Best Countries for Housing Affordability (2026)

Every country in our catalog ranked for housing affordability in 2026. Higher scores mean rent and home costs weigh less on a typical mover budget.

Last updated

Rent is usually the line item that breaks a move. This list ranks every country in our catalog by how affordable housing tends to be for someone relocating, not for a short vacation.

Use Compare when you are torn between two markets, and pair this table with our cost of living calculator if you need city-level numbers.

RankCountryHousing Affordability Score
#1Nepal9.2
#2Venezuela9.1
#3Hungary9.0
#4Vietnam9.0
#5India9.0
#6Bangladesh9.0
#7Moldova8.9
#8Bolivia8.8
#9Indonesia8.8
#10Pakistan8.8
#11Myanmar8.8
#12Cambodia8.8
#13Laos8.8
#14Kyrgyzstan8.8
#15Tajikistan8.8
#16Ukraine8.8
#17Poland8.7
#18Malaysia8.7
#19Czech Republic8.5
#20Mexico8.5
#21Peru8.5
#22Ecuador8.5
#23Paraguay8.5
#24Thailand8.5
#25Philippines8.5
#26Sri Lanka8.5
#27Mongolia8.5
#28Niger8.5
#29Georgia8.5
#30Portugal8.3
#31Spain8.3
#32Uruguay8.3
#33Panama8.3
#34Lithuania8.3
#35South Africa8.2
#36Colombia8.2
#37Ethiopia8.2
#38Chad8.2
#39Burkina Faso8.2
#40Romania8.2
#41Serbia8.2
#42Bulgaria8.1
#43Estonia8.0
#44Iran8.0
#45Argentina8.0
#46Chile8.0
#47Uzbekistan8.0
#48Sudan8.0
#49Mali8.0
#50Azerbaijan8.0
#51Latvia8.0
#52Greece7.8
#53Brazil7.8
#54Turkiye7.8
#55Turkmenistan7.8
#56Nigeria7.8
#57Tunisia7.8
#58Guinea7.8
#59Benin7.8
#60Bosnia and Herzegovina7.8
#61Italy7.7
#62Egypt7.5
#63Kazakhstan7.5
#64Kenya7.5
#65Algeria7.5
#66Senegal7.5
#67Sierra Leone7.5
#68Togo7.5
#69Croatia7.5
#70Cape Verde7.4
#71Netherlands7.3
#72Japan7.3
#73Austria7.3
#74France7.3
#75Malta7.3
#76Andorra7.3
#77Costa Rica7.2
#78Morocco7.2
#79Libya7.2
#80Liberia7.2
#81Ghana7.2
#82Germany7.0
#83Canada7.0
#84Finland7.0
#85Belgium7.0
#86Russia7.0
#87China7.0
#88Ivory Coast7.0
#89Cyprus7.0
#90San Marino7.0
#91Barbados6.5
#92Taiwan6.4
#93Mauritius6.3
#94Sweden6.2
#95New Zealand6.2
#96Denmark6.2
#97South Korea6.2
#98Australia6.0
#99Saudi Arabia5.9
#100Ireland5.8
#101United States5.8
#102Bahamas5.6
#103United Kingdom5.5
#104Liechtenstein5.5
#105United Arab Emirates (Dubai)5.5
#106Qatar5.3
#107Norway4.8
#108Singapore4.5
#109Iceland4.5
#110Switzerland4.2
#111Seychelles4.2
#112Luxembourg4.0
#113Hong Kong3.6
#114Monaco3.0

Why the leaders rank here for housing affordability

Top housing scores here reflect rent and purchase costs that still leave room in a typical mover budget outside luxury districts.

  1. #1

    Low urban rent outside tourist cores keeps monthly housing spend modest for remote earners with foreign income.

  2. #2

    Dollarized pockets of the market can look exceptionally cheap on paper, though stability and access need separate due diligence.

  3. #3

    Budapest and secondary cities still offer EU-adjacent living with rent well below Western capitals.

  4. #4

    Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi deliver modern apartments at a fraction of Singapore or Tokyo rents.

  5. #5

    Tier-two cities combine low rent with growing coworking infrastructure for remote workers on a budget.

Rankings are based on our scoring model. Always verify visa and cost information with official sources before making relocation decisions.

How we calculate these rankings

We sort the full country catalog by housing affordability, highest first. The order below is generated at build time from our latest editorial model.

What this does not measure: Mortgage approval odds, visa rules, or neighborhood safety. A cheap market can still be the wrong fit if your income is tied elsewhere.

Updates: Rankings refresh when we redeploy after underlying country data changes.