LISBON – Lisbon has been named the world’s most liveable city for expatriates in 2026, according to the latest index released by Global Citizens Solutions.
The ranking, which evaluated 35 cities across six continents, places the Portuguese capital at the top of the list, followed by Amsterdam, Melbourne, Vienna, and Singapore.
The trend toward international relocation is accelerating as economic pressures, particularly the housing crisis and rising cost of living in Australia, prompt citizens to seek financial freedom elsewhere. It is estimated that approximately 300 million people globally live outside their country of birth, including roughly one million Australians.
The Global Citizens Solutions index determines livability based on several key metrics:
- Cost of living
- Personal safety
- Air quality
- Healthcare quality
- Ease of settling in
- English proficiency
- Enhanced mobility
For Liz Pal-Develter, a 35-year-old marketing professional and mother of two, the rankings mirror a personal journey across three different global hubs. Originally from Sydney, Pal-Develter moved to Singapore in 2018 before relocating to Lisbon in 2021.
“Portugal and Singapore couldn’t be more different,” Pal-Develter said. “Portugal is very relaxed, easy going and cost of living is low. In contrast, Singapore is all about business and modern efficiencies. Life is in full throttle professionally and socially.”
Economic Trade-offs: Lisbon versus Singapore
While Lisbon offers a slower pace and lower daily expenses, Pal-Develter noted that the local wage market is significantly lower than in Asia or Australia, making earning power a central consideration for would-be migrants.
Data from international money transfer site Instarem highlights a stark divide in monthly earnings for full-time workers:
- Singapore: $6,113 average monthly salary
- Portugal: $1,773 (€1,091) average monthly salary after taxes
Pal-Develter observed that for a professional in her field, a similar role in Australia could pay approximately $50,000 more than in Portugal, underscoring that lifestyle gains in Lisbon may come with long-term trade-offs in retirement savings and career trajectory.
Housing costs also vary widely between the two hubs. In Lisbon, three-bedroom apartments typically range between $800,000 and $3 million (€500,000 to €2 million), reflecting the city’s rapid shift from relatively affordable European capital to global property hotspot. Pal-Develter and her family rented a four-bedroom house with a pool located 20 minutes from the city center for €5,000 a month, or roughly $2,000 per week.
In Singapore, rent represents the primary financial burden. Pal-Develter reported knowing expatriates who paid as much as $20,000 per month for a four-bedroom apartment. Dining costs also differ significantly; a high-end meal for two in Lisbon costs between 80 and 100 euros, whereas a similar experience in Singapore can reach $300 to $400.
Such disparities shape not only household budgets but also the policy debates in both cities. Lisbon’s popularity with foreign residents and investors has intensified scrutiny of housing and tax incentives, while Singapore’s high-cost, high-salary model is central to its talent attraction strategy.
Residency, Tax Incentives and Professional Rigidity
The mechanisms for settling in each city offer different levels of security – and draw in different types of foreign residents.
Portugal provides paths to residency through the Non-Habitual Resident tax regime and the ‘Golden Visa’ program, which allows residency via property investment and has been periodically revised in response to domestic concerns about housing affordability and speculative inflows. Both regimes sit within the broader European Union framework on residence rights and free movement, codified in instruments such as the EU Directive 2004/38/EC on the rights of EU citizens and their family members, giving successful applicants facilitated access to Schengen travel and, in some cases, to wider EU labour markets.
Singapore’s system is more closely tied to employment. Pal-Develter described a high-pressure environment where residency is contingent on job status and work permits are closely managed by government quotas. That connection between visa and employer is a deliberate feature of Singapore’s immigration framework, designed to give policymakers a tight lever over the size and skills mix of the foreign workforce.
“Expats are always at the mercy of their jobs here, if you lose your job you lose your visa and you have to leave the country,” she said. “So if you have built a life here, you are extra pressured to work hard and keep it.”
Despite the professional rigidity and strict national laws, Pal-Develter cited the safety, affordable domestic help, and proximity to travel hubs like Bali and Bangkok as primary draws to Singapore. For multinational employers and foreign professionals, those attributes help offset the city-state’s higher costs.
The Expat Reality Behind the Rankings
Pal-Develter’s experience in Lisbon, which lasted from 2021 to 2024, was characterized by “old-school charm,” beach clubs, and farm-to-table dining. She pointed to Lisbon’s walkability, historic neighbourhoods and access to the Atlantic coast as everyday benefits that do not show up fully in spreadsheet comparisons.
However, she also noted challenges in building a professional community at a senior level and the necessity of learning Portuguese to integrate beyond the expat bubble. For remote workers and “digital nomads,” Lisbon’s growing international profile can be a draw; for dual-career families, limited corporate headquarters and lower executive salaries can be a constraint.
“Portugal is a great place to holiday, but not to live if you’re looking for a more cosmopolitan life,” she added. “Make your money in Singapore or Sydney, then retire in Portugal.”
Her advice echoes a broader pattern in mobility data: high-earning professionals increasingly use global hubs such as Singapore as income bases before decamping to lower-cost, lifestyle-focused destinations. That dynamic is now informing how governments calibrate tax incentives, investor visas and housing rules.
Despite the appeal of the top-ranked cities, Pal-Develter maintained that Sydney remains her ultimate destination. “All in all, Sydney is still one day our end call. You can’t beat Sydney living,” she said.
Pal-Develter and her family returned to Singapore in 2025, where she and her husband currently work. For policymakers in Lisbon, Singapore and Sydney alike, stories like hers highlight the increasingly competitive market for globally mobile talent – and the fine balance between attracting foreign residents and maintaining affordability and social cohesion at home. To help prospective migrants navigate that landscape, Portugal’s own immigration and residency procedures are set out in national law under the oversight of the country’s border and immigration service, as detailed in the government’s official “Entry and Residence” guidance for foreign nationals.
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