Lousã in Portugal—one area that features in new studies on the best places for expats.gettyLots of things need to come together to make the best places for expats to live. Certainly, quality of life would be up there, and International Living's new report on the 21 towns where you can live better, often for under $2,000 a month, is a helpful read. These are places where your money can go further, and they inevitably identify smaller towns. It's also important for a place to have strong structural factors, such as safety, affordable health care, and visa access. The Latin America Expat Index from argentinexpat.com analyzes 47 popular expat hubs across South America to identify the best overall environment for foreigners. For longer-term stays, it's also important to consider places that offer a sustainable way of life, and it’s here that a study by mobile internet company, Holafly, on the seven greenest hubs for digital nomads in 2026 can help. The best places for expats are in the smaller towns and citiesThere are three towns, identified by International Living, in some of the most popular countries for expats (Portugal, Mexico, and Greece) that offer a sweet spot over the capitals in terms of cost, calm, and a sense of community.Lousã, in Portugal, is 35 minutes from Coimbra and offers amazing hikes, schist villages (mountain enclaves made entirely of stone), and all at an affordable $2,000 per month for couples—thanks to affordable produce, inexpensive traditional dining, and lots of free outdoor recreation, such as hiking.Incidentally, Portugal comes fourth in Holafly’s ranking of the greenest places for digital nomads, ranking countries on their renewable energy infrastructure, public transport efficiency, sustainable urban policies and digital public services. Valladolid, Mexico, is much safer than some coastal hot spots, and it offers Pueblo Mágico charm (authentic villages that must meet a set of criteria to be considered for the list) for under $2,000 per month. Kavala, Greece, offers everything that has made the country a winner for American expats and retirees. It is on the seaside, with good connections to hospitals and airports, and with a cost of living ranging from $1,000 to $1,600 a month. Culture lovers will be happy to know that Thessaloniki is only two hours away.At a different level, but still smaller than their better-known capitals, the Latin America Expat Index showcases Cuenca, Ecuador, and Mendoza, Argentina. Cuenca, Ecuador, came in third overall because it ranked highly in safety and cost. It's a place that the index highlights as having “first-world amenities at third-world prices.” Many North American retirees are very familiar with Cuenca, in part because of its highly accessible retirement visa, which requires a comparatively inexpensive $1,446 per month in income. Likewise, Mendoza, Argentina, came fifth overall on the index, beating Buenos Aires on safety and climate, in part because it has a sophisticated community but isn't overwhelming. Plus, with the backdrop of the Andes, what's not to love?Indeed, the Latin America Expat Index shows that, aside from Buenos Aires and Lima, most major capital cities (such as Bogotá, Mexico City, and Santiago) fell out of the top 10, outshone by safer, more affordable secondary cities.The best places for expats offer the best access to health care and infrastructureThe growing inability to afford health care in the U.S. is one of the driving factors sending Americans overseas, and many places in these three studies support the idea of finding your version of paradise, but with practical backups.Medellín in Colombia came in at number four on the Latin America Expat Index because of its world-class healthcare, “boasting some of the best JCI-accredited hospitals on the continent”. It also has a thriving English-speaking expat community if your goal is a soft landing.San Ramón, Costa Rica, made the list for International Living because of its local specialists, labs, and access to local health services (Caja/MediSmart). It is only 90 minutes to the international airport, and couples can live comfortably on around $2,000 a month. Costa Rica also ranks second on Holafly’s ranking because it has nearly 99% renewable electricity and low per-capita emissions.Castelo Branco, Portugal, is on International Living’s list because it is a regional capital with a public hospital and private clinics, and it has one-bed rentals starting at $550 per month. It also boasts a 13th-century hill-top fortress by the Knights Templar and Baroque gardens.What seems clear from all three reports is that smaller cities and towns are edging out the larger capitals as the best places for expats to find affordable new lives, with access to good healthcare, across Europe, Asia and Central and South America. The top five best places for expats on the Latin America Expat Index are:Merida, MexicoOaxaca, MexicoCuenca, EcuadorMedellín, ColombiaMendoza, ArgentinaThe 21 small towns where you can live better—often for under $2,000 a month are:Bormes-les-Mimosas, FranceLorgues, FranceIsle-sur-la-Sorgue, FranceAigues-Mortes, FranceLousã, PortugalAmarante, PortugalCastelo Branco, PortugalKavala, GreeceLitochoro, GreeceNafpaktos, GreeceValladolid, MexicoIzamal, MexicoSan Ramón, Costa RicaTronadora, Costa RicaVenao, PanamaVolcán, PanamaPortobelo, PanamaMaya Beach, BelizeChanthaburi, ThailandSi Racha, ThailandPai, ThailandThe seven greenest hubs for digital nomads, according to Holafly, are:CopenhagenCosta RicaNorway Portugal EstoniaVancouver Tbilisi MORE FROM FORBESForbesAir Travel Disruption And Skyrocketing Prices—Should Travelers Book Now?By Alex LedsomForbesSri Lanka Launches New Digital Nomad VisaBy Alex LedsomForbesTurn Your Time Off Into An Investment That Outlasts The VacationBy Alex Ledsom