9 world’s best places to live comfortably

Switzerland, New Zealand, Germany and Spain are the best countries to work and live in according to HSBC’s Expat Explorer survey. The study involved 20 thousand people from 100 countries.

The countries were assessed according to three criteria:

1. Economy: business conditions, career prospects and unemployment rate.

2. Comfort for the family: access to medicine and education in addition to spending on children.

3. The standard of living regarding safety, culture, the opportunity for foreigners to integrate into society and make friends.

HSBC’s top 10 countries with the best living conditions for foreigners also include Qatar, the Netherlands, Australia, Canada and Ireland.

Singapore is in the top three best countries for several reasons: business conditions, competitiveness and salary level.

According to HSBC Bank, Singapore is the leader in the ratio of living standards to income for foreigners. The average salary of foreign specialists here is $162,000 per year.

The most demanded professions in Singapore are IT specialists, doctors, engineers and foreign language teachers.

The main business partners of Singapore are China, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Indonesia, Japan, and the United States. Therefore, employers are interested in foreign specialists with experience in these countries.

High income and low living costs are not Singapore’s only strengths. Two thirds of foreigners believe that it has the best education system and opportunities for learning foreign languages.

New Zealand is third in the ranking of countries most comfortable to live in. Every second respondent noted the goodwill towards foreigners.

The country’s advantages also include good ecology, rich culture and economic stability.

HSBC estimates that international professionals in New Zealand earn an average of $88,041 per year. Foreign specialists are attracted to work in the tourism business and agriculture. They are often employed in education, health care and forestry.

In addition to the HSBC ranking, New Zealand is among the top 10 countries with the highest living standards. The index is calculated annually by the Numbeo portal, which collects and analyzes data from open sources and conducts surveys.

The portal compares 226 countries according to several criteria: purchasing power, safety, accessibility of medicine, cost of living, climate and the degree of environmental pollution.

According to HSBC, 82% of foreigners said their standard of living has improved significantly since moving to Switzerland. 80% of the respondents are confident in the economic and political stability of the country. They also report that they feel safe.

Switzerland is famous for its good ecology. After moving, 70% of respondents began to lead an active lifestyle and more often to relax in the fresh air.

Individual cost calculation for residency in Switzerland

Get the cost calculation

The main disadvantage of living in Switzerland is the high cost of renting and buying real estate. Education and medical services will also cost more than in other EU countries.

The average income of foreigners who work in Swiss companies is $203,000 per year. At the same time, not everyone will be able to get a job and a residence permit. Specialists in promising areas, such as IT, medicine or finance are predominantly in demand.

When hiring employees, priority is given to citizens of the European Union and the European Free Trade Association: Norway, Liechtenstein and Iceland. For citizens of other countries, each canton approves quotas annually.

It is almost impossible to get a job in areas that do not require special qualifications and experience. Swiss immigration law is geared towards financially independent foreigners who do not plan to be employed.

To obtain a residence permit in Switzerland, foreigners conclude an agreement on the payment of a flat tax with the authorities of the canton in which they plan to live. Each canton independently determines the amount of payment. The minimum is 450,000 ₣, equivalent to $477,000.

Germany is ranked fourth in the HSBC bank ranking. Foreign specialists who work for German companies earn an average of $ 95,337 per year.

High salaries attract people from the CIS to the country. According to the Pew Research Center, Germany has the largest Russian-speaking diaspora; more than one million people.

According to HSBC survey participants, one main advantage of Germany is the high level of education. The world ranking of the 500 best universities in the world includes 47 German universities at once, including the Technical University, the Ludwig and Maximilian University of Munich, the Ruprecht and Karl University of Heidelberg.

Spain ranks high in HSBC’s Expat Explorer rating of the best countries for foreign specialists. The Spanish economy is the fifth largest in the European Union. Therefore, the people who plan to start their own business abroad move here.

The migration policy of Spain allows you to obtain a residence permit in two or three months in exchange for investment.

To obtain a residence permit in Spain, an investor can choose to invest in real estate, business, government bonds or place them on a bank deposit. The minimum investment in Spanish real estate is €500,000.

Low cost of living and buying real estate is another advantage for foreigners. The comfortable climate and rich culture also contribute to the popularity of the country.

Every second foreigner surveyed noted that after the move, their physical and psychological condition improved.

The US News & World Report magazine annually assesses the quality of life in 73 countries. When compiling the rating, they take into account how the country respects the rights of citizens, cares for the environment, protects cultural heritage and contributes to the development of business and innovation. Tourist attraction and infrastructure are also assessed.

Switzerland, Canada and Japan were recognized as the best in quality of life in 2020.

Ten European countries are in the top twenty: Germany, Great Britain, Sweden, the Netherlands, Norway, France, Denmark, Finland, Italy, Austria and Spain.

The US News & World Report awarded Canada the maximum number of points in terms of economic and political stability, security, and a comfortable atmosphere for family life. The rating compilers noted the high level of education and medicine.

Canada, along with Luxembourg and Switzerland, was recognized as the best country for business.

Canadian citizenship can be obtained for investing from 1.2 million Canadian dollars. All family members of the investor, including children under 18, receive a passport at once.

Canada is among the top 15 countries in the UN Human Development Index (HDI).

Three Canadian cities — Vancouver, Toronto and Calgary — lead the list of the most attractive cities to live in.

In the ranking of the US News & World Report, Luxembourg is ranked first as the most convenient country for business development. The compilers of the rating compared the rules for registering companies and obtaining licenses in Luxembourg, as well as the conditions of banking services in 72 countries of the world.

Luxembourg is also ranked sixth in the International Tax Competitiveness Index (ITCI).

Foreigners who plan to work for hire receive a Blue Card — a residence permit for highly qualified specialists. The average salaries of such specialists exceed €70,000 per year.

In the ranking of countries in terms of quality of life, Austria ranks 18th. At the same time, the capital of the state topped the rating of the most comfortable cities for life.

Each year, the Economist Intelligence Unit evaluates 140 cities in five categories: stability, health, culture and environment, education and infrastructure. In 2018, according to these criteria, Vienna surpassed Melbourne, which remained the leader of the ranking for seven consecutive years.

It takes 90 days to move to Austria and legalize in the country. This is how long it takes to obtain a residence permit in exchange for investment. The minimum investment amount is €100,000.

Every year the UN publishes the World Happiness Report. When calculating the index, they are guided by six factors: GDP per capita, social support, life expectancy, freedom of citizens to independently make vital decisions, attitude towards corruption. Each factor is rated on a ten-point scale.

The leader of the ranking of the happiest in 2021 is Finland. In this country, the index of happiness, determined by the ratio of those who feel happy and unhappy, is the highest in the last four years.

The second and third places in the ranking are occupied by Norway and Denmark.

Finland is ranked in the Top 5 Prosperous Countries by the Legatum Institute Prosperity. It has one of the best education and health care systems in the European Union. This makes it one of the best countries to live in Europe.

To choose a country to live in, it is not enough to study the ratings. In some developed countries like Switzerland, New Zealand and the Netherlands, obtaining a residence permit is problematic: governments are only interested in highly qualified specialists.

Immigrant Invest is a licensed agent for government programs in the European Union and the Caribbean.