There's a well-documented phenomenon among expats: the first time they land in their new country, they wonder why they didn't do it sooner. The second time — flying back from a holiday in Europe — they wonder why everyone else hasn't made the move yet. The countries in this article all have one thing in common: they tend to provoke exactly that reaction. Not because they're perfect. Because of what people actually say about them — on forums, in expat WhatsApp groups, over a drink in Marrakech or Grand Baie.
This part covers the destinations most geographically and culturally accessible to Europeans and Americans: North Africa and the African islands. They're not the most exotic or the cheapest in the series — but they're where the landing is softest, and where day-to-day quality of life is easiest to imagine before you've arrived.
Living in Morocco in 2026: the obvious first choice
Picture this: you wake up at 7am in an apartment in the Guéliz neighbourhood of Marrakech. Through the window, the first golden light on the ochre rooftops. Below, the fresh orange juice vendor is setting up his stall — $0.80 for a large glass. You open your laptop and you're on Paris time. Your French client sends an email at 8am, you reply at 8am. No time difference, no mental arithmetic, no 5am wake-ups to sync with European hours. That detail — the time zone — is the main reason hundreds of freelancers and remote workers from France, Belgium and Switzerland have chosen Morocco over Bali or Chiang Mai.
For those wondering where to live in Morocco in 2026 as a foreign resident, the country has probably the most developed infrastructure in North Africa for expats — alongside South Africa at the other end of the continent. That's not a definitive claim: it's what the expat community has been observing on the ground for ten years. Not because Morocco is perfect — it isn't — but because the ecosystem has developed faster there than anywhere else. Casablanca has a financial district that looks like any European CBD, with glass towers, $4 café crèmes and $40/month gyms. Marrakech has an international scene that runs year-round: galleries, restaurants from every cuisine imaginable, tastefully renovated riads where you can rent a room or a whole apartment for a fraction of Paris prices. Tangier, long underrated, has become in under ten years a cosmopolitan city with a genuine international creative community — writers, designers, developers who discovered that this city between two seas had something the others had lost: the energy of a place still becoming something.
Morning coffee on the terrace for $1.50. 10am Zoom meeting from your apartment (100 Mbps fibre included in the rent). Lunch at the local restaurant — lamb tagine, bread, mint tea — for $5. Afternoon at Copernic or Regus coworking, dedicated desk for $110/month. Traditional hammam in the evening for $8, massage included. Dinner on Jemaa el-Fna square with a visiting friend for $18 for two. Full day total: ~$35. You worked the same hours as your Parisian clients. You lived better than in Paris for a third of the budget.
Day-to-day quality of life
What surprises newcomers most about Morocco is the sensory richness of everyday life. The market (the souk) isn't a tourist attraction — it's where you buy your vegetables, spices and chicken. A weekly market run for two people: $15–$25 for fresh, local produce of a quality that European supermarkets can't replicate. Moroccan cuisine is one of the richest in the Arab-Berber world: bastilla (pigeon-almond-cinnamon in filo pastry), mechoui, Friday couscous royal — dishes eaten in family, in community, and which locals are happy to share with foreigners who make the effort to be curious.
Social life is easy to build in Morocco. Expat communities in Casablanca and Marrakech are active and organized, with Facebook groups, weekly apéros, sports clubs. But integration with Moroccans is also possible — and often far more rewarding. Moroccans are curious about foreigners who choose to live among them rather than observe from a five-star hotel. Once they've adopted you, the hospitality is total and completely unselfconscious.
The climate is a major argument that numbers don't capture well: Marrakech has over 300 sunny days a year, mild winters (15–20°C) and hot but dry summers — nothing like the humidity of Bangkok or Bali. Agadir, on the Atlantic, is cooler and breezier, perfect for surfers. Tangier has a temperate Mediterranean climate year-round. Rabat is pleasant and less chaotic than Casablanca for those who want a more human-scale city.
