Spain, the most welcoming country for expats in Europe: what it means if you move to the Costa del Sol

According to InterNations' Expat Insider 2026 report, Spain is the most welcoming country for expats in Europe: it ranks sixth worldwide out of 31 destinations, behind only Mexico, Panama, Thailand, Brazil and the United Arab Emirates. For anyone thinking of moving to the Costa del Sol, the result confirms something you notice in everyday life: it is relatively easy to feel at home here.

The ranking, published by Visual Capitalist, does not measure salaries or taxes but something harder to quantify: how welcome foreigners feel, how friendly the locals are and how easy it is to make friends. And on that front, many of the countries international buyers come from fare considerably worse.

What does the most welcoming countries ranking measure?

The index is called Ease of Settling In and is part of InterNations' annual survey of expats around the world. Only countries with at least 50 responses are included, and the final score combines three categories:

• Culture & Welcome: whether newcomers feel welcome and find it easy to adapt to the local culture.
• Local Friendliness: how expats rate the way locals treat them.
• Finding Friends: friendships, satisfaction with social life and a personal support network.

It should be read for what it is: a perception survey. It does not say a country is a better place to live overall, only how easy it is to fit in. In fact, Sweden, Denmark and Canada score very highly on quality of life, yet they rank 30th, 25th and 19th here.

Where does Spain rank compared with the rest of Europe?

Spain is sixth overall and also in Culture & Welcome, and seventh in both Local Friendliness and Finding Friends. Portugal and Ireland, seventh and eighth, are the only other European countries in the top 10. The table compares Spain with the countries many of the foreign buyers on the Malaga coast come from:

Source: InterNations, Expat Insider 2026 (31 countries), via Visual Capitalist. Rank 1 = most welcoming.

Which European countries come last?

Norway closes the table in 31st place, with Sweden, Austria and Germany just above it. Denmark, Switzerland and the Netherlands are also among the bottom ten. These are wealthy countries with excellent public services, which shows that a high standard of living does not guarantee that a newcomer will feel part of the place.

The United Kingdom, in 21st place, and France, in 16th, sit in the middle of the table. Outside Europe, the United States is ninth and South Africa tenth, although South Africa climbs to fifth for Finding Friends.

What does it mean for people buying property on the Costa del Sol?

For a buyer from Oslo, Stockholm or Munich, the contrast is striking: they move from one of the hardest countries to settle into to the most welcoming one in Europe. It is no surprise that the province of Malaga is one of the favourite destinations for international buyers: in the third quarter of 2026, almost 4 in 10 home purchases (38.83%) were made by foreigners, according to the Spanish Land Registrars' property statistics.

In practice, that ease rests on some very concrete features of the Malaga coast:

• Well-established international communities, with associations, sports clubs and international schools.
• Outdoor life for most of the year, which makes it easier to get to know your neighbours.
• Services in English and other languages: doctors, lawyers, tax advisers and estate agents.
• Direct flights from Malaga airport to much of Europe, making it easy to stay in touch with family.

That said, feeling welcome is no substitute for choosing the right area. A development made up mostly of seasonal residents can be almost empty in winter, while the centre of a town offers local life all year round. Choosing the right setting is half of settling in.

How much does a home cost in the areas with the most expats?

These are medians of homes listed for sale as of 13 November 2026, according to our Costa del Sol market report, which is updated every month. Marbella remains the most expensive benchmark, while Manilva and Mijas offer the most affordable entry point among the towns with a large international community.

In summary

The Expat Insider 2026 ranking puts numbers to an advantage that never appears on a property listing: in Spain, and especially on the Costa del Sol, foreigners feel welcome and make friends more easily than in almost any other European country. If you are thinking of making the move, EVS Property can help you choose the area that suits your lifestyle and find the right home.

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