Home GCC Bahrain The 12 cheapest tax-free countries for expats to relocate For expats looking for the cheapest tax-free destinations to live in, this list from an insurance company might be an interesting guide by Gareth van Zyl January 5, 2024 Credit: Getty Images Four GCC countries are rated as the cheapest tax-free countries to relocate to, according to a ranking published by expat insurance firm William Russell. Oman, Kuwait, Bahrain and the UAE are listed as the top four cheapest tax-free countries for expats, in this order. This is followed by Brunei, the Maldives, Qatar, Bahamas, Monaco, the Cayman Islands, Bermuda and Vanuatu. The insurance firm derived its ranking by looking at US dollar costs of one-way economy flights from London and New York, the cost per square metre to buy an apartment, the cost to rent an apartment, the cost of utilities per month, the monthly average costs for a single person and the average monthly net salary. Source: William Russell The insurance company, in a blog post, goes on to breakdown each of the country’s individual relocation score rankings. Below, we’ve included the rankings of the five GCC countries included in its list. Have your say: What do you make of this index? Email our editor and we may carry your views in a future updated article. #1 Oman The most affordable tax-free country for expats to relocate to is Oman, earning a relocation score of 7.92/10. The country, located in the Middle East, has a population of around 4.6 million people. A one-way economy ticket to the country’s capital city, Muscat, will cost expats around £187 ($227 or €214) from London and £405 ($492 or €464) from New York. On average, Oman is the cheapest country to purchase or rent an apartment in, as well as being the most affordable country in terms of monthly costs (excluding rent). It is also the third cheapest country for monthly utility bills, costing around £83 (US$103 or €96). The average monthly net salary in Oman is around £1,775 ($2,205 or €2,051). #2 Kuwait Relocation score: 6.49/10 In second place is Kuwait, which received a relocation score of 6.49/10. Just like Oman, Kuwait is also located in the Middle East and has a population of approximately 4.3 million people. Expats can expect to pay around £131 ($159 or €150) for a one-way economy ticket from London to the country’s capital, Kuwait City. Those flying from New York can expect to pay around £544 ($660 or €623) for the same ticket. Kuwait is the fourth cheapest country to rent an apartment in, costing around £624 ($775 or €721) per month, on average. It is also the second most affordable country for both monthly costs and utility bills, joint with Brunei. The average monthly net salary in Kuwait is around £2,209 (US$2,743 or €2,552). #3 Bahrain Relocation score: 6.36/10 Following closely behind and making the third appearance for the Middle East is Bahrain, earning a relocation score of 6.36/10. The country’s population is considerably smaller than those of Oman and Kuwait, standing at around 1.5 million people. A one-way economy ticket to the country’s capital city, Manama, will cost expats approximately £146 ($177 or €167) from London and £427 ($518 or €489) from New York. Bahrain is the second cheapest country to purchase an apartment in, costing around £139 ($173 or €161) per square metre, on average. It is the fifth most affordable country for both monthly costs and utility bills. The average monthly net salary in Bahrain is £1,668 ($2,072 or €1,927). #4 United Arab Emirates Relocation score: 5.84/10 Coming in fourth is the United Arab Emirates, which received a relocation score of 5.84/10. The country has a population of approximately 9.5 million people. Expats can expect to pay around £127 ($154 or €145) for a one-way economy ticket from London to the country’s capital, Abu Dhabi. Those flying from New York can expect to pay around £437 ($530 or €500) for the same ticket. It costs around £818 ($1,016 or €945) per month to rent an apartment in the United Arab Emirates. On average, expats will pay around £136 ($169 or €157) for utilities per month and have monthly costs of approximately £772 ($959 or €893) in the country. The average monthly net salary in the United Arab Emirates is around £2,797 ($3,474 or €3,232). #7 Qatar Relocation score: 5.06/10 Coming in seventh and making yet another appearance for the Middle East is Qatar, earning a relocation score of 5.06/10. The country has a population of approximately 2.7 million people. A one-way economy ticket to the country’s capital, Doha, will cost expats around £293 ($356 or €335) from London and £454 ($551 or €520) from New York. On average, it costs around £324 ($403 or €375) per square metre to buy an apartment in Qatar. It is the fourth most affordable tax-free country when it comes to monthly utilities, costing approximately £90 ($112 or €104). The average monthly net salary in Qatar is £3,484 ($4,327 or €4,025).
