13 Incredible Places to Live Abroad

From June 2019 to March 2020, my partner, our dog and I moved from Canada to live abroad in Prague. It was one of the coolest experiences of my whole life!

I’ve always wanted to live abroad and it was a dream come true to make it happen.

And while we don’t have plans to move abroad again right now, it doesn’t hurt to dream! Who knows where life will take us?

Despite his work at the hospital, Colin has said he’d like to do more long term travel. We both love the idea of exposing any future children to a life abroad and I’d definitely enjoy retiring outside of the country.

So while we don’t have any immediate plans, all of this time at home has got me thinking of big dream trips and options for our future.

While I’d happily go just about anywhere at this point, below I’m sharing my top 13 places that I’d love to live abroad!

Thinking about living abroad? Check out some of these helpful posts!

• How to Decide Where to Move Abroad
• 19 Things No One Tells You About Being an Expat
• 11 Questions You Should Ask Yourself Before Moving Abroad
• Checklist: To Do Before You Move Abroad
• Everything You Want to Know About Moving to Europe & Life Abroad

And if you’re specifically thinking about moving to Prague, check out these posts:

All right, without further ado, the 13 places I’d love to live abroad:

1. Seville, Spain

We visited Seville in February 2020 and I immediately fell in love. We spent most of our three days there talking about when we could go back! Seville is so charming; the Old Town is like walking into a postcard.

We stayed at a beautiful apartment right in the centre of the Old Town and one of my favourite memories was hearing music, going to the window and seeing that a trio of Spanish musicians had set up in front of our building to serenade the people eating tapas on the nearby patios. It was perfect!

I loved the culture in Seville – the mix of Spanish and Arabic – as well as the beautiful architecture and delicious Spanish food. Best of all, while Seville felt like a small town, there was so much to do.

And the weather in February was absolutely perfect. I could definitely see spending a few months over the fall/winter in Seville. But you won’t catch me in Andalusia in the scorching summer!

• Pros: charming old town, great mix of cultures, warm in the winter
• Cons: too hot in the summer, old town can get crowded

2. Austin, Texas

When we visited Austin in April 2018 all we knew about the city was it was the place to go for good barbecue.

But on our first night there, we found ourselves walking around a hidden park with a Trader Joe’s bag, admiring the sunset over the water, and legitimately talking about how we could figure out a way to move there part time. Austin totally won us over!

Yes, the food was amazing, but we also really enjoyed the vibe of the city. Austin was just cool!

There weren’t a ton of attractions to see, but it felt like there were so many cool areas to explore. We could really see ourselves living there.

Of course, I don’t think we could handle the summer heat and I’m a bit wary of living in a red state, but a winter in Austin? Sign me up!

• Pros: English speaking, great food, nice weather in the winter
• Cons: too hot in the summer, red state

3. Chiang Mai, Thailand

All right, I know Chiang Mai is such a cliche spot for digital nomads to live abroad. But this Northern Thai city is popular for a reason!

Is that reason the fact that they’re home to the world’s most delicious dish, Khao Soi? Probably! At least, that’s reason enough for me to live there.

Besides my love for Khao Soi, Chiang Mai has a lot going for it. For starters, it’s a lot cooler than southern Thailand, which would make it more livable for someone like me who can’t handle the heat.

I loved walking around the Old Town and think I could spend many months happily visiting temples and cafes. There is a large expat community in Chiang Mai, which has its pros and cons, but I think I’d enjoy having that community as a resource.

• Pros: relatively affordable, expat community, great food
• Cons: may be overcrowded and too hot in the summer

4. Lisbon, Portugal

I’ve only spent a few days in Lisbon on my first trip to Europe in 2012. It was at the end of my trip and I was totally exhausted.

I think I spent more time in my hotel room watching Say Yes to the Dress in Portuguese than actually out exploring. But what I saw of Lisbon I really liked! Plus, my mom loved it during her Portugal and Spain trip.

I love the architecture (those beautiful blue tiles!), winding streets and delicious food. From blog posts and TV shows, I’ve learned that Lisbon actually has a very similar vibe to Prague.

