Decided it’s time to take that big step you’ve always dreamt of and move to a new country?
Congrats – that sounds really exciting and we’re rooting for you! But we do need to ask – have you considered how fast the Internet is where you’re moving?
After all, the last thing you want is to move to a new country, find a cool apartment, finish dealing with all the paperwork, and get your house in order, only to immediately find out that online speeds in this country are very slow!
To make things easy-peasy for you, we put together a list of some excellent expat havens that also have really fast Internet speeds. So let’s start with number 1!
1. Hungary
Hungary apparently has the fastest online speeds in Central Europe, with download speeds easily topping 100 Mbps.
And Hungary has a pretty large expat community – it’s especially popular with people who want to retire there. Most expats love how friendly the people are and how great the food is. Also, the prices in Hungary are pretty cheap so you can live a pretty luxurious life if you have a decent amount of savings.
Hungary has also become a very attractive tourist destination – not to mention a magnet for international students as well.
Why did we highlight that?
Because it means English is spoken by most people there. Hungarian is a very difficult language to learn, so it helps that you can get by with English. Of course, you’ll need to pay to translate legal documents, but that’s the standard everywhere.
If you plan on moving to Hungary, we recommend checking out ExpatTech. It’s a blog from ProPrivacy that’s written by a US expat who moved to Hungary. It covers important topics like cybersecurity and how to use a VPN to get the most out of your Internet experience.
2. Chile
Chile is often called the only first-world country in South America. Many expats like moving there because they feel it’s safer than its neighboring countries. Also, they like the culture, food, and low prices. But Chile also has pretty fast online speeds (they can go up to 160 Mbps) that are priced well.
Chile was also the first country in the world to integrate Net Neutrality in their legal system, so you can expect fair ISP prices too.
Finally, another good reason to move to Chile is the climate diversity. You have a dry desert in the North, a Mediterranean climate in the central region of the country, and a cool and damp climate in the South. If you always dreamt of being able to watch penguins, go to the beach, check out the driest desert in the world, and ski on high slopes in one country, Chile is perfect for you.
3. Thailand
Thailand has surprisingly fast speeds – going up to 300 Mbps downloads! Besides being fast, Thailand’s Internet speeds are also cheap.
Other things that make Thailand an attractive expat destination are the vibrant culture, amazing food, and downright awesome weather. The locals are also friendly and you have tons of excellent getaways that are just waiting to be explored. What’s more, Thailand has many national holidays that offer you an opportunity to do just that.
4. Romania
Romania has often been called one of the countries with the fastest Internet speeds in the world. The average speeds are around 200 Mbps, but the total can go up to 900 Mbps download speeds!
Even better, Romania’s Internet prices are pretty cheap. In fact, most things in Romania have cheap attractive prices.
Besides that, Romania can prove to be an awesome culinary experience. Not to mention you have truly breathtaking landscapes to explore (and you can easily do that on the weekend).
Finally, another thing that makes Romania an excellent expat destination is the fact that pretty much everyone speaks English really well there. Sure, you can’t expect 70-year old people to speak good English, but most people in their 20s, 30s, and 40s know English well. So you can easily get by with it if you don’t know any Romanian.
5. Slovenia
Slovenia’s speeds hover at around 100 Mbps which should be more than enough for most people. But we think that those of you who love the idea of a green and sustainable country will really like Slovenia. It’s the third most forested country in the world, and it has also been called the “greenest country in the world.”
The landscapes are really impressive – especially Lake Bled! And Slovenia offers a unique mix of Eastern European and Mediterranean influences – so much so that Slovenia even has a small city that makes you feel like you’re in Italy (Piran).
Also, Slovenia’s food scene is on fire! You get a little bit of all tastes – Turkish, Austrian, Croatian, Russian, and Hungarian. Those of you who are foodies will definitely feel right at home!
6. Spain
Spain’s online speeds are a bit average (around 20 Mbps or more), but what makes this country stand out is how it always promotes a free Internet – basically with zero censorship.
Spain is a very attractive destination for UK expats – with many of them buying vacation homes they eventually retire to there. It’s easy to see why – the climate is amazing and relaxing. And the mix of European and Arabic architecture and culture is really cool.
7. Singapore
Singapore has the fastest average Internet speed in the world – over 100 Mbps. The prices are also very affordable. The only drawback is that some Western sites are censored by the government. But you can easily unblock them with a VPN.
Besides that, Singapore is an excellent expat haven. It’s a melting pot of cultures, the food culture is unparalleled, it has wonderful tropical weather, and pretty much everyone speaks English.
What Other Countries Would You Add to the List?
We’d love to hear what other expat havens have great Internet speeds (and, ideally, cheap prices). Please mention any other countries you know in the comments. And don’t forget to mention what makes them great for expats!
