You're sitting at your desk, staring at a flickering cursor, wondering why you’re paying $3,000 a month for a shoebox in a city that smells like wet pavement and broken dreams. It's a common vibe lately. Everyone’s looking for the exit. But asking what country should i live in isn't just about finding cheaper beer or better weather. It’s about not ruining your life with a bureaucratic nightmare you didn't see coming.
Moving abroad is messy.
Most people start with a Google search, see a picture of a sunset in Bali, and think they’ve found the "One." Then they realize the internet speeds are garbage or they can’t actually own land. Or worse, they realize they’re still paying taxes to their home country while getting zero benefits. If you're serious about this, you need to look past the Instagram filters.
The Portugal Problem and the Death of the NHR
For years, the answer to what country should i live in was almost always Portugal. It was the golden child. You had the Non-Habitual Resident (NHR) tax regime, which basically meant you paid peanuts on foreign income for a decade. It was a dream.
Then the locals got mad. Rents in Lisbon skyrocketed, pushing out the people who actually grew up there. Consequently, the Portuguese government started hacking away at the benefits. While the "Digital Nomad Visa" (the D8) still exists, the tax perks aren't what they used to be. If you’re heading there now, you’re looking at a 20% flat rate for certain "high value" professions, but for many, you’ll just fall into the standard progressive tax brackets, which can hit 48% pretty fast.
Don't get me wrong, the surf in Ericeira is still world-class. The pasteis de nata are still addictive. But if your primary motivation was "zero tax," Portugal might be a "has-been" on your list.
Why Everyone Is Suddenly Obsessed with Spain’s Beckham Law
Spain used to be the place you went to retire and drink sangria. Now, it’s the place you go to work. The Spanish Digital Nomad Visa launched with a bang because of something called the Beckham Law—named after David Beckham because he was one of the first to use it.
Basically, it lets you be taxed as a non-resident even if you live there. You pay a flat 24% on income up to €600,000 for six years.
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Compare that to the usual Spanish tax rates that can climb over 45% in places like Catalonia or Madrid, and it’s a steal. But here’s the kicker: you can’t have lived in Spain in the last five years. And you have to be careful about the "permanent establishment" rules if you own your own company. It's not a "get out of jail free" card; it’s a "pay less if you’re organized" card.
The lifestyle? Unmatched. You’ve got high-speed rail that actually works—unlike the US or the UK—and a culture that values dinner at 10:00 PM more than a 6:00 AM "grindset" meeting.
The Southeast Asia Trap: Visas vs. Reality
Thailand is tempting. It’s always tempting. The LTR (Long-Term Resident) visa is great on paper, but the wealth requirements are steep. You usually need $1 million in assets or a very high salary from a massive corporation.
Most people end up on "Education Visas" or "Muay Thai Visas," which feel a bit... shaky. You’re one policy change away from being told to pack your bags. If you’re asking what country should i live in for the long haul, you want stability.
Vietnam is another one. Gorgeous, cheap, incredible coffee. But try getting a long-term residency permit without a local employer. It’s a mountain of paperwork that often leads to a dead end. Malaysia’s MM2H program used to be the gold standard, but they tripled the income requirements a couple of years ago, basically telling the middle class to go elsewhere.
What About the "Hidden" Gems?
If you’re tired of the usual suspects, look at Georgia (the country, not the state). For a long time, they let citizens of 95 countries stay for a full year without a visa. You could literally just show up.
- Taxes: If you register as a "Small Business," you pay 1% tax on turnover up to about $180,000.
- Cost of living: Tbilisi is getting pricier, but it’s still a fraction of Western Europe.
- Vibe: It’s grit and wine. It’s not for everyone. The infrastructure is "evolving," but the freedom is real.
Then there’s Costa Rica. Their digital nomad visa is straightforward. No tax on foreign income. But be warned: Costa Rica is expensive. It’s not the "cheap paradise" it was in the 90s. You’ll pay US prices for groceries and electronics, but you get to live in a jungle with monkeys. Trade-offs. Always trade-offs.
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The Tax Man Cometh (The US Catch-22)
If you are an American, I have bad news. The US is one of only two countries (Eritrea is the other) that taxes based on citizenship, not residency.
You can move to Mars, and the IRS will still want their cut.
You can use the Foreign Earned Income Exclusion (FEIE) to shield around $120,000 of your income, but you have to stay out of the US for 330 full days a year to qualify under the Physical Presence Test. If you spend too much time visiting your mom in Ohio, you lose the tax break. It’s a golden handcuff.
For everyone else—Brits, Aussies, Germans—once you leave and sever ties, you’re usually free from your home country’s tax net. This makes the question of what country should i live in much more flexible for non-Americans.
Safety, Healthcare, and the "Boredom" Factor
I talked to a guy who moved to a remote beach in Mexico. He loved it for three months. By month six, he was losing his mind. Why? Because the internet cut out every time it rained and the nearest hospital was a four-hour drive on a dirt road.
Safety isn't just about crime. It's about:
- Medical infrastructure: If you have an appendicitis at 2:00 AM, will you survive the night?
- Political stability: Is the local currency about to pull a nose-dive? (Looking at you, Argentina).
- Social connection: Can you actually make friends, or will you be trapped in an expat bubble forever?
Japan is an interesting outlier here. They recently launched a six-month digital nomad visa. It’s short, but it’s a foot in the door. It's probably the safest country on earth with the best food, but the work culture is intense, and the language barrier is a literal wall.
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The Checklist for Your Big Move
Stop looking at "Top 10" lists. Start looking at your bank account and your tolerance for chaos.
First, check the time zones. If your boss is in New York and you’re in Bali, you’re working from 9:00 PM to 5:00 AM. You will be a zombie. You will hate your life.
Second, check the "Tax Presence" rules. Most countries consider you a tax resident if you spend 183 days there. If you spend 182, you might be fine. This is the "Perpetual Traveler" strategy, but it’s getting harder as countries share data.
Third, the "Loneliness Tax." Moving alone is hard. Pick a place with a proven community. Places like Mexico City, Medellin, or Bansko (Bulgaria) have built-in networks of people who have already figured out how to get a SIM card and where to find the best coffee.
Making the Final Call
There is no "perfect" country. Every place has a "tax" – sometimes it's paid in money, sometimes in time, sometimes in frustration with the local water utility company.
When you ask yourself what country should i live in, you’re really asking: "Which set of problems am I willing to tolerate?"
Actionable Steps to Narrow It Down:
- The One-Month Test: Never move somewhere permanently without living there for 30 days first. Rent an Airbnb in a residential neighborhood, not a hotel in the tourist zone.
- Audit Your Taxes: Hire a cross-border tax specialist. Spending $500 now can save you $50,000 in penalties later.
- Check the "Double Tax" Treaties: Look up if your home country has a treaty with your target country. This prevents you from being taxed twice on the same dollar.
- Download "Speedtest" Maps: If you work online, verified internet speeds are more important than the view from the balcony. Use sites like Roam-ly or Nomad List for real-time data.
- Secure an FBI Background Check: Almost every residency visa requires a clean criminal record from your home country, and these often take months to process. Get it done before you leave.