Work and Volunteering

Heard on the Adventure Freaks YouTube channel (episode December 14, 2025) about an online service to connect patrons with volunteers. The typical exchange is volunteer labour for room and (sometimes) board. The service is called WorkAway. By following this method, a former Canadian lives in Ecuador for about $200 a month. There is everything from volunteer teaching to construction to helping someone clean out their home. Here is an example of a volunteer teaching position in Madagascar.

Malta

 See this video on a US couple who moved to Malta. And another video. Also see my Malta page.

Most Livable Cities around the World

The Economist magazine ranks cities of the world for "livability." The rating is on a scale of 100 determined by weighing of 5 factors: Stability (25%), Culture & Environment (25%), Healthcare (20%), Infrastructure (20%) and Education (10%).

Vienna tops the list in 2024 for the third year in a row. Interestingly, Vancouver topped their list from 2002 to 2010 and is now tied for 6th place with Sydney, Australia.

2024 Rankings
Vienna 98.9
Copenhagen 98.0
Zurich 97.1
Melbourne 97.0
Calgary 96.8
Geneva 96.8
Sydney 96.6
Vancouver 96.6
Osaka 96.0
Auckland 96.0

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The Economist also has a "Where-to-be-born" index that ranks countries (rather than cities above) that has the potential to provide the best quality of life. Here are the top 25 countries.

The Where-to-be-born Index (out of 10):
1. Switzerland 8.22
2. Australia 8.12
3. Norway 8.09
4. Sweden 8.02
5. Denmark 8.01
6. Singapore 8.00
7. New Zealand 7.95
8. Netherlands 7.94
9. Canada 7.81
10. Hong Kong 7.80
11. Finland 7.76
12. Ireland 7.74
13. Austria 7.73
14. Taiwan 7.67
15. Belgium 7.51
16. Germany 7.38
17. United States 7.38
18. United Arab Emirates 7.33
19. South Korea 7.25
20. Israel 7.23
21. Italy 7.21
22. Kuwait 7.18
23. Chile 7.10
24. Cyprus 7.10
25. Japan 7.08

France

Moving to France is fairly easy and can be a good deal for retirees. This company can help with all the necessary steps to gain resident status: FabExpat has helped thousands of people to settle in France. They have a team of experts to help with taxes, immigration, property and insurance. See an interview with the company's owner here. When looking for rental properties check out SeLoger and  Bien Ici.

IL Best Places to Retire in 2024

Each year International Living provides its list of the top ten places to retire.

For 2024, Costa Rica tops the list.

Retirement Visas Around the World

The Where Can I Live website has a list of 28 countries that have retirement plans for foreigners. Below is a list of the countries and the minimum monthly income required in USD for 2025.

Europe

• Bulgaria ($2000)
• France ($1800)
• Greece ($3500)
• Ireland ($4200)
• Italy ($2700)
• Portugal ($850)
• Spain ($2400)

Central America

• Belize ($2000)
• Costa Rica ($1000)
• Mexico ($4350)
• Nicaragua ($600)
• Panama ($1000)

South America

• Argentina ($500)
  
• Brazil ($2000)
  
• Chile ($1000)
• Colombia ($900)
• Ecuador ($1500)
• Uruguay ($1500)

Asia

• Indonesia ($3000)
• Malaysia (Varied)
• Thailand ($2000)
• The Philippines ($1000)

Middle East and Africa

• Dubai ($5500)
• Mauritius ($1500)
• South Africa ($2000)

Oceania

• Fiji ($2000)
• New Zealand ($5000)
• Vanuatu ($2000)

Note: This is a list of countries that have recognized Retirement Visas. However, other countries may also have visas that retirees can use to immigrate.

World-wide Taxation

One aspect of moving to another country is the level of taxation. Some countries have tax "holiday" that give tax relief for an extended period, sometimes up to ten years. Another type of tax relief is countries that have "territorial" taxation whereby you are taxed only on money patriated to that country; thus income that remains outside the country is not taxed. Finally, tax treaties between countries can reduce taxation when moving to another country.

The best countries are, of course, those that have no income tax, whether earned, dividend, interest or capital gains. 18 countries have no income tax, the most being Monaco; most of the others are Caribbean islands.

There are 38 countries with territorial taxation. Ernst & Young have a guide to territorial taxation.

Here is a good article from Nomad Capitalist about the different types of taxation around the world: citizenship, residential and territorial. They list the top countries with territorial taxation (they list San Marino but it no longer applies):

• Costa Rica
• Gibraltor
• Hong Kong
• Macau
• Malaysia
• Nicaragua
• Panama
• Paraguay
• Singapore

Other countries with Territorial Taxation:

• Belize
• British Virgin Islands
• Philippines
  
• Thailand
• Uruguay

Digital Nomad has a good article on territorial taxation with detailed reports on each country.

Territorial taxation can vary in some aspects. Generally you are not taxed on income earned outside the country only if it is brought into the country of residency. There may be exemptions for dividend or pension income.

Another Nomad Capitalist article explaining territorial taxation in detail.

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