| # | City | Score | Monthly |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Singapore | 8.6/10 | $3,500/mo |
| 02 | Tokyo | 8.1/10 | $2,400/mo |
| 03 | Chiang Mai | 8.0/10 | $800/mo |
| 04 | Taipei | 8.0/10 | $1,300/mo |
| 05 | Dubai | 7.9/10 | $3,270/mo |
| 06 | Bangkok | 7.8/10 | $1,000/mo |
| 07 | Seoul | 7.8/10 | $1,800/mo |
| 08 | Bali | 7.7/10 | $1,100/mo |
| 09 | Kuala Lumpur | 7.6/10 | $1,100/mo |
| 10 | Da Nang | 7.6/10 | $750/mo |
| 11 | Ho Chi Minh City | 7.5/10 | $900/mo |
RANKING · METHOD ON FILE
Best Asian cities for expats
Why this table exists
METHODThe composite score restricted to the Asian cities in the dataset, which is the list that produces the widest spread of the whole site: Singapore and Tokyo sit near the top on quality at serious prices, while Chiang Mai and Da Nang reach the top ten on a fraction of the money. No other table makes that price-versus-quality split quite so visible.
How to read it
METHODScore out of 10 (cost, infrastructure, community, liveability) with the comfortable monthly tier beside it. The two user errors to avoid: treating the score as a value ranking — it is not, which is why Singapore leads at 8.6 — and treating the price as the whole story, which ignores that several of these cities (Tokyo, Seoul) are 'easy' exactly because their systems assume you will follow rules, visa or tax rules included. Dubai's appearance on the Asia table reflects the dataset treating the UAE as an Asian destination, its standard framing for expat cost comparisons.
Top of the table, explained
NOTESSingapore's 8.6 is the highest score on the entire site, and it is the most honest possible argument that quality has a price: $3,500/month comfortable, the most expensive row in the dataset. Tokyo's 8.1 on $2,400 is the quieter version — world-class infrastructure, extreme safety (9.5), and the least dramatic cost premium of the two mega-city options. Then the curve bends: Chiang Mai and Taipei both score 8.0, one at $800 and one at $1,300, and Bangkok, Seoul and Bali fill the 7.8–7.7 band. The two-column read is the whole story of this table: for a quarter of Singapore's cost, Chiang Mai scores only 0.6 lower.
Common questions
FAQIs Singapore really the best Asian city, or just the most impressive?
The score says quality across all four inputs, and Singapore is the only city on the site close to 9.8 safety with infrastructure that never hiccups. Whether it is the best city for you is the cost column's question — the table's job is to show both answers at once.
What about actual digital nomad visas in Asia?
This is the part of Asia the score does not capture, and it is uneven: Thailand now runs the DTV, Malaysia has DE Rantau, Japan and South Korea remain restrictive for long-term remote work, and Singapore has no nomad visa at all. Never decide on the score alone — the country file under each city is where the visa reality lives.
Why is Dubai on an Asia ranking?
Because the dataset classifies the UAE as an Asian destination for cost comparison purposes — a common framing in expat data. If you came for Asia and Dubai is on the shortlist, its dossier and country file cover the specifics, including zero income tax against three-digit summer heat.
Reviewed by Mgr. Nicolas Griss · ExpatTools advisory team · 6 September 2026.
Affiliate
SafetyWing — nomad health cover in 180+ countries from about $45/month, month to month, cancel anytime.
Check SafetyWingAffiliate
Straddling two currencies? Wise holds 40+ currencies and converts at the real mid-market rate with low fees.
Open a Wise accountUndecided? take the city-match quiz or compare two cities