A Better Way

Sources and methods · data as of October 2026

Where our numbers come from

A Better Way is faceless, so the numbers have to earn your trust. Here’s where each kind of figure comes from, how we put them together, and what they leave out.

The short version

  • Rent, flights and visa figures come from the Expat Relocation Planner’s data, checked in October 2026.
  • Visa fees and income or savings minimums come from official government and consular pages.
  • Everything is a planning estimate in US dollars, not a quote, and not legal, tax or immigration advice.

Rent and utilities

Each country has three city sizes: a big city, a mid-size city and a smaller town. For each one we use the typical monthly rent for a one-bedroom apartment and typical monthly utilities.

  • Spain, Mexico and Thailand: Global Property Guide rental data.
  • Australia and the Philippines: Numbeo city cost-of-living pages (for example, Manila, Cebu and Davao for the Philippines).
  • Japan: Japanese rental market data (Sumai Souba) and Global Property Guide.
  • Portugal, Costa Rica, Indonesia and Vietnam: the planner’s own housing estimates for each city size. We’re adding a named source to each of these, and we’ll update this page when we do.

Rents are converted to US dollars at the exchange rate in the planner’s data, refreshed from a daily exchange-rate feed (ExchangeRate-API) when the data is updated.

Flights and bags

One-way economy fares come from Google Flights searches from five US airports: New York (JFK), Los Angeles (LAX), Atlanta (ATL), Chicago (ORD) and Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW). Extra-bag costs use airline excess-baggage schedules for three extra checked bags per person. These are planning estimates, not live quotes, so check current fares before you book.

Visas

For each country, the planner tracks the main remote-work or long-stay route an American would look at: the application fee, the minimum income or savings it asks you to show, and the documents it needs (like an FBI background check, apostilles or sworn translations). These come from each country’s official immigration, foreign ministry or consular pages, converted to US dollars.

Entry rules for short visits (like how many days you can stay as a tourist) come from the same official sources. They change often. For example, Thailand cut its visa-exempt stay from 60 days to 30 on September 15, 2026.

Signing a lease

Landlords abroad usually want more than the first month’s rent. The planner uses a move-in rule for each country: from about 1.5 months’ rent in Australia to about 4.5 months in Japan, where key money is common. Where the rule is a planning estimate rather than a legal standard, we say so.

How we estimate the one-time move

The one-time move cost adds up:

  • the visa application fee, plus documents and required insurance where the visa asks for them
  • a one-way flight and three extra checked bags, averaged across the five US airports
  • three weeks of temporary lodging while you find a place
  • the apartment move-in (deposit, advance rent and fees)
  • a starter kit for the new place
  • a 10% cushion on top of everything for surprises

On our site and in the quiz, that’s for one person with no pets. The planner itself adjusts for your household size, your airport and pets.

English and time zones

English levels come from the EF English Proficiency Index 2025. Time differences are where 9 a.m. in New York lands in each country’s main city, using US standard time. Daylight saving can shift that by an hour.

How the quiz picks your matches

The quiz scores all ten countries at the city size you choose, using seven factors:

  1. Rent fit: rent and utilities as a share of your monthly income.
  2. Move-cost fit: your savings compared with the one-time move cost.
  3. Visa fit: your income and savings range compared with the visa route’s minimums.
  4. Your perfect Saturday: how well each city size matches the life you picked (beach, nature, walkable, lively or a welcoming community).
  5. English: weighted by how much it matters to you.
  6. US hours: weighted by whether you need to keep US working hours.
  7. Expat community: the country’s rank in InterNations’ Expat Insider 2026 survey.

Your biggest obstacle shifts the weights a little. If money is the worry, costs count for more. If leaving people behind is the worry, community counts for more. There are no paid placements, and no country pays to be included.

What our numbers leave out

  • Groceries, transport and health insurance (the monthly figures are rent and utilities only).
  • US taxes. US citizens generally still file a US tax return while living abroad. The planner includes a preliminary check, but talk to a tax professional who works with Americans abroad.
  • Your personal situation. Visa officers, landlords and airlines make their own decisions.

How often we update

We aim to recheck every figure at least every six months, and sooner when a rule changes. Every page shows the date of the data it uses.

Spot something wrong?

Email hello@abetterwayabroad.com with the number, the page and, if you have one, a link to a better source. We’ll check it and correct it.