Surprise Winner in the Quality of Life Index

 
There’s a new champion. A surprise winner of our annual Quality of Life Index.

Eleven months of the year, we consider where you can live well for less, pay less tax, enjoy better weather and leverage the growth of emerging markets. Where you can best escape, retire, start over, and take off on a grand adventure…

But each January, we take a different perspective. We scour official sources and statistics, considering every number we can get our hands on, tapping into outfits like the World Health Organization, government departments, UNESCO and many more to rate and rank almost every country on Earth and ask: How do they stack up against one another?

This year we cleaned house on our data sources, adding brand new ones for our culture and health categories and we revamped our environment category to make the most of new in-depth research from Yale.

This Index is unique. It’s the only one of its kind…and this year’s winner?

The good ol’ U.S. of A.

We know…not exactly what you’d expect.

But the numbers tell their story. On a macro level, it’s this: The U.S. has more paved roads than anywhere else, more airports and a lot of cell phones. It’s got good Internet access, the world’s biggest economy (though not necessarily the best), and it’s got tens of thousands of doctors and hospitals (if you can afford them). The numbers say: The United States has a convenience that’s hard to match.

Of course, thousands of satisfied expats are living proof that, in return for sacrificing a little of that convenience, a truly healthy, happy and more affordable life overseas is possible.

If a cheap cost of living and a good climate are what matter most to you, then bear in mind that’s only 30% of the weight we give a country. This Index is big-picture stuff. It paints a “broad strokes” picture of the quality of life…and there are seven other categories considered here in addition to climate and cost of living: Culture, economy, environment, freedom, health, infrastructure and safety. Each have a significant effect on the final outcome.

So a word of caution: Numbers and stats about a nation’s development can’t reflect what’s going on in specific communities on the ground.

If your budget is $2,000 a month and you want a great lifestyle, a perfect climate, friendly neighbors and good health care, but can live without those convenient extras like late-night pizza delivery, and Wi-Fi in every café, then head to Cuenca, Ecuador, or Merida, Mexico—they’re better options than the Index winner, the U.S.

If, like us, you eschew convenience for opportunity then study our Quality of Life Index with your priorities in mind and you’ll find out a lot of what you need to know.

Our 2011 Quality of Life Index can’t tell you where to find a midnight steakhouse, a 24-hour convenience store or a mall with everything under one roof. What it can tell you is that with a warm, dry Mediterranean climate, low crime rates, good medical facilities and English-speaking population, Malta is a good place to start looking for a life overseas.

Or that New Zealand is a First-World retirement haven. It tells you that you can find an amazing climate in Mexico, and that it’s one of the culturally richest countries in the world. It shows you that Uruguay, 22nd overall this year, earns solid marks in infrastructure and health (which is partly why more and more potential expats consider it an attractive option.)

 Here are some highlights from this year’s Quality of Life Index winners, in the words of Americans who are living there:

• Choosing to live in this year’s runner up country was one of the easiest decisions of Chris Tell’s life: “It’s English speaking…an un-crowded and beautiful environment where I can enjoy the fruits of my labors without sacrificing a healthy lifestyle…”

• Health care is so good in our health category winner that it’s “almost a pleasure to get sick” according to Adrian Leeds. “You can call for an at-home visit by a doctor who arrives within 30 minutes, all for the cost of a normal office visit. Or, be rushed to the nearest hospital and no one asks to see your proof of medical insurance prior to treatment! And drugs are so inexpensive; it’s a joke by comparison…”

• It does well every year but never wins. For Robert Presiko though, quality of life in our 10th-place country will always top his list. “Health care is much cheaper here. My wife required major surgery soon after our arrival, and the cost was half of what it would have been in the U.S. We find that most food is cheaper, too. When we last visited the U.S. we experienced sticker shock in the supermarkets…”

• Michelle Nott and her husband felt like lottery winners after moving to our 6th-place country, and in a very real sense they were as the cost of living was so low…

• Two countries tie at first place in our climate category. They’re both English-speaking but only one has a flat 15% tax rate, great health care and ocean views…

• One Latin American country where many IL readers live comes fourth in climate and 10th in culture…if you already live there, you’ll know why…

Get the full and unabridged Quality of Life Index issue when you subscribe to International Living magazine here.