Key figures — what you'll actually pay
Visa & residency — what you actually need to do
The Moroccan tourist visa (90 days) is renewable by a simple border exit — a round trip to Spain (Tangier-Algeciras ferry at $40) resets the clock. This has been tolerated by the authorities for years, but it's not a right: some profiles get questioned after many trips, and Morocco can refuse entry without explanation. If you're settling long-term, the residence card (titre de séjour marocain) is the right solution. It requires proof of address, regular income, and a few months of administrative patience (2–4 months). Morocco hasn't yet launched an official nomad visa, but government discussions are progressing — one to watch in 2026.
Tax & crypto — the important nuance
Morocco adopted a digital asset regulation framework in 2024. Bank Al-Maghrib supervises exchanges, and crypto gains in theory fall under the progressive income tax regime (up to 38%). In practice, enforcement is still partial and small volumes aren't pursued. But for significant volume, Morocco isn't Mauritius. For a freelancer or remote worker who simply wants to reduce living costs without excessive tax complexity, Morocco is excellent. For a high-volume crypto trader seeking a guaranteed legal exemption, Mauritius is the right answer.
Morocco also has a tax treaty with France, which in some cases avoids double taxation on French-source income. A Franco-Moroccan tax advisor can work wonders on your personal situation — an investment of $300–$500 that can save you thousands. (Note: tax treaties apply differently depending on the nature of income and residency status — individual verification recommended.)
What works less well
Moroccan bureaucracy is slow, sometimes unpredictable and requires patience. Opening a bank account as a foreigner can take several weeks and multiple branch visits. International transfers are governed by foreign exchange regulations — you can't legally take dirhams out of the country, which means keeping your savings in a foreign bank and only feeding your local account what you need. The social divide in Morocco is also real: between the Morocco of riads and art galleries and the one of peripheral shanty towns, the gap is visible and can weigh on you morally if you're not conscious of it.
The top North African option for a European nomad or remote worker who wants to stay connected to the Western world without paying Western prices. Solid infrastructure, ideal time zone, top-tier culture and food, cost of living 40–50% below Paris. The easiest choice to make, the lowest risk — and still genuinely exceptional. Overall expat score: 7.5 / 10.
Living in Tunisia in 2026: the Mediterranean secret
There's a village above Tunis called Sidi Bou Saïd. Every house is white, every door cobalt blue. Bougainvillea spills over the walls. Cats sleep on the stone steps. Below, the Gulf of Tunis stretches to the horizon. A Turkish coffee costs $0.40. A plate of freshly grilled fish with that view costs $8. Expats who settle there often have a slightly guilty look — as if they've found something they don't quite deserve and would rather not advertise too widely.
Tunisia is Mediterranean expatriation's best-kept secret. Those who've been there understand immediately. Others are nervous — for reasons that deserve precise nuance.
The truth about safety in Tunisia in 2026: the country suffered two major terrorist attacks in 2015 (the Bardo and Sousse). Since then, security measures have been radically reinforced and the country has had no major incident. International tourism has recovered to pre-2015 levels. Tunisia today is governed by Kais Saied in a context of power consolidation since 2021 — freedom of expression under pressure, weakened opposition, adequate physical security in urban and tourist areas. This political context is a documented reality that each person must weigh according to their own values. In practice, for a foreign expat living a private life, the daily impact of this situation generally remains low — but everyone must assess this freely.
Wake up in a modern apartment overlooking Lake Tunis — $350/month all inclusive. Coffee and makroudh (date pastry) from the corner bakery: $1.20. A day of remote work from home or from one of the Avenue coworkings, at $60–$80/month. Lunch: egg brik and mechouia salad from the neighbourhood restaurant for $4. After work, an hour at La Marsa beach, 20 minutes by train for $0.60 one way. Weekend fish dinner at Gammarth with two expat friends: $15 per person, local wine included. In Tunisia, people drink — Tunisians have produced their own wine and beer for decades, in a pragmatic Islam that coexists with modernity.
