Dubai GSTLive · By Staff · 17 Oct 2026 · 8 min
UAE is the world’s third-best place to live in 2026
Nomad Capitalist scored the UAE 73.15 out of 100, third of 63 places. First in the world on tax: 96. Monaco is 0.74 points ahead.
The UAE is the third-best place to live in the world in 2026, according to the Nomad Capitalist Lifestyle Index. It scored 73.15 out of 100. Monaco is first at 73.89 and Andorra is second at 73.68. The gap from the UAE to first place is 0.74 points. Gulf News reported the ranking on 16 October 2026. The index looked at 63 destinations. The UAE is the only Gulf country on it.
First in the world on tax
The strongest line is tax. The UAE scored 96 out of 100 and ranked first of all 63 places. Nomad Capitalist points to no personal income tax and no capital gains tax, with a federal corporate tax of 9 percent that started in June 2023. That is why a salary offer here still looks larger than the same number in London or Mumbai. It is not a promise that life is free. VAT is 5 percent on most shopping. Rent and school fees are still your bills.
- Overall: 73.15 — 3rd of 63
- Tax: 96 — 1st
- Quality of life and infrastructure: 72.6 — 5th
- Residency and access: 78.7 — 7th
- Nature and climate: 59.7 — 16th
- Safety and freedom: 58.8
How the index is built
Five categories share the score equally: nature and climate, taxation, residency and accessibility, safety and freedom, and quality of life and infrastructure. Quality of life and infrastructure put the UAE fifth, at 72.6. Residency and access put it seventh, at 78.7. Nature and climate is 16th, at 59.7 — summer heat is real, and the index does not pretend otherwise. Safety and freedom scored 58.8. That category is the index’s own mix. It is not a street-crime table. Daily life in Dubai is still the reason families walk the mall at night.
Who finished around the UAE
After the top three, Malta is fourth at 72.11, then Portugal 70.09, Cyprus 68.42, Singapore 67.12, the Cayman Islands 66.50, New Zealand 66.43, and Switzerland 65.44. Those are the top ten in Gulf News’s report of the index. The UAE is ahead of Singapore and Switzerland on this list, and a fraction behind two tiny European states.
What the rank does not decide
A ranking is not a visa and it is not a job. A real employer still files the permit. You still check the rent against the salary before you fly. You still refuse anyone who asks you to pay for a visa on WhatsApp. Guidance on this site stays free. The number 73.15 is a reason the country keeps winning people. It is not a reason to send a deposit to a stranger.
Source: Gulf News, 16 October 2026, reporting the Nomad Capitalist Lifestyle Index 2026. Confirm the latest rules on ICP before you apply for any visa.
People also ask
- Where does the UAE rank as a place to live in 2026?
- Third in the Nomad Capitalist Lifestyle Index 2026, with 73.15 out of 100. Monaco is first at 73.89 and Andorra second at 73.68. The index covers 63 destinations.
- Why did the UAE score so high on tax?
- It scored 96 out of 100, first of all 63 places. There is no personal income tax and no capital gains tax. Federal corporate tax is 9 percent, in place since June 2023.
- Is the UAE the only Gulf country on the list?
- Yes. Gulf News reports the UAE was the only Gulf country included in the 2026 Nomad Capitalist Lifestyle Index.
- Does third place mean rent is cheap?
- No. The index measures tax, access, infrastructure, climate, and a safety-and-freedom score. Your own test is still whether the job covers the rent.