The Global Expat HubHow the liveability score and safety rating work
Seven dimensions, fixed weights, every country. The liveability score makes 25 places comparable; the safety rating is one of its dimensions, shown on its own because people ask about it first.
| Dimension | Weight | What feeds it |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of living | 20% | Rent, groceries, utilities, transport and healthcare relative to a typical foreign income; higher = more affordable. |
| Safety | 15% | Violent and property crime, political stability, road safety, reported sense of safety among foreign residents. Shown separately as the safety rating. |
| Healthcare | 15% | Quality, access for foreign residents, waiting times, out-of-pocket cost. |
| Visa & bureaucracy | 15% | Long-stay routes, income thresholds, processing times, ease of registration, banking and tax setup. |
| Belonging | 15% | Friendliness to foreigners, ease of making local friends, language barrier, ease of settling in. |
| Career | 10% | Job market, salaries, work rights on common visas, remote-work friendliness. |
| Lifestyle & climate | 10% | Climate, food, culture, nature, work–life balance. |
Warnings are separate
Current warnings come from national authorities, the UN and WHO, and the US State Department. They're shown live and dated on each country's warnings page and never averaged into a score, because a warning is a fact to act on, not a point to weigh.
Saturation
Foreign-born share of population, reported but never scored: under 3% Low, 3–12% Moderate, 12–30% High, over 30% Very high.
Sources
Large expat surveys (InterNations Expat Insider), cost-of-living databases, the Global Peace Index, WHO and OECD health data, official immigration rules, and editorial review. Refreshed annually and dated on each country's page.