Quality of life — what the numbers don't show
Tunisia is a country of high civilization — in the literal sense. Carthage, founded in 814 BC, is 20 minutes from Tunis by the TGM coastal tram. The El Jem amphitheatre, one of the best-preserved in the Roman world, is two hours' drive away. Tunis Medina is a UNESCO World Heritage site. Living in Tunisia means living in a country where history is everywhere — not in museums, but in the streets, the architecture, the language that blends Arabic, French, Berber and traces of five-century-old Spanish.
Tunisian cuisine is seriously underrated internationally. Brik, chorba, Tunisian couscous (drier and spicier than Moroccan), chakchouka, orange-blossom pastries — a Mediterranean cuisine of a complexity comparable to Italian or Spanish, available for $3–$8 a meal in any neighbourhood restaurant. The private healthcare system is one of the best in Africa — modern clinics, doctors often trained in France or Europe, prices that make anyone who's paid for a medical consultation in Europe deeply envious.
The real friction: the dinar and capital controls
The Tunisian currency is non-convertible. You cannot legally take dinars out of the country, and capital movements are controlled. In practice: keep your savings in a foreign account, only feed your local account with what you need to live on. For an expat with foreign-currency income spent locally, this is manageable — even advantageous, since the official exchange rate works in your favour. For someone needing complex financial transactions from within Tunisia, it's a real constraint.
The best budget option in the entire series for a retiree or nomad who wants to live well without spending much. Mediterranean sea, excellent cuisine, millenary culture, unbeatable cost of living, accessible private healthcare. The constraints (non-convertibility, political context) are real but manageable for those who anticipate them. Overall expat score: 7.0 / 10.
Living in Egypt: the extreme budget option — and the Egypt that surprises you
Nobody chooses Egypt to expatriate by default. You choose it because you went there once, you saw Cairo, and you never quite got over it. Cairo is a megacity of 22 million people, chaotic, noisy, dusty, honking 24/7, where red lights are suggestions — and yet something happens there that clean, organised cities can't replicate: a raw human energy, the coexistence of the ancient and the contemporary, pyramids visible from apartment rooftops, and a warmth that Cairenes dispense with disarming generosity.
The Maadi neighbourhood, south of Cairo, is the heart of the expat community. Embassies, international schools, grocery stores stocking European products, restaurants from every world cuisine. The streets are wide, tree-lined, almost quiet compared to the rest of the city. That's where diplomats, NGOs and corporate expats settle — and increasingly, freelancers attracted by a cost of living that has no equivalent anywhere on the Mediterranean. A decent 2-bedroom apartment in Maadi: $350–$500/month. A respectable "Western" restaurant: $12–$20 per person. And just outside Maadi, the real Cairo, with its markets, its shisha cafés, its $3 popular restaurants, its sunsets over the Nile.
4pm: walk through Khan el-Khalili, the largest bazaar in the Arab world — spices, perfumes, craft, all in medieval alleyways unchanged since the 14th century. 6pm: coffee at the Nile Ritz-Carlton, riverside terrace, view of the Giza pyramids silhouetted at dusk — $6 for coffee. 8pm: dinner at a popular restaurant in Islamic Cairo — koshary (the national dish: pasta, lentils and spicy tomato sauce) for $1.50. 10pm: Tannoura show (Sufi whirling dervish dance) in a 15th-century Mamluk townhouse — free. Cairo is the only city in the world where you can spend an entire evening between 5,000 years of history for under $10.
Sharm el-Sheikh: the coastal alternative
If Cairo feels too intense for a long-term base, Sharm el-Sheikh offers a very different option. A Red Sea resort at the southern tip of the Sinai Peninsula (the safe side, not the conflict zone), it's a city built for international tourism, with residential complexes, private beaches, restaurants and world-class diving. Expats who settle there tend to be dive instructors, sun-seeking retirees or people who want to escape metropolitan intensity. The international community is well established, English is universal, and housing costs less than in Cairo.