Ecuador’s Northern Andes is where you’ll find one of the world’s best-value places—and in your November 2009 issue of the IL Magazine Suzan Haskins explores lifestyle and property options here.

Suzan and her husband Dan Prescher recently spent two months in Cotacachi…in the condo they bought a year ago for $46,000. They love this little town.

While they were there, their friend, who is a musician, visited. Cotacachi is a musical city with music classes and frequent musical events…and a place where you’ll always hear musical groups rehearsing behind closed doors.

He loved it here…and when he learned that he could rent a furnished apartment in Cotacachi starting at about $130 a month, and that most expats report total living expenses of $500 to $600 a month, he was snared—hook, line, and sinker.

“It would cost me less to live here for a couple of months next summer than it would to stay home and pay my air-conditioning bills,” he calculated. “I could take a three-month vacation for the cost of most weeklong vacations.”

He’s right. The cost of living in Cotacachi is among the lowest in Latin America. And just because it’s small doesn’t mean there’s nothing to do. The Andes Mountains are perfect for hiking, trout fishing, and bird watching; and there are natural hot springs nearby for a warm, soothing soak. You can take Spanish, music, art, or cooking classes; and there are plenty of opportunities for volunteer work.

But if you are looking for more activity, you’ll find it in the market town of Otavalo, about 20 minutes away, or in the much-larger city of Ibarra, a 30-minute drive to the north. Otavalo is a Quichua indigenous town famous for its music and crafts.

Imbabura province, where Cotacachi, Otavalo, and Ibarra are located, is prosperous compared with other regions of Ecuador. The towns are clean and orderly, and city governments have invested in infrastructure improvements to keep tourists (and residents) happy. Read more about this low-cost region of Ecuador in your November issue.

Also in your issue this month, we profile American James Tipton. Ten years ago, James fell in love with a Mexican lady and they moved to Lake Chapala. Now he’s active in the community here. James is an associate editor of a large-circulation monthly print magazine serving expatriates in the Lake Chapala area and this year he has also published two collections of poetry.

James and Martha’s monthly cost of living is $1,800 and that allows them a comfortable lifestyle. Plus, he feels fit and healthy due to his regular walks down by the lake.

“Back in the States when I was 50, I felt like I was 65. Here in Chapala, at age 67, I feel like I’m 50…and getting younger,” James says. Read his story on page 10 of your November issue.

* On page 26, Steenie Harvey delves into the back streets of Barcelona. “On a first visit, sure, get to know ‘gaudy Gaudi’ and enjoy the big-ticket sights of this beautiful city,” Steenie advises. “But spare some time to delve into less-trodden neighborhoods.”

Beyond the stylish designer bars with $12 cocktails, there’s another Barcelona—one that’s been airbrushed from the tourism brochures. One with local “ramblas,” where boys play soccer, old ladies walk dogs, and friends sit on benches socializing.

Here, activists commandeer derelict spaces and transform them into community gardens. Locals run café-bars—the kind where posters of soccer players hang above the snack counter, the TV is on permanently, and workmen puff Fortuna cigarettes over beers and bocadillos. Oh, and someone is always cursing or kicking the slot machine.

Where to find it? Steenie reveals all in your November issue.

Also in your issue this month, we explore the world’s most scenic drives; find out why English-speaking Malta is worth your attention right now; learn about Costa Rica’s next two up-and-coming hotspots; take a cruise for free; discover the best places to go fishing in Latin America; read why office space can make a perfect home in Montevideo; and find out where you can get a Tom Cruise smile for a fraction of what he paid (probably).

Read all this and much more in your November issue of International Living Magazine.