Rankings show you the leaders. The map lets you pin them, stack your criteria, and see where they actually intersect. Start here, then open the map.
About these rankings
Most "best places to live" lists are opinions. GeoRank rankings are derived from primary data sources: SARAH-3 satellite data merged with ERA5, corrected against 182 WMO/KNMI/ECA&D ground stations for sunshine; CHELSA v2.1 corrected against ~25,000 GHCN-M stations for rainfall; Numbeo 2026 for cost of living (478 cities, NYC = 100), PwC and OECD statutory tax rates refreshed Q1 annually, and the Global Peace Index 2024 for safety. Each ranking covers a single dimension — sunshine, tax, cost, air quality, safety, or internet speed — because combining them into a single score requires weighting judgments that differ by person. The combined "best score" card uses weights (cost 30%, sunshine 25%, tax 25%, air 10%, safety 10%) as a starting point, not a conclusion. Checking whether you can actually get a visa for your shortlist? See visa freedom by passport — 10 passports × 47 destination countries, 129 verified routes.
For most readers, the right starting point is the dimension that most limits where you want to live. If you can't handle grey winters, start with sunshine. If tax drives your decision, start with income or capital gains. Then open the map and check whether your shortlist holds up across all dimensions simultaneously.
Ranking categories
Sunshine + low tax + affordable cost
Data notes
Sunshine figures come from SARAH-3 satellite data (EUMETSAT) merged with ERA5 elsewhere. Raw ERA5 data overestimates sunshine in cloudy regions by 16–73%; GeoRank applies an IDW correction against 182 WMO/KNMI/ECA&D ground-station observations (formula fit on a 56-station subset: actual ≈ 1.14 × ERA5 − 1550, R² = 0.82). This means cities like Bergen and Glasgow are corrected downward from satellite estimates. Rainfall figures come from CHELSA v2.1 (1981–2010), corrected against ~25,000 GHCN-M stations. Tax rates shown are statutory top marginal rates — effective rates for most expats are lower due to treaty exemptions, special regimes (IFICI, Beckham Law, Non-Dom), and income thresholds. Cost estimates are for a single person including rent, calibrated to Numbeo Q1 2026. Local markets and housing in peripheral areas can run 20–40% below city-centre Numbeo figures. All data: full methodology →
Compare places
Pin it in the map. Compare it against your home and the rest of your shortlist across all 9 layers.