It’s a cool European capital with great architecture, slightly lower cost of living and easy access to the rest of the continent. The only things I don’t love about Lisbon are all the hills and how popular it’s become with tourists and digital nomads.

• Pros: relatively affordable, beautiful architecture, big city with lots to do
• Cons: overtouristed and hilly

5. San Diego, California

To be honest, I can’t quite remember my visit to San Diego. I was 12 years old and all I remember is going to SeaWorld and getting a pair of those wheelie shoes (you know the ones with the wheels in the heel?).

But lots of admiring from afar since then tells me that San Diego might be one of the cooler places to live abroad.

I love that San Diego has great weather practically year-round, is on the coast and is a decent sized city without being too big. The only issue? It’s not a cheap place to call home!

• Pros: great weather, nice beaches, good food
• Cons: expensive

6. Melbourne, Australia

I visited Melbourne in 2013 on my free trip to Australia (I won round-trip flights from Toronto!) and immediately decided it was a place I would love to live.

I’ve said before that Sydney is a place you visit while Melbourne is a place you live, and I stand by that.

Melbourne has a really lively food scene; I’d love to spend all my time in those alley restaurants and try all of the different coffee shops.

I love the culture of street art Melbourne has too. There seem to be so many interesting neighbourhoods to check out, plus the Great Ocean Road just up the trip.

And, one of my favourite shows, Masterchef Australia, films near Melbourne. If I lived there, I think I could figure out a way be a diner on that show!

• Pros: great food scene, cool culture, decent weather
• Cons: on the expensive side, far from home

7. London, England

London is one of my favourite cities in the entire world. I’ve visited almost 10 times and it’s a place I never get sick of. I know many people dislike London but I’m a big fan.

I think London has so much going for it. There’s the history, the great accents and the West End theatre. Being such a big city, London has so much culture and great food options from all over the world.

Plus, it’s just a short and affordable flight to almost everywhere in Europe!

The big problem? London is expensive! I’ve been thinking about living in London since I studied abroad in Amsterdam in 2014 and Colin and I heavily considered it for our year abroad.

But because it’s so pricy, we’d likely have to live far outside of the city centre, which wouldn’t be the London experience of my dreams.

• Pros: big city with lots to do, close to the rest of Europe, interesting history and culture
• Cons: expensive and busy

8. Hanoi, Vietnam

I visited Vietnam in 2016 with my friend, Emilie, and our last stop was the northern town of Hanoi. While Hoi An was my favourite stop, I think if I had to pick somewhere in Vietnam to live abroad, it would be Hanoi.

This busy city had such a unique energy to it. Each street seemed to specialize in a different type of shop, the food was amazing and crossing the road was always a risky adventure!

We didn’t spend too much time in Hanoi but it seemed like a cool place to keep exploring. I also love that since it’s up north, it wouldn’t be as hot as other areas in Southeast Asia.

Plus it’s a great gateway to Sapa and Halong Bay.

• Pros: relatively affordable, great food, cool culture
• Cons: can be warm, busy

9. Tuscany, Italy

I want to retire in Italy and spend my golden years living in a Tuscan villa! We went to Tuscany with our moms during a 3 week Europe trip in September 2019 and I fell in love with our lifestyle.

We stayed at a gorgeous Tuscan villa with the best views. Every morning we’d wake up late and eat breakfast on the patio. We’d then head out to a nearby town, like Siena or San Gimignano, for lunch, shopping and some exploring.

We’d buy fresh local produce and make dinner back at our villa. Rinse and repeat the next day. It was blissful!

I love the idea of being able to do that every day. I think I could probably be happy living anywhere in Italy but Tuscany would be my first choice.

• Pros: beautiful landscape, delicious food, rich culture
• Cons: need a car to get around

10. Cape Town, South Africa

I visited Cape Town in 2013 while I was interning in Eswatini (previously Swaziland) and absolutely loved it. What a cool city!

I love that there’s so much to see and do in Cape Town. I remember exploring a really cool craft market and eating at an outdoor restaurant on the waterfront.

