The Best & Worst Countries for Living Abroad (Expat survey)

[JonJLA]

Interesting responses and I can relate to some of them. I go down to Buenos Aires a few times each year for the past 20 years. Besides Covid when the country was shut down. I agree the banking/finance part of the equation could be better but just coming down a few weeks each time it is easy enough to bring cash with me. It was much more difficult several years ago when there was a big spread on the official vs. blue market rate. Being able to use credit cards with MEP is terrific.

Western Union also works well but the lines can be very long. But you can easily manage with exchange houses. Once you live here you can easily find exchange houses to do this and rates are reasonable.

I wouldn't want to run a business here but if you're coming down retired you can manage. My vote would be thumbs up on being happy here.

 

[Mother Russia Argentina]

My family and I are extremely happy for being here. We are grateful to be living here. It is a dream come true being able to leave Russia and start all over. People very friendly and safe here. This wonderful place to live where anyone has a chance for good life. The economy very difficult here and much to learn but you can make a good life here if you want.

 

[crypto]

In the latest Expat Insider report, Panama took the first spot. Argentina was not in the top 10, and it's not in the bottom 10 either. Actually, it's not even listed. Maybe they never heard of Argentina?

Well, let's see how Argentina actually stacks up if the expats living here are asked "Are you happy with your lives as an expat living in Argentina?" Surely Argentina is better than Kuwait which was last on that list.

Overall, are you happy with your lives living in Argentina?
(Even if you're not an expat yet, you can still give your vote based on your willingness to consider being an expat here in the future based on your experience visiting the country. We will just adjust the weight accordingly.)

Full list here:

Expat Insider 2024: The Best & Worst Countries for Living Abroad in 2024

From getting started abroad and settling in to work, finances, and the quality of life — find out where expats love (or hate) to live with the 2024 Expat Insider survey.

www.internations.org

Argentina definitely should be on the list. Dodgy that it isn't on the list. Buenos Aires always comes up as the best place to live in South America. Argentina is a place I am very happy in. Yeah there are some things that bother me about it but I don't know of any country where you wouldn't complain about things. As long as it stays affordable I will stay here.

 

[TonyTigre]

Panama, with 82% indicating they are happy there is on top of the Expat Insider list. Based on the responses on this thread thus far, the satisfaction rate for Argentina seems to be better than that of Panama.

@Finance Prof pointed out that Argentina was probably left off the list due to a low response rate to their survey, but I would argue that they should have tried harder if they wanted their list to have more legitimacy. For example, did they even contact the expat sites/groups for the major cities in each country to promote their survey?

It should be noted that it's no surprise that based on people's comments, it seems like having a romantic partner certainly helps make life more enjoyable. I think everyone will also agree that having even regular friends helps with our overall happiness. So if you're reading this today, make eye contact, smile, and say hello to a few new people today. You just might become even happier.

 

[Finance Prof]

Panama, with 82% indicating they are happy there is on top of the Expat Insider list. Based on the responses on this thread thus far, the satisfaction rate for Argentina seems to be better than that of Panama.

@Finance Prof pointed out that Argentina was probably left off the list due to a low response rate to their survey, but I would argue that they should have tried harder if they wanted their list to have more legitimacy. For example, did they even contact the expat sites/groups for the major cities in each country to promote their survey?

It should be noted that it's no surprise that based on people's comments, it seems like having a romantic partner certainly helps make life more enjoyable. I think everyone will also agree that having even regular friends helps with our overall happiness. So if you're reading this today, make eye contact, smile, and say hello to a few new people today. You just might become even happier.

I've been to Panama many years ago and it is an ok enough city. Their banking system is stable but I didn't realize there were a lot of expats living there. I totally agree with you @TonyTigre that one would think they would reach out or find some fair way to represent countries that have traditionally ranked high by expats in the past and also publications.

I am very happy in Argentina and been here through some ups and downs. Agree with you Tony to make friends here. It will make all the difference in the world. But that probably goes for most places around the world.

 

[Betsy Ross]

Panama, with 82% indicating they are happy there is on top of the Expat Insider list. Based on the responses on this thread thus far, the satisfaction rate for Argentina seems to be better than that of Panama.

@Finance Prof pointed out that Argentina was probably left off the list due to a low response rate to their survey, but I would argue that they should have tried harder if they wanted their list to have more legitimacy. For example, did they even contact the expat sites/groups for the major cities in each country to promote their survey?

It should be noted that it's no surprise that based on people's comments, it seems like having a romantic partner certainly helps make life more enjoyable. I think everyone will also agree that having even regular friends helps with our overall happiness. So if you're reading this today, make eye contact, smile, and say hello to a few new people today. You just might become even happier.