The problem that won't go away: the Egyptian pound
The Egyptian pound lost more than 60% of its value against the dollar between 2022 and 2024. For an expat paid in dollars or euros, that's a windfall: your local purchasing power doubled in two years. For someone dependent on a local salary or savings in EGP, it's painful. The structural problem: capital outflows are regulated, and opening a bank account as a foreigner with smooth international transactions is complicated. The solution most expats adopt: keep the bulk of assets outside Egypt, convert only what's needed for local spending.
Recommended for profiles with stable foreign-currency income, tolerance for urban chaos and genuine curiosity for one of humanity's oldest civilisations. The budget is unbeatable. Financial and administrative constraints are real. The human experience is extraordinary. Overall expat score: 5.5 / 10 — but 8 / 10 for those who know why they're going.
Why Algeria isn't on the list
Algeria is absent from expat lists for practical reasons, not cultural ones. Algiers is a magnificent city — the UNESCO-listed Casbah, the corniche overlooking the Mediterranean, French colonial architecture blended with Ottoman, an artistic and musical scene (raï, chaâbi) that has influenced world music. The country has spectacular geographic wealth: the Sahara, the Aurès mountains, Kabylia. But the legal conditions for independent expatriation are simply not in place in 2026.
The Algerian visa is restrictive for many European nationals. Long-term residency for an independent foreigner (not employed by an Algerian company or on an official mission) is extremely difficult to obtain. Capital movements are tightly controlled, and crypto assets have been banned by decree since 2018 — with criminal penalties in place. For an independent expat in 2026, Algeria is out of scope. It's mentioned here purely to complete the regional picture — not to discourage a tourist visit, which remains a rare and striking experience for those who manage to arrange one.
Cost of living in Mauritius and crypto tax: the tax haven that actually exists
Grand Baie, north of Mauritius, on a Tuesday morning. A 38-year-old French trader opens his trading terminal from his private-pool villa, with a direct view of the blue turquoise lagoon. Two screens, 200 Mbps fibre, a cup of Mauritian tea. Outside, 27 degrees, a light trade wind breeze. This month he'll generate $40,000 in crypto capital gains. In France, he'd have paid around $12,000 in taxes and social charges. In Mauritius, he'll pay zero — legally, with a complete regulatory framework, a local tax lawyer, and a residency that gives him the same protections as a Mauritian citizen. That's why Mauritius isn't a postcard fantasy — it's a serious financial decision for those who can afford it.
Mauritius is the combination nobody would have dared imagine: a dream island with white-sand beaches, lagoons protected by coral reefs, a mixed cuisine blending India, China, France and Africa — and simultaneously, Africa's most favourable tax system, with a complete crypto legal framework, irreproachable political stability since independence in 1968, and a GDP per capita that exceeds several Eastern European countries.
7am: surf or swim in the lagoon before the heat (water is 26°C year-round). 9am: remote work from home — fibre is reliable, the GMT+4 time zone lets you work with Europe in the morning and the US in the late afternoon. Lunch: dholl puri (flatbread stuffed with yellow lentils, the Mauritian national dish) from the corner market for $1.50, or Creole cuisine at a Tamarin restaurant for $12–$18. Afternoon: meeting with your Mauritian accountant to optimise your tax structure. 5pm: snorkelling session in the lagoon. Dinner at one of Grand Baie's fusion restaurants (Indo-oceanic, Japanese, French) for $25–$45. Sunday: Flacq market, the island's largest — tropical fruit, spices, Mauritian crafts, in an atmosphere mixing every community on the island.
Quality of life — what the numbers don't capture
Mauritius is an island of exceptional blending. The population mixes Indo-Mauritians (descendants of indentured Indian workers), Creoles (descendants of African slaves), Sino-Mauritians and a small Franco-Mauritian community — each with their traditions, celebrations and cuisine. The result is a uniquely syncretic culture: Diwali, Eid and Christmas are all public holidays. Mauritian Creole is spoken in the street, French at the administration, English in business. Indian cooking spices find their way into Creole dishes. On Sunday mornings, Mauritians do their market shopping as a family, come home to cook a biryani or fish curry, and have the neighbours over — regardless of their community.
