The question “where would you go if you left the country?” used to be idle dinner-table speculation. Lately, a growing number of Americans are taking it seriously — surveys in 2025 and 2026 found that a substantial share have at least considered moving abroad, and an estimated 180,000 U.S. citizens actually emigrated in 2025, among the largest outbound years in decades. So when Americans are asked where they’d go, where do they say? The answers, drawn from recent surveys, reveal a clear set of favorite destinations and the reasons behind them: cost of living, healthcare, safety, lifestyle, and a craving for something different. Some answers are predictable; others might surprise you. Here are the countries Americans say they’d move to if they left the U.S., and the reasons each one keeps topping the lists.
1. Canada — The Consistent Number One
Canada has topped multiple recent surveys as the destination Americans most want to move to. A 2026 moveBuddha study found nearly a quarter of Americans considering a move abroad — about 24 percent — chose Canada, and a separate 2025 Talker Research poll likewise found Canada the most appealing destination. The reasons are practical: shared language, cultural familiarity, geographic proximity, universal healthcare, strong job markets in cities like Toronto and Vancouver, and a reputation for safety and stability. For many Americans, Canada offers the ideal balance of a fresh start and a smooth transition, making it the consistent number-one answer.
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2. Portugal — The Perennial Favorite
Portugal has for years ranked as the top European destination Americans dream of, topping a major survey of over 100,000 expat-curious Americans. Its appeal is powerful: a cost of living far below the U.S. (consumer prices roughly half those of the U.S. by some measures), a high ranking on global safety indices, an excellent and affordable healthcare system, warm weather, and a welcoming attitude toward expats and retirees. Portugal’s combination of affordability, safety, mild climate, and relatively accessible residency options has made it the European destination of choice for Americans seeking a new life abroad.
3. Mexico — The Practical Choice
Mexico is one of the most popular real destinations for Americans actually moving abroad, topping some relocation services’ client data. The appeal is obvious: proximity to the U.S., a dramatically lower cost of living (a comfortable lifestyle for a fraction of U.S. costs), warm climate, established expat communities, and accessible residency options. Mexico’s combination of affordability, closeness to family back home, year-round sunshine, and a slower pace of life makes it especially popular with retirees and remote workers, and one of the most practical answers to the question of where to actually go.
4. Spain — Sun, Lifestyle, and Affordability
Spain consistently ranks among Americans’ top European choices, prized for its sunny Mediterranean lifestyle, lower cost of living than the U.S., excellent healthcare, rich culture, and relatively accessible residency pathways. The relaxed pace, the food and wine culture, the walkable cities, and the warm climate appeal strongly to Americans seeking a higher quality of life at a lower cost. Spain offers the European lifestyle fantasy — long lunches, beautiful cities, and Mediterranean beaches — at prices that allow many Americans to stretch their savings or retirement income considerably further.
5. England — Familiar and English-Speaking
The United Kingdom, particularly England, ranked second on the 2026 moveBuddha survey, drawing about 12 percent of those considering a move. The appeal is the shared language and deep cultural familiarity, combined with the draw of London and the British lifestyle. While the cost of living, especially in London, is high, the ease of transition for English-speakers, the cultural ties, and the access to the rest of Europe make the UK a perennial favorite for Americans imagining a life abroad, even without the cost savings other destinations offer.
6. Italy — La Dolce Vita
Italy is a powerful draw for Americans, offering the fantasy of la dolce vita — incredible food, deep history, beautiful landscapes, and a relaxed lifestyle — frequently at a lower cost than the U.S., especially outside the major cities. Italy has even offered incentives to repopulate rural areas, including the famous one-euro home schemes. The combination of cultural richness, culinary excellence, slower living, and relative affordability in many regions makes Italy a dream destination for Americans, particularly those drawn to its food, art, and centuries of history.
7. Japan — For the Adventurous
Japan ranked surprisingly high on the 2026 moveBuddha survey, in the top five, reflecting growing American fascination with Japanese culture, safety, efficiency, and quality of life. Japan offers exceptional public transit, very low crime, excellent healthcare, clean and orderly cities, and a deep, fascinating culture. While the language barrier and cultural differences are significant, Japan’s safety, efficiency, food, and unique blend of tradition and modernity make it an increasingly popular answer among more adventurous Americans, especially younger ones drawn to its culture.
8. Ireland — Green, Friendly, and English-Speaking
Ireland ranks high among Americans’ choices, helped by the shared language, the famous friendliness, deep ancestral ties (millions of Americans claim Irish heritage), beautiful green landscapes, and EU membership. Many Americans with Irish ancestry can even pursue citizenship through descent. The combination of cultural and family connection, English-speaking ease, EU access, and Ireland’s welcoming reputation makes it a favorite, particularly for the large number of Americans who feel a personal heritage link to the country.
9. Costa Rica — The Pura Vida Life
Costa Rica is a top choice for Americans seeking a tropical, nature-rich life at a lower cost, famous for its “pura vida” philosophy, stable democracy, no standing army, excellent biodiversity, and established expat and retiree communities. The warm climate, lush rainforests and beaches, relatively affordable living, and reputation for happiness and environmental consciousness draw many Americans, especially retirees. Costa Rica’s combination of natural beauty, political stability, and a laid-back lifestyle makes it the leading Central American answer to where Americans would go.
10. Switzerland and the Nordic Countries — Quality of Life
Switzerland rounded out the top five on the 2026 moveBuddha survey, and the Nordic countries also draw admiration, all prized for their exceptional quality of life, safety, healthcare, education, natural beauty, and stability — consistently topping global happiness and livability rankings. The cost of living is high, particularly in Switzerland, but the appeal of clean, safe, well-run societies with stunning natural settings and strong public services is powerful. For Americans prioritizing quality of life, safety, and stability over cost savings, these countries represent an aspirational ideal.
From Daydream to Decision
What’s striking about the recent data is how the idle daydream of moving abroad has, for a growing number of Americans, turned into genuine planning and action. Surveys consistently find that a substantial share of Americans — by some measures more than 40 percent — have at least considered leaving the country in the next few years, and the estimated 180,000 who actually emigrated in 2025 represented one of the largest outbound years in decades. The motivations cluster around a consistent set of practical concerns: cost of living tops nearly every survey, followed by healthcare costs, safety, and a general desire for a different quality of life or pace of living. The destinations that keep winning reflect those priorities — Canada and Portugal for their balance of affordability, healthcare, and accessibility; Mexico and Costa Rica for cost and climate close to home; the European favorites for lifestyle and culture. It’s worth a clear-eyed note, though: actually moving abroad is far more complicated than picking a favorite country off a survey. Visas and residency requirements, taxes (Americans must file U.S. taxes even while living abroad), healthcare logistics, language barriers, the cost of the move itself, and the emotional weight of leaving family and the familiar all turn the daydream into a major undertaking. The surveys capture aspiration more than they predict action. Still, the consistency of the answers reveals something real about where Americans imagine a better-balanced life might be found, and for the growing number who do make the leap, these countries are where the new chapter most often begins.
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