We all have our own visions of paradise—it might be a bustling city, a serene beach, or a tranquil countryside. It’s like a treasure hunt, where each country offers unique rewards, whether that be a low cost of living, a favorable climate, or a welcoming vibe. But let’s make one thing clear: It’s not about finding the ‘perfect’ place, but rather about appreciating the distinct prizes each can offer. Here’s what people online have to say.
1. England
A charmer like England, with its mild climate and medley of cuisines, stands out as an ideal living country. With rentals readily available, settling in is easy. Not to mention the excellent public transportation making commuting a breeze. According to one forum comment, Southern England easily wins with various sports and entertainment options and no language barrier in sight, so you enjoy the culture while, quite literally, speaking the same language. With these offerings, this country surely ticks a lot of boxes.
2. Australia
Someone in the discussion mentions they currently live in Australia and plan to stay there, despite being one of the most expensive places in the world to live. The reasons they stay include “objective measures of happiness, safety, security, and community wealth.”
Australia is famous for its indigenous Aboriginal culture and natural wonders like rainforests, marine reserves, and Ayers Rock. The continent is also known for its laid-back people and mostly desert climate.
3. Hong Kong
The region of Hong Kong is well-known as a global financial hub with many other attractions, such as Hong Kong Disneyland, night markets, numerous shopping centers, Cantonese food, and a high cost of living.
Another commenter on the thread says they chose to retire to Hong Kong because of the universal health care coverage, excellent public transportation systems, and honest people. Its subtropical climate means the summers are hot and humid. Still, the winters are relatively mild, which is a strong draw for snowbirds.
4. Japan
Japan’s natural beauty, including its abundant cherry blossom trees and Mount Fuji, combined with convenient access to fabulous restaurants, vending machines that sell almost everything and anything, high-speed transportation by way of bullet trains, the overall politeness of the Japanese culture, and subtropical environment are vital attractions for several posters on the thread.
5. The Principality of Monaco
One of the smallest independent states in the world and one of the costliest places to live, Monaco is a popular tourist destination and a famous haven for the ultra-wealthy jet-setting crowd due to its mild Mediterranean seasons, low crime rate, and cuisine that’s a fusion of Italian and French food.
6. The Netherlands
Expatriates and natives of the Netherlands on the discussion board extol the virtues of the northern European country. Their highlights include the relatively close and well-organized infrastructure, the cultural attractions, the strong network of social safety net programs, and reasonable living costs. They weren’t fans of the cold weather, however.
7. New Zealand
New Zealand makes an appearance on this list of optimal places to live. While contributors lament the incredibly high cost of living, the indigenous Māori culture, welcoming people, and moderate climate are enough to consider New Zealand home.
8. Portugal
A worker who lived and worked in Lisbon for six months elaborates on how pleasant it was to live there, with the “beautiful weather, great people, and the very reasonable cost of living. Enough people spoke English that I wasn’t concerned about the language barrier.” Additionally, Portugal‘s legendary wine regions and cuisine are enough to make one consider a permanent move there.
9. Taiwan
The East Asia island country has numerous amenities, according to a Canadian expatriate on the thread who’s lived in Taiwan for the past 27 years. Those benefits include national health care coverage, accessible transit, beautiful scenery, friendly people, and reasonable living costs. The summers may be hot, but they say they’ll take that over a cold Canadian winter.
10. The United States
Many of the responses consider the United States the best place to live. The cultural differences from region to region, and even state to state, the variations in climate, cultural attractions, diversity of thought and people, and countless opportunities are just some of the things they love about the U.S.
11. The Best Place of All
According to one user on the discussion board, the best place to live is “the one in which you are happiest and most successful.” What are your thoughts on this?
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Her articles have appeared in publications such as Wealth of Geeks, MSN (US), MSN Ireland, Flipboard, The Facts, The Cents of Money, A Dime Saved, The Times (Frankfort), Invested Wallet, Chronicle-Tribune, Mama of Five Blog, Lafourche Gazette, The Herald-Press, Kinda Frugal, Peru Tribune, and Financially Well Off. Stephanie Allen got her start in writing by teaching college writing and technical writing courses. She transitioned to working as a contract technical writer specializing in information technology. Her love for writing on various subjects led her to Wealth of Geeks.