Top cities preferred by American expatriates revealed

Interest in relocating abroad among Americans has increased significantly following the recent presidential election, according to Steve Corbin, senior associate and attorney at Harvey Law Group. "We received a rush of applications in the middle of the year," Corbin stated. Since the election results, there has been a notable rise in inquiries.

InterNations recently published its Best & Worst Countries for Living Abroad survey, which involved 12,543 expats from 175 nationalities across 174 countries or territories. The survey assessed destinations based on quality of life, ease of settling in, working conditions, personal finance, and essential services for expats.

Panama emerged as the top choice with 82% of expats expressing satisfaction with their life there. Corbin noted Panama's appeal due to its proximity to the U.S. and generally safe environment but advised careful location selection within the country.

Mexico follows closely with 89% of expats reporting happiness. Despite affordable housing and easy visa access, excessive bureaucracy remains a challenge.

Indonesia ranks highly for work-life balance and low cost of living; however, healthcare quality is a concern for many expats.

Spain continues to be favored by expats due to its ease of settling in and attractive real estate opportunities. Jean-Francois Harvey highlighted Spain’s potential for permanent residency through real estate investments.

Colombia is praised for affordability and friendliness but struggles with quality of life indices.

Thailand scores well in personal finance and offers an exceptional quality of life without property tax burdens. Aaron Henry emphasized Thailand's superior healthcare system compared to the USA.

Brazil enters the top ten with affordable living costs but lower scores in quality of life categories.

Vietnam excels financially but presents challenges in home ownership laws for foreigners despite having superb beaches and friendly locals.

The Philippines stands out for ease of settling in with favorable living costs and stable governance as recommended by Harvey Law Group.

Lastly, the UAE makes it into the top ten thanks to tax advantages though it remains an expensive option overall. It is recognized as progressive within Arab nations and safe for solo female travelers according to Lief Simon from Live and Invest Overseas.