Why This Matters
"We want to move abroad but we have kids." This is the single most common hesitation on r/IWantOut. And it's completely valid -when it's just you, you can rough it in a cheap apartment with mediocre healthcare. With kids, the calculus changes entirely.
We used CostMaps data across three critical domains -healthcare, education, and safety -to rank the best countries for families considering international relocation.
The Methodology
We weighted three CostMaps indices equally:
Healthcare index: Life expectancy, infant mortality, doctors per capita, hospital beds, healthcare spending
Education index: Literacy rate, school enrollment rates, education spending as % of GDP
Safety score: Inverse of crime index, homicide rate, and other safety metrics
Then we factored in cost of living to find countries that score well AND are actually affordable.
Top 10 Countries for Families
1. Canada
Healthcare: Universal coverage through provincial plans. No out-of-pocket for essential services. Wait times can be long for specialists, but pediatric care is excellent.
Education: Strong public school system. University is subsidized (roughly 7,000-15,000 CAD/year for citizens).
Safety: Very low crime rates outside a few urban areas.
Cost: Expensive in Toronto and Vancouver. Very affordable in places like Calgary, Halifax, or Ottawa.
CostMaps data: Healthcare index 85/100, Education index 88/100, Safety score 82/100.
2. Germany
Healthcare: Mandatory insurance (public or private). Excellent pediatric care. Very low infant mortality.
Education: Free public education through university -including for international students. The system splits kids into academic vs vocational tracks at age 10, which some parents dislike.
Safety: Very safe. Well-functioning public institutions.
Cost: Moderate. Munich is expensive; Berlin, Leipzig, and smaller cities are very affordable by Western European standards.
CostMaps data: Healthcare index 87/100, Education index 90/100, Safety score 85/100.
3. Netherlands
Healthcare: Mandatory private insurance with good coverage. Among the best pediatric care globally.
Education: Excellent public schools, many with bilingual (Dutch/English) programs. University is affordable (about 2,600 EUR/year for EU citizens).
Safety: Very safe. Bike-friendly infrastructure is great for kids.
Cost: Amsterdam is expensive. The Hague, Utrecht, and Eindhoven are more moderate.
4. Australia
Healthcare: Medicare covers most services. Excellent children's hospitals.
Education: Strong public school system. High tertiary enrollment.
Safety: Low crime. Main risks are environmental (heat, wildlife), not human.
Cost: Sydney and Melbourne are expensive. Adelaide, Brisbane, and Perth are more affordable.
5. Japan
Healthcare: Universal coverage at very low cost. Some of the best healthcare outcomes globally. Life expectancy over 84 years.
Education: Extremely high quality. Very high enrollment rates. Strong focus on math and science.
Safety: One of the safest countries in the world. Kids walk to school alone from age 6.
Cost: Tokyo is expensive. Most other cities are very affordable. Groceries are moderate; rent outside Tokyo is low.
6. Portugal
Healthcare: Universal coverage through SNS. Good quality, especially in Lisbon and Porto. Private insurance is cheap (40-80 EUR/month).
Education: Improving rapidly. Many international schools available. Public universities are affordable.
Safety: One of the safest countries globally (Global Peace Index top 10).
Cost: Very affordable by Western European standards, though Lisbon has gotten more expensive.
7. Singapore
Healthcare: World-class. Among the best infant mortality rates globally.
Education: Consistently #1 or #2 in global education rankings. Extremely competitive.
Safety: One of the lowest crime rates in the world.
Cost: Expensive, especially housing and cars. But salaries are high and taxes are low.
8. New Zealand
Healthcare: Public system covers most needs. Good pediatric care.
Education: Good public schools. Relaxed educational philosophy compared to Asia.
Safety: Very safe. Clean environment.
Cost: Auckland is expensive. Wellington, Christchurch, and smaller cities are more reasonable.
9. Czech Republic
Healthcare: Universal coverage. Very affordable. Good quality, especially in Prague.
Education: Strong public education. University is free for Czech-language programs.
Safety: Very low crime. Prague is one of the safest capital cities.
Cost: Very affordable. Prague is moderate by European standards; everywhere else is cheap.
10. Spain
Healthcare: Universal coverage. Good quality. Excellent work-life balance.
Education: Decent public schools. Many international school options.
Safety: Generally safe. Low violent crime.
Cost: Very affordable outside Barcelona and Madrid. Southern Spain and smaller cities are among the cheapest in Western Europe.
Countries That Surprise People
South Korea: Top-tier education and healthcare, incredibly safe, but the education system is extremely high-pressure. Kids study until 10-11 PM in many households. Great on paper, brutal in practice for some families.
Uruguay: The best in South America for safety and education. Universal healthcare. Very affordable. Often overlooked.
Estonia: Digital society, good schools, safe, affordable. Cold winters, but excellent quality of life.
What to Watch Out For
Language: Your kids will learn the local language fast. You might not. Consider how this affects school choice (international vs local).
Education structure: Some countries (Germany, Netherlands) track kids into academic vs vocational at age 10-12. This is culturally normal there but can shock parents from the US/UK.
Healthcare for pre-existing conditions: Universal coverage doesn't always mean immediate coverage. Some countries have waiting periods for residents.
Compare It Yourself
Use CostMaps to compare any countries across healthcare, education, and safety metrics. The Rankings page lets you sort 200+ countries by what matters most to your family.