The 20 best countries around the world to live as an expat, ranked

• HSBC Expat released its annual expat survey to find the best countries for expats to live based on economics, quality of life, and a slew of other factors. 
• The top countries include Singapore, New Zealand, Germany, Canada, and Bahrain.
• Switzerland is the best country to live abroad if you want to make more money — the average expat salary is $202,865.

Tired of your old job? Looking for a new environment? There are a lot of reasons to leave your home country behind in search of greener pastures, but picking where to go can be an overwhelming decision.

There are a lot of conflicting factors: job opportunities, salary considerations, quality of life, safety, and childcare are just a few. HSBC has made the decision a whole lot easier with its latest annual Expat Explorer survey. 

The survey ranks the best places to go based on experience, economics, and raising children abroad, with subcategories for each group. We've picked out the top 20 places overall. (But you can also personalize the rankings based on which factors matter to you.)

SEE ALSO: The 30 countries around the world where expats earn the most money, ranked

20. Russia

Russia seems like a fun place to live, with solid scores for social life (sixth), making local friends (12th), and work-life balance (14th). It ranks 24th for health, however, perhaps because of the popularity of doughy foods and meats high in cholesterol.

Russia is notorious for problems with public services like water and electricity. In addition, for American expats, Russia might prove uncomfortable as many in the government and media frequently demonize the US and vice versa.

19. Vietnam

While Vietnam ranks pretty high in economics, the country excels in disposable income, ranking first. Everything costs less, from transport to entertainment, and great public transportation makes domestic travel easy.

Food is a major plus in the country, as a greater percentage of expats say they enjoy the food compared with the global average. The country ranks sixth in culture and third in making local friends.

Vietnam is not without its problems, however. The country ranks near the bottom for health, quality of life, and childcare.

18. Ireland

"Ireland is full of opportunities for young people who want to get international experience. It's also easy to make friends," one expat told HSBC. 

Despite the opportunities, the country ranks low on disposable income, wage growth, and career progression. But the country shines when it comes to family life. The country ranks first for quality of life, third for schooling, and fourth for integration. 

Maybe it has something to do with that rainy weather.