It might just be that Internations seems to be some paid group to join. Some countries don't have much information or forum for information but Buenos Aires has had a sharing of information amongst Expats since I have lived here. I would guess that no expats coming to live here in Buenos Aires or Argentina in general needs to pay a company or organization for information on Argentina.

Between various forums, Reddit, Facebook and other groups or websites there is more information vs. paying a company to join. That might be why they didn't have enough responses for Argentina. I agree with you @TonyTigre they should have found a way to get participation to make their survey more credible. Leaving off one of the most desirable countries in Latin America makes their entire survey seem ridiculous.

Having a partner and friends makes life more enjoyable anywhere but I would argue especially important in Argentina. If you don't have local friends you will miss out on many authentic experiences you otherwise wouldn't have.

 

[Vince]

It might just be that Internations seems to be some paid group to join. Some countries don't have much information or forum for information but Buenos Aires has had a sharing of information amongst Expats since I have lived here. I would guess that no expats coming to live here in Buenos Aires or Argentina in general needs to pay a company or organization for information on Argentina.

Between various forums, Reddit, Facebook and other groups or websites there is more information vs. paying a company to join. That might be why they didn't have enough responses for Argentina. I agree with you @TonyTigre they should have found a way to get participation to make their survey more credible. Leaving off one of the most desirable countries in Latin America makes their entire survey seem ridiculous.

Having a partner and friends makes life more enjoyable anywhere but I would argue especially important in Argentina. If you don't have local friends you will miss out on many authentic experiences you otherwise wouldn't have.

^^^This ^^^^^

One thing I have noticed being in Argentina for a while is that expats here once they figure things out don't tend to want to share that information. Especially on visa or residency process experiences. It might be that they had to pay a small fortune to get it and don't want to open the floodgates. Or many won't want to participate in surveys that will bring exposure for even more of the expat masses to come here.

You could be right @Betsy Ross that expats aren't willing to pay for a service where it might not bring any value. But over the years I have expat friends that don't want the floodgates to open for people to live here for whatever reason. When prices were very low last year there were a lot of social influencers that were doing posts and some of them were cringe-worthy.

I am ok with Argentina not getting flooded with expats from these surveys. I am guessing there are a lot of people in my shoes.

 

[Wally]

Panama, with 82% indicating they are happy there is on top of the Expat Insider list. Based on the responses on this thread thus far, the satisfaction rate for Argentina seems to be better than that of Panama.

@Finance Prof pointed out that Argentina was probably left off the list due to a low response rate to their survey, but I would argue that they should have tried harder if they wanted their list to have more legitimacy. For example, did they even contact the expat sites/groups for the major cities in each country to promote their survey?

It should be noted that it's no surprise that based on people's comments, it seems like having a romantic partner certainly helps make life more enjoyable. I think everyone will also agree that having even regular friends helps with our overall happiness. So if you're reading this today, make eye contact, smile, and say hello to a few new people today. You just might become even happier.

There is no excuse for them not to have included Argentina. Their survey comes across as a joke looking at it.

If I didn't have great friends and a wife here I am not sure I would want to live here. Changes the dynamics of Argentina. I had some great friends back in the States and miss them.

^^^This ^^^^^

One thing I have noticed being in Argentina for a while is that expats here once they figure things out don't tend to want to share that information. Especially on visa or residency process experiences. It might be that they had to pay a small fortune to get it and don't want to open the floodgates. Or many won't want to participate in surveys that will bring exposure for even more of the expat masses to come here.

You could be right @Betsy Ross that expats aren't willing to pay for a service where it might not bring any value. But over the years I have expat friends that don't want the floodgates to open for people to live here for whatever reason. When prices were very low last year there were a lot of social influencers that were doing posts and some of them were cringe-worthy.

I am ok with Argentina not getting flooded with expats from these surveys. I am guessing there are a lot of people in my shoes.

Agree about some of these social influencers last year. Some of them were obnoxious. Argentina is a great place to live for most people. Most times when people leave it is mostly on cost of living issues. I met a few expats that had to move in with their adult kids back in the States when cost of living went up.

@Bharat makes some good points. I have some black friends that visited me and they say they could never live here. I don't think it's a perfect fit for everyone. If you aren't accustomed to a big city with loud noise and the hassles associated with it, it probably won't work in BA but there are a lot of smaller cities that are very nice. Argentina is a large country.

 

[Surfer]

In the latest Expat Insider report, Panama took the first spot. Argentina was not in the top 10, and it's not in the bottom 10 either. Actually, it's not even listed. Maybe they never heard of Argentina?

Well, let's see how Argentina actually stacks up if the expats living here are asked "Are you happy with your lives as an expat living in Argentina?" Surely Argentina is better than Kuwait which was last on that list.

Overall, are you happy with your lives living in Argentina?
(Even if you're not an expat yet, you can still give your vote based on your willingness to consider being an expat here in the future based on your experience visiting the country. We will just adjust the weight accordingly.)