The crypto tax framework — the details that matter
The Mauritius Financial Services Commission (FSC) created a complete legal framework for digital assets in 2021: exchange licences, reporting obligations, investor protection. For a Mauritian tax resident holding and trading crypto in their own name, capital gains are generally not taxed under the current regime — provided this activity is not reclassified as a regular commercial activity, in which case a different treatment may apply. Income tax is 15% flat, without progressive brackets. There is no inheritance tax, no wealth tax, no tax on foreign-source dividends in most configurations. These elements are valid under the framework in force in March 2026 — validation from a licensed Mauritian tax advisor is essential before installation.
To establish tax residency in Mauritius, you must spend more than 183 days per year there — and be able to prove it (passport stamps, local bank statements, lease). Working with a Mauritian tax lawyer to structure your situation correctly is strongly recommended, especially if you still have fiscal ties in your home country. Cost of this setup: $1,500–$3,000 in the first year for full structuring. Easily recouped if your trading or investment volume is significant.
The Premium Travel Visa — how it works
Mauritius launched the Premium Travel Visa (PTV): a one-year renewable residence permit for remote workers, retirees and foreign-income residents. The published conditions do not set an explicit minimum income threshold — but the administration reviews applications case by case, and demonstrably insufficient resources can lead to a refusal. Required documents: valid passport, health insurance, confirmed accommodation on the island. Processing time: 2–4 weeks in practice. For over-50s, the Retirement Non-Citizen Permit offers longer-term residency on proof of investment ($1,500/month in regular income or $54,000 invested in Mauritian real estate). Check current conditions with the Economic Development Board of Mauritius (edbmauritius.org) before filing.
The constraint nobody says clearly enough
Mauritius is small — 65km × 45km. After a few months, a form of island cabin fever affects some expats. There are no new cities to explore, no train weekend to another region, no spontaneous mountain escape. Flights to Europe cost $700–$1,200 and take 11 hours — impossible to nip home for a long weekend. Expats who adapt best are those who have invested in the island itself: boats, diving, hiking, gardening, neighbourhood life. Those who needed the buzz of a major capital miss it.
Africa's top option across the board for crypto, trader and affluent retiree profiles. Impeccable legal framework, optimal taxation, high quality of life, excellent safety. The budget rules out "small budget" profiles — Mauritius is a destination for comfortable incomes. Island size is the only real constraint, and it divides expats. Overall expat score: 8.5 / 10.
Digital nomad in Cape Verde: the Atlantic island Southeast Asia forgot about
Mindelo, on the island of São Vicente. A Friday evening. The main square is animated — Cape Verdeans come here the way others go to a café: to sit, talk and watch the world go by. At the corner, a restaurant plays morna live — the music invented by Cesária Évora in this very city, that slow, melancholic melody about the sea, about absence, about the longing to be elsewhere. It's striking: a music born from the desire to leave the island, in a place that foreigners have crossed half the world to reach. There's something in that contradiction that says everything about Cape Verde.
Ten islands in the Atlantic, 570km from the Senegalese coast and four hours from Paris by direct flight. A stable democracy since 1991 — peaceful political alternations, functioning institutions, no conflict since independence in 1975. A unique cultural blend of Africa and Portugal that exists nowhere else: the faces, the language (a Portuguese-rooted creole), the music, the cuisine, the architecture — everything is hybrid, blended, creolised.
Santa Maria, southern tip of Sal island. A fishing village turned international hub for surfers, kite-surfers and remote workers. The water is turquoise, the waves constant (trade winds year-round), the beach is 8km long. Morning: surf or kitesurf session. Daytime: remote work from your apartment at $600/month with an ocean-view terrace, or from the main street coworking at $70/month. Lunch: freshly caught grilled fish for $8. Afternoon: rest on the beach or quad ride through the island's sand dunes. The expat community is small but tight-knit — everyone meets up at the bars on the main street in the evening, Germans, Brits, French, Italians, all bonded by the same question: why didn't we come sooner?
