As rising living costs and global economic uncertainty continue to strain many financially, some expats have found that moving overseas can be easier on their wallet.
For the fifth consecutive year, Vietnam is the most affordable country in the world for expats, ranking first out of 46 destinations when it comes to personal finances, according to the 2025 Expat Insider study by InterNations, an online platform and global community for expats.
Conducted annually since 2014, the study gathered insights from more than 10,000 expats representing 172 nationalities living in countries and territories worldwide.
Survey participants for the personal finance index were asked to rate their satisfaction with their financial situation, general cost of living, and whether their disposable household income was enough to lead a comfortable life in their country of residence.
Here are the top 10 most affordable destinations for expats in 2025, according to InterNations:
- Vietnam (most affordable)
- Colombia
- Panama
- China
- Thailand
- Indonesia
- Philippines
- Mexico
- Malaysia
- Brazil
Asian countries dominated the list when it comes to personal finances for expats, with five out of the top 10 countries being from Southeast Asia: Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia, Philippines and Malaysia.
“Compared to 2024, nine of the countries in the top 10 retain this title. Only Malaysia (9th) is a new addition, edging its way in from 11th place last year,” according to the report. Notably, no European country made the list.
In Vietnam, 89% of respondents were pleased with the general cost of living, while 87% of respondents said their disposable household income was about or more than enough to lead a comfortable life, compared with a global 40% and 69%, respectively, according to the report.
That financial breathing room may also explain why some expats put down roots in the country – 54% have lived there for five or more years already, and 30% want to stay forever, according to the report.
Colombia and Panama followed in second and third place, respectively.
In Colombia, the majority of survey respondents said their disposable income was enough to live comfortably — 92% compared with 69% globally. Also, no expat in the country flagged cost of living as a major concern before moving, a stark contrast to the global average of 21%, according to InterNations.
Meanwhile, Panama is particularly popular with retirees — 35% of expats there were already retired, compared to just 11% globally, data showed.
Here are the 10 least affordable countries for expats in 2025, according to InterNations:
- Norway (37 out of 46 globally)
- Australia
- Ireland
- South Korea
- Singapore
- Qatar
- Türkiye
- Finland
- United Kingdom
- Canada (least affordable)
Canada and the UK round out the bottom of the personal finance index, with 62% and 61% of expats surveyed unhappy with the general cost of living, respectively, compared with the global average of 40%, the study found.
Notably, there were three new additions to the bottom 10 in this year’s study: Qatar (42nd) and Australia (38th) slid into the bottom, while South Korea (40th) nosedived 25 places from 2024, according to the report.
The United States ranked 35th out of 46 globally in the study’s personal finance ranking, just missing the bottom 10.
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