Full list here:

Expat Insider 2024: The Best & Worst Countries for Living Abroad in 2024

From getting started abroad and settling in to work, finances, and the quality of life — find out where expats love (or hate) to live with the 2024 Expat Insider survey.

www.internations.org

That is nuts Argentina isn't included on the list! I don't live there but it's on my short list of possible places to retire. I think I have it narrowed down to either Brazil or Argentina or Mexixco. I would be very happy living in Argentina.

I have visited the top 10 countries on that list. There are pros and cons of each but just crazy Argentina isn't included on it. I would place Argentina towards the top of the list.

 

[memories]

We lived in Argentina from 2000-2005 and loved living here. We recently came back a few days ago and we see the city better than ever. We lived there during the corralito and devastating crash. We came expecting things to be dire but the city is beautiful and crime seems to be at bay.

We see big trash cans on every street, bike lanes, a lot of new buildings. There are also a tremendous increase in restaurants. This was much different when we lived there. We are pleasantly surprised.

The economy once again is dire. Remarkable that 20 years can go by and Argentina is still in the same situation. We would be very happy coming back here and maybe that will be in the cards as my husband is retiring in 2 years.

 

[Uncle Wong]

That is nuts Argentina isn't included on the list! I don't live there but it's on my short list of possible places to retire. I think I have it narrowed down to either Brazil or Argentina or Mexixco. I would be very happy living in Argentina.

I have visited the top 10 countries on that list. There are pros and cons of each but just crazy Argentina isn't included on it. I would place Argentina towards the top of the list.

View attachment 6599

I have also traveled to most of these countries with the exception of UAE. All of them are livable but some of them are over flooded with tourists. Bali in particular I enjoyed many years ago but just too many nomads and expats there now. Ruined it.

 

[earlyretirement]

That is nuts Argentina isn't included on the list! I don't live there but it's on my short list of possible places to retire. I think I have it narrowed down to either Brazil or Argentina or Mexixco. I would be very happy living in Argentina.

I have visited the top 10 countries on that list. There are pros and cons of each but just crazy Argentina isn't included on it. I would place Argentina towards the top of the list.

View attachment 6599

I have also traveled and spent time in all of these countries. I agree with all of you that Argentina should definitely be on this list and if it was, I'd suspect it would rank high on the list. All really great points about Argentina for the pros and cons. I lived in Argentina for many years and spend significant time there now and plan to retire there in the future. It's a wonderful country and you can have an excellent quality of life there.

Panama, with 82% indicating they are happy there is on top of the Expat Insider list. Based on the responses on this thread thus far, the satisfaction rate for Argentina seems to be better than that of Panama.

@Finance Prof pointed out that Argentina was probably left off the list due to a low response rate to their survey, but I would argue that they should have tried harder if they wanted their list to have more legitimacy. For example, did they even contact the expat sites/groups for the major cities in each country to promote their survey?

It should be noted that it's no surprise that based on people's comments, it seems like having a romantic partner certainly helps make life more enjoyable. I think everyone will also agree that having even regular friends helps with our overall happiness. So if you're reading this today, make eye contact, smile, and say hello to a few new people today. You just might become even happier.

Definitely having a romantic partner can make life more enjoyable but I lived there several years while I was single and really loved it as well. The key is making genuine friendships that will enhance your experience here.

I have also traveled to most of these countries with the exception of UAE. All of them are livable but some of them are over flooded with tourists. Bali in particular I enjoyed many years ago but just too many nomads and expats there now. Ruined it.

I totally agree about Bali. I just spent several weeks there recently and IMHO, just totally overrated. Too much traffic and too touristy. It's an example of a place that got flooded with expats and digital nomads because of social media and these surveys. Probably the expats in Argentina avoid surveys like this and are happy to keep the masses out.

 

[James Bond]

Spain is great to live in but there is a backlash by some locals in some cities like Barcelona. This makes no sense to me because tourism really is incredibly important for Spain. But ridiculous that they target tourists in Spain. This is one HUGE benefit to Argentina. Tourists are really loved in Argentina as most locals realize how important the $$$ is for their country. Spain has gotten crazy in some cities. If tourism went away many of these people protesting would be out of a job.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1809988195192324579

 

[Billy Goat]

I would totally disregard this entire survey if Argentina isn't on the survey. Totally bonkers. Buenos Aires makes the best city to live in lists almost each year by the Economist.

 

[Digital Nomad]

Mexico City is becoming more and more popular. Many of my friends have ended up there but they said they are starting to see some anti-tourist sentiment there too.

Move Over Buenos Aires! This Vibrant Metropolis Is the New Digital Nomad Hotspot Of Latin America

A vibrant cultural metropolis with an affordable cost of living, Mexico City has officially dethroned Buenos Aires on Nomad List.

www.traveloffpath.com