The different islands — choosing by profile
Sal is the most tourist-oriented and internationally expat-facing island. White-sand beaches, constant winds for watersports, cosmopolitan community. Less "African" in atmosphere, more international resort feel — advantage or disadvantage depending on what you're after.
São Vicente (Mindelo) is the cultural capital of the archipelago. Historic trading port, Portuguese colonial architecture, vibrant live music scene. More authentic, more "Cape Verdean", with social life more rooted in local culture. The right island if you want to genuinely immerse yourself.
Santiago (Praia) is the administrative capital, largest island, most animated. Sucupira market, historic Cidade Velha quarter (the first city built by Europeans in tropical Africa, UNESCO listed), nightlife. Noisier, less postcard-perfect, but the most complete in terms of services.
Santo Antão is the hikers' island — spectacular mountains, green valleys crossed by trails, terraced agriculture. Not for remote work (limited connectivity), but perfect for total disconnection breaks between intensive work periods.
The logistical island constraint
Cape Verde is more expensive than its continental African neighbours because almost everything is imported. Foreign products cost a lot — electronics, specific medications, computer equipment. Specialist medical access is limited outside Praia: an evacuation to the Canary Islands (1h flight) or Portugal (5h) must be in your health insurance. If you have a medical condition requiring regular specialist follow-up, Cape Verde isn't your destination. For the rest — and the vast majority of healthy profiles — the basic healthcare system is functional and emergencies are manageable.
The ideal destination for a nomad looking for an African Atlantic island with a simple legal visa, excellent safety, authentic culture and reasonable cost of living. Less tech infrastructure than Morocco, not as cheap as Tunisia, but a unique atmosphere and quality of life that keeps those who pass through. Often the "three months" destination that becomes "forever". Overall expat score: 7.0 / 10.
Living in the Seychelles in 2026: for whom exactly?
Let's be honest about the Seychelles: it's not for everyone. Not a question of taste — a question of budget, tolerated isolation, and what you expect from a residence. For a high-income trader or investor seeking maximum tax optimisation in an irreproachable natural setting and total discretion, the Seychelles is a serious option. For a young nomad on $1,200/month income, move on.
115 islands, most of them uninhabited. Unique biodiversity — the Seychelles has the world's highest proportion of protected territory (over 50%). The Aldabra giant tortoise, the coco de mer (the largest fruit on the planet), Praslin's palm forest (Vallée de Mai, UNESCO listed), the pink granite beaches of Anse Source d'Argent — regularly cited as one of the world's most beautiful beaches. Living in the Seychelles is living inside a nature documentary, with the difference that you're home.
Victoria, the Seychelles capital, is the world's smallest capital city. Its central market smells of vanilla, cinnamon and turmeric. Banana leaves wrap fresh fish caught that same morning. Victoria harbour, ten minutes' walk from the market, hosts cruise ships and round-the-world sailing boats. Your apartment on Mahé costs $1,800/month — expensive, but with an ocean terrace and a tropical garden. Your internet connection is fine for trading and remote work. Your local bakery (French colonial influence) bakes fresh bread every morning for $1. In the evenings you have drinks with German, Swiss and British expats who all share the same story: "I came for three weeks four years ago."
The tax framework — what matters for targeted profiles
In the Seychelles, there is no capital gains tax. No inheritance tax. No wealth tax. Business Tax applies to Seychellois-source income — if your income comes from abroad (crypto trading, investments, international freelancing), the tax burden as a resident is near-zero. The Workcation Permit allows one-year renewable legal residency for foreign remote workers, with similar conditions to Mauritius's Premium Travel Visa.
Niche option for high-income profiles seeking maximum tax optimisation in one of the world's most beautiful natural settings. High budget, relative isolation, limited nomad infrastructure. If your asset volume justifies it and you love nature, silence and the sea — it's a life that's hard to leave. For other profiles, Mauritius offers a better balance. Overall expat score: 7.0 / 10 (targeted profile) — 5.0 / 10 (general use).