- Malta And Singapore Lead 2026 Ranking of Destinations for Wealthy Residents
Malta and Singapore have emerged as the most attractive destinations for wealthy residents in a new study that attempts to look beyond tax rates by measuring safety, mobility, luxury property and access to high-end leisure facilities.
Malta received the highest overall score of 100, followed by Singapore with 96 and Monaco with 93. Hong Kong and Cyprus completed the top five with scores of 89 and 86, respectively.
The Netherlands, Andorra, Croatia, Portugal and Luxembourg occupied the remaining positions in the top 10.
The study, produced by an unnamed digital entertainment company, examined as many as 30 destinations to determine the living conditions available to high-income families considering relocation.
Researchers combined safety ratings, passport strength, average tax rates and the number of luxury-property listings with access to five-star hotels, yacht marinas, spas, nightlife venues and casinos.
The measures were converted into a composite score out of 100. The findings highlight how the competition to attract wealthy residents increasingly extends beyond low taxation. Security, transport connections, residency rights, lifestyle amenities and the depth of the luxury-property market can be equally important to families deciding where to establish a second home or permanent base.
“Tax rate gets a lot of attention, but it’s rarely the only reason someone picks where to live,” a spokesperson for the company said.
“That’s why we decided to include additional factors to find the best spots for those planning to relocate.”
Malta secured first place despite not recording the highest safety score or the lowest tax rate among the destinations examined. The Mediterranean island received a safety score of 63.76 and had 659 luxury-property listings, equivalent to about 208.5 listings for every 100 square kilometres.
The country also recorded 12 yacht marinas, 117 spa and wellness facilities, 162 nightlife venues and eight casinos or gambling facilities.
The study placed Malta’s average tax rate at 17.5%. It also said a Maltese passport provided visa-free access to 132 destinations.
Malta’s appeal rests partly on the concentration of luxury amenities across a relatively small geographic area. Its coastline, marinas and high-end hospitality infrastructure give wealthy residents access to facilities typically spread over much larger countries.
The number of premium property listings also suggests that prospective residents have a comparatively broad selection of villas and apartments from which to choose.
However, the study does not explain how its tax-rate measure accounts for differences between statutory rates, effective taxation, residency status and special schemes available to foreign nationals.
Singapore ranked second with a score of 96, supported by one of the strongest safety readings in the index. The city-state recorded a safety score of 77.72 and had 14 yacht marinas, 733 spas and wellness facilities, 212 nightlife venues and six casinos or gambling locations.
Its passport was credited with visa-free access to 137 destinations, the highest figure cited among the leading countries profiled in the report.
Singapore’s relatively limited land area means its luxury-property market was smaller in absolute terms, with 61 listings captured by the study. Its highly developed infrastructure, political stability and position as an Asian financial centre may nevertheless compensate for that shortage.
The study placed Singapore’s average tax rate at 11%. For globally mobile entrepreneurs and investors, Singapore offers access to Asian capital markets and a well-established ecosystem of private banks, family offices, asset managers and professional advisers.
Its high ranking illustrates how security and institutional reliability may outweigh the sheer availability of luxury property.
Monaco placed third, with a final score of 93. Its principal advantage is the absence of personal income tax for most residents, allowing qualifying individuals to retain more of their earnings than in many competing European destinations.
The principality recorded a safety score of 73.02, six yacht marinas and close to 400 luxury-property listings.
Its leisure market is smaller in absolute terms, with eight spas, nine nightlife venues and two gambling establishments. But Monaco’s compact geography means these facilities remain highly concentrated and easily accessible.
Monte Carlo’s casino, Mediterranean location and reputation as a centre for private wealth continue to make the principality one of the world’s best-known luxury destinations.
Its small size and limited housing supply, however, contribute to exceptionally high property costs, which may restrict access even among affluent households.
Hong Kong ranked fourth with a score of 89. It received a safety rating of 78.24, one of the strongest among the destinations reviewed, and the report placed its average tax rate at 7.5%.
The territory also recorded 14 yacht marinas, 258 spas and wellness facilities, 133 nightlife venues and 113 luxury-property listings.
Its passport was reported to provide visa-free access to 126 destinations.
Hong Kong’s appeal to wealthy residents reflects its status as an international financial centre, although high property prices and limited residential space remain significant considerations.
The ranking suggests that its relatively low taxation and strong safety score continue to support its attractiveness to internationally mobile families.
Cyprus completed the top five with a score of 86. The island recorded 6,264 luxury real-estate listings—far more than the four destinations ranked above it. It also had 24 yacht marinas, 301 spas and wellness facilities, 265 nightlife venues and 17 casinos or gambling locations.
Its safety score stood at 70.96. The large supply of premium property could make Cyprus more accessible to wealthy buyers seeking residential options around the Mediterranean.
Its combination of beaches, resorts, marinas and nightlife also strengthens its appeal as both a permanent residence and a second-home destination.
European destinations accounted for eight of the top 10 positions. The Netherlands ranked sixth with a score of 79, supported by 959 yacht marinas, 2,025 spa and wellness facilities and 1,040 nightlife activities.
Andorra followed with a score of 75 and recorded the highest safety rating in the table, at 88.65. Its lack of yacht marinas reflects its landlocked geography, but the principality offered 1,137 luxury-property listings.
Croatia ranked eighth with a score of 72, ahead of Portugal at 68 and Luxembourg at 65.
Portugal recorded the largest luxury-property inventory in the study, with 76,762 listings, as well as 1,330 spas and 1,370 nightlife venues. Croatia had 16,585 luxury listings and 214 yacht marinas.
The lower final scores assigned to these countries despite their large number of amenities indicate that the index was influenced by other factors or by the way the categories were weighted and normalised.
The release does not provide the full scoring formula or identify the external sources used for each indicator. The results should therefore be interpreted as one company’s composite assessment rather than a definitive measure of where wealthy families should live.
Countries and cities are competing more aggressively for wealthy residents because of the capital, investment and consumption they can bring.
But low taxation alone does not guarantee that a destination will appeal to families considering a long-term move.
Safety, schools, healthcare, political stability, travel access and the ability to secure suitable property can prove decisive.
The company spokesperson said the study could be particularly relevant to wealthy Americans considering relocation, claiming that the United States performed poorly because of tax and safety concerns.
“These options can be especially helpful for wealthy Americans, since we also found that the US is the worst country to live in as a rich person right now,” the spokesperson said.
“Tax rates there now exceed 30%, and honestly, the safety situation is not great either.”
The release did not provide the United States’ complete score or a detailed comparison with the 10 leading destinations.
The ranking nevertheless points to a larger shift in global wealth: affluent households are increasingly evaluating countries as competing packages of taxation, security, mobility and lifestyle.
Malta’s position at the top suggests that the winning proposition may not be the lowest tax bill or the largest luxury-property market, but the most convincing balance between the two.
