency scheme lets you run an EU company completely online without ever setting foot in the place, and its Digital Nomad Visa was one of the first of its kind in Europe. Throw in good healthcare, low crime rates and a straightforward path to settling down, it’s a country that ticks pretty much every box going
Singapore and Malaysia round out the top three, with longtime expat favourite Portugal sitting in fourth. The rest of the ultimate top 10 is a mix, featuring Taiwan, Lithuania,Hong Kong,St Kitts and Nevis, Czechia and Malta. Time to get that passport ready
The 10 best countries in the world to relocate to in 2026
- Estonia
- Singapore
- Malaysia
- Portugal
- Taiwan
- Lithuania
- Hong Kong
- St Kitts and Nevis
- Czechia
- Malta
Thinking about a fresh start somewhere new? Here are all the countries you can live and work remotely right now.
Plus: find out which countries are officially the world’s richest in 2026
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