This Is the No. 1 Country Americans Want to Move to in 2026 for Cost of Living, Safety, and Health Care

A new study finds cost of living, safety, and health care are driving factors behind the growing interest in international relocation.

Becoming an expat is a big decision, and the list of where to relocate to can be very long. But turns out, the country Americans are drawn to the most isn't that far after all.

Canada was the top country Americans targeted when hoping to move abroad, according to a new study from moveBuddha, which serves as an online resource for moving and storage services. In fact, 24.4 percent of the survey’s respondents picked the neighbor to the north.

“We've helped thousands of people move across the country for all kinds of reasons—to chase a job, start a family, or just get closer to the beach. But what we're seeing now is very different,” Ryan Carrigan, moveBuddha’s founder, said in a statement shared with Travel + Leisure. “With rising costs, job uncertainty, and concerns about health care and safety, more people are looking for somewhere that just feels livable.”

Runner-up was England (another English speaking destination) with 12.2 percent of those surveyed picking the European country. That was followed by Japan, Ireland, and Switzerland rounding out the top five.

Overall, the company said nearly one in 10 Americans was "actively researching a move abroad" and nearly 60 percent said "they've considered leaving the country at some point."

When it comes to choosing a spot to land, the cost of living was the highest concern (34 percent said it was the No. 1 consideration), followed by financial security and political stability. And what are they hoping to escape? That would be high living costs in the United States, America's health care access, and crime.

Political brouhaha aside, there are some legit lifestyle reasons why people prefer being overseas. And some of it cultural.
For one: not everyone loves driving. US is extremely car-centric.

In my reply, I will stress that there is a theme of "trade-offs" with each point you make.

In the US, not everyone may love driving, but many of us enjoy the freedom that comes with the ability to drive somewhere, whether that be across town, or a road trip across the country. That sort of freedom is an intrinsic American value.

Food quality: way less processed breads, grains, dairy, meats..

There are more expensive choices out there, but they do exist. The US has many people to feed, and sadly, most food companies process for yield and efficiency.

Social culture and nightlife. Activities especially those surrounding high art draw some to Europe.

Not sure what your definition of "high art" is, but the US has world-renowned museums, orchestras, ballet troops, and Broadway-styled shows. We also have things like car racing, concerts and other cultural activities such as Mardi Gras. I don't see that many Americans longing for a Venetian opera that they would pick up and move to Italy, but I concede that some may do that.

Extended family and community centrism vs. “enclosed private property” centrism, which foreigners often find extremely isolating and eerie when they visit. Middle Easterners I’ve met in particular note this.

I'm not even sure what this means, but if "Middle Easterners" want to move away because of this, more power to them.

Healthcare: some women are afraid to give birth at American hospitals, notorious for being really unfriendly to mothers. UK apparently is not that much better, but some other places like Korea, Germany, or UAE do not whisk women out 24 hours after C-Section...you are often monitored and cared for for much longer...Given a midwife, prenatal care training, and even at home check-in a few weeks afterward completely paid for by the state.

Let me correct you--"completely paid for by other taxpayers." Nationalized healthcare systems in many countries like the UK, Canada and China are being heavily strained, and there are large backlogs just to see a doctor or specialist. Nationalized healthcare is not the utopia that many people think it is.

In Spain, working women get paid leave during menstrual cycle. No joke.

Sure, this policy has recently been enacted and allows women to take 3 days off per month or up to 5 days with a doctor's note. Many feel that this creates a stigma among women in the workplace. I suppose they can work around that to normalize this leave more, but at the end of the day, it consumes resources paid for with taxpayers' money. Money that won't be available to fund other healthcare needs, surgeries, diagnostic equipment, and so on. Is this policy important enough to want to move to a different country?

So yeah...stuff like that!

You sound like you don't like it here in the US. You're always free to leave but remember the saying, "The grass is NOT ALWAYS greener on the other side of the fence."

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