Thailand ranks first in the world for expat life satisfaction in 2026

Sunshine, beaches, delicious food, and a relatively affordable cost of living make Thailand a popular destination for many expats. The latest survey by InterNations, an international expat platform, shows that Thailand ranks first in the world for expat life satisfaction in 2026, with 86% of respondents saying they are satisfied with life in Thailand, and 42% saying they hope to stay there forever.

According to the 2026 "Expat Insider" survey released by InterNations, the average satisfaction with life among expatriates around the world is 70%, and in Thailand it reaches 86%, which is significantly higher than the global average. In other words, about 9 out of 10 expats surveyed living in Thailand are satisfied with life there.

Why do foreigners want to stay? Cost of living is a big reason. InterNations pointed out that Thailand’s cost of living received the highest rating from expats around the world, with 85% of respondents having a positive view of the local cost of living; in addition, Thailand also has the most affordable housing among the countries covered in this survey.

In addition to "easy use of money", Thailand also performs well in integrating into local life. Thailand ranks among the top 3 in the world for "ease of adapting to local life", and local residents are even rated as the friendliest in the world by expats. In terms of medical care, Thailand's overall medical system ranks 7th, and the quality of medical care ranks 4th.

What is even more noteworthy is that a high proportion of Thai expatriates are retirees. The survey shows that 40% of the respondents have retired, and 22% of them said they moved to Thailand for retirement. For people who want to reduce their living expenses after retirement and change their living environment at the same time, Thailand has received some attention.

However, expat life in Thailand is not all about advantages. In the survey, Thailand ranked last in the "Environment and Climate" category, with only about one-third of expats giving positive comments on local air quality. In addition, some interviewees also mentioned issues such as freedom of speech, cumbersome procedures for banking and administrative services, and learning Thai.

From the overall expat evaluation, Thailand ranks third in the world in 2026; if we look at life satisfaction alone, it ranks first. In Panama, ranked second, 87% of expatriates said they were satisfied with local life, and 90% believed that the family's disposable income was enough to maintain a comfortable life; Mexico, Spain, and Brazil ranked among the top five for life satisfaction.

In comparison, Norway ranks at the bottom, with expat life satisfaction being the lowest in the world in this survey, followed by Sweden, Germany and the United Kingdom, which ranks at the bottom.