My friend, Ale, and I went to Cape Town and Simon’s Town for a long weekend to celebrate my birthday. In Simon’s Town we walked along the beach, ate at the cutest restaurant, took in the view from Cape Hope and, of course, saw the little penguins!

I’m not sure a move to South Africa is in my future but I wouldn’t be mad about spending more time in Cape Town!

• Pros: cool culture, lots to see and do, great food scene
• Cons: potential safety or economic concerns, far from home

11. Ljubljana, Slovenia

Slovenia was our final trip before the world shut down in March 2020. But it was a pretty epic trip to go out on.

I loved Slovenia! From picturesque Lake Bled and low-key Lake Bohinj to the perfect little city, Ljubljana, I loved it all.

On our walking tour around Ljubljana, I could actually picture us living there. It was such a cute town with beautiful buildings, outdoor markets and a river running through the middle.

And I love that Ljubljana is still under the radar, so it wasn’t crowded at all. Plus, the city has a rich history of writers and their mascot is a dragon – how cool is that?

• Pros: rich culture, walkable, central in Europe
• Cons: maybe a bit too small of a city

12. Taupo, New Zealand

One of our stops on our North Island New Zealand road trip in 2023 was to the small city of Taupo. Walking along the water and cute downtown streets I immediately could see myself living here.

Taupo is home to some heavy hitters – like Huka Falls, New Zealand’s largest lake and the world’s coolest McDonalds – but it also just seems like a great place to live. I loved the huge playground right by the water and amazing restaurants.

While I’ve always considered myself a big city girl, the more I travel the more I’m falling for these smaller cities and walkable communities.

• Pros: cute community, walkable, easy distance to other places in NZ
• Cons: maybe too small of a city, far from home

13. Antibes, France

Much like Taupo, when we got to the smaller, waterfront city of Antibes in the South of France, I pretty quickly fell in love. The old town was charming, the water views were excellent and we found the best brunch place.

While spending a day at the beach or visiting the Van Gogh museum is great, I definitely craved a longer stay in Antibes. I wanted to shop at the local market, sit by the water and wander through all the pretty streets.

We visited the South of France in February, and I think I’d only want to live in Antibes in the off or shoulder season. I don’t think I’d enjoy the crowds or heat of summer!

• Pros: charming city, water views, good size
• Cons: can get too hot and crowded

Bonus: 5 places I think I’d love to live abroad… (but haven’t been to yet!)

But wait, there’s more! The 13 places I listed above are all places I have travelled to before and would love to make a long term move to.

But there are places I think I’d love to live abroad… I just haven’t visited them yet so I don’t know for sure.

However, that was our situation with Prague – we had never visited before we moved there – so it can definitely work out! Here are 5 more places I’d considering living abroad:

• Medellin, Colombia: The City of Eternal Spring? Yes, please! That’s my ideal weather. I can’t wait to visit Colombia one day and have heard such great things about Medellin. I would love to learn Spanish and explore more of South America by basing ourselves in Medellin for a few months.
• Osaka, Japan: I’ve only been to Tokyo and as much as I love Tokyo, I think it’s a bit too big and overwhelming for me to live there. But Osaka is like a mini Tokyo! I think it would have very similar vibes but on a smaller scale, plus it’s the foodie capital of Japan!
• San Sebastian, Spain: I haven’t been to San Sebastian yet but both my husband and my mom have been and raved about it. I’m sure I’d love the incredible food scene, water views and more moderate temperatures of Northern Spain.
• Taipei, Taiwan: I haven’t visited Taiwan yet but have heard such great things. From my research, it reminds me a lot of Singapore. I loved visiting Singapore but it’s such an expensive place to live that it didn’t make the cut. But I hear Taiwan is cheaper and the food is amazing!
• Somewhere in Mexico: I haven’t spent enough time in Mexico to narrow down exactly where I’d want to live. But I know so many Canadians and Americans make the move to Mexico because it’s affordable, has great weather, and is a short flight from home. I’d love to find a small coastal town where I could learn more about Mexican culture and work on my Spanish.

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Where would you love to live abroad? And do you agree with any of the places on my list?