Estonia has been named the world’s best country to relocate to in 2026. Before everyone in Australia starts packing their suitcases, however, there are a few things worth knowing.
The newly released Rumavi Global Relocation Index ranked Estonia first among 192 countries and territories, ahead of Singapore, Malaysia, Portugal and Taiwan. Australia? Number 29. We shall try not to look too pleased with ourselves.
What put Estonia on top?
The index compares countries using 24 measures across four broad areas: financial and tax conditions, livability and health, safety and stability, and settling and opportunity.
Estonia ranked first in the world for families and second for entrepreneurs. Estonia scored particularly well for its banking infrastructure, business opportunities and property rights for non-citizens.
It received 99 out of 100 for currency and banking, 96 for business opportunities, 82 for housing affordability, 86 for green spaces and 77 for street safety.
There was, however, one category in which Estonia’s considerable national talents apparently failed to impress: climate comfort. Score: 20 out of 100. Long, dark and cold winters were blamed. Fair enough. Even national pride has its limits.
Overall, Estonia scored 72.8 out of 100, narrowly beating Singapore on 72.6 and Malaysia on 72.0. Lithuania also made the global top ten, coming sixth.
Before you pack the suitcase…
International rankings make excellent headlines — particularly when Estonia is sitting at the top of them — but they are worth reading with a little perspective. Any ranking reflects the things its creators decide to measure and the importance given to each of those things. Change the measures or their weighting and the order can change too.
The Rumavi index actually demonstrates this rather nicely. Its 24 measures are weighted differently depending on whether the person relocating is, for example, a family, retiree, digital nomad or entrepreneur. Healthcare matters more in one situation; business conditions or taxation may matter more in another.
So consider this ranking an interesting comparison and, absolutely, permission for a small moment of Estonian pride — rather than scientific proof that everyone should immediately relocate to Tallinn. Because there is one thing no international index can measure terribly well: your life.
So what happens when Australians (Australian Estonians) actually move to Estonia?
By coincidence, a fascinating discussion has been unfolding in the Facebook group Eestlased Austraalias, where someone asked — in Estonian — whether people who had lived in Australia for a long time had moved back to Estonia, and what the move and readjustment had been like. By early afternoon on 13 August, the discussion had attracted more than 50 comments. And perhaps unsurprisingly, the real-life answers are considerably messier than a ranking table.
Some people who returned to Estonia said they were very happy with the decision and had adjusted relatively quickly. Others described struggling to settle even after months or years and eventually returning to Australia. Some are contemplating another move. Others divide their lives between the two countries.
Money and employment come up repeatedly. Australian salaries and financial security can be difficult to leave behind, while several people pointed out that the calculation depends enormously on your profession, income and circumstances.
Then there is family. For some, being close to parents, relatives and old friends outweighs the financial advantages of Australia. Families with young children also talked about childcare, support networks and where they ultimately wanted their children to grow up.
Climate and lifestyle inevitably enter the equation — Australia has beaches and sunshine; Estonia has family, forests and, one commenter reminded everyone, very good access to saunas.
There are also less tangible differences. Several contributors described having to readjust to Estonia’s social culture after years in Australia, while others said Estonia simply still felt like home.
Perhaps the most consistent message from the discussion is that there isn’t one. People value different things, circumstances change and sometimes the country that looks better on paper isn’t the place where you feel you belong.
One contributor summed up the dilemma particularly neatly: the grass is always greener on the other side. Apparently even when one side has been officially awarded only 20 points for climate.
If you are considering the Australia-to-Estonia move yourself, the discussion is well worth reading — not as another ranking, but as dozens of real experiences from people who have actually tried it.
Read more
Read the discussion in Estonian: Eestlased Austraalias Facebook group
Explore the ranking:
Estonia named the best country to relocate to in 2026 | Integratsiooni Sihtasutus
This Baltic state was just named the world’s best place to relocate to in 2026 | Euronews
Best countries to move to in 2026 — Rumavi Global Relocation Index
Estonia — Rumavi Global Relocation Index 2026
Anything to declare? — discover the story behind Von Bomb’s mural (in Estonian)
