Portugal ranked 14th on the overall Quality of Living Index, but came in at number five when expats were asked about their happiness in personal relationships.
Portugal however fell out of the top ten this year, with the survey suggesting this was due to expats finding it hard to make local friends.
Portugal was also one of the worst countries to work abroad, and was in the bottom five, fairing particularly poorly in work-life balance and job security.
Taiwan surprised many by coming out on top of the index, ousting Ecuador, which topped the rankings in 2015 and 2016.
The newcomer Taiwan also holds first place in this index among female respondents, and second for men. It has achieved this star position despite not getting first place in any of the subcategories, although it does rank comparatively well in all of them.
Austria came in third place in 2014 and 2015 and has now inched up one spot to come in second in the Quality of Life Index 2016.
This small European country comes in first in the Health & Well-Being subcategory. Expats there are enthusiastic about the quality of the environment (e.g. water, air), with 96 percent giving it a positive rating. The quality of the medical care is rated as very good by 38 percent and 34 percent are also completely satisfied with its affordability.
It seems that especially the climate and weather is an area where expats living in Austria aren’t quite as impressed: seven out of ten expats are overall content with this factor, but another 17 percent are unhappy.
Japan, which came in seventh place in 2015, has now earned a spot on the podium with its third place. This island country stands out for its peacefulness, which is surpassed by none. Less than 1 percent of respondents (0.7 percent) give this factor a negative rating. Japan is doing similarly well in terms of personal safety, with 79 percent rating it very good, more than twice the global average of 38 percent.
The winner of the Quality of Life Index in 2015, Singapore, dropped down to eighth place this year, while Ecuador, placed second last year, fell to 18th.
Nigeria has come in at last place in the Quality of Life Index for the past three years. Kuwait was second to last in 2014 and 2015, and third to last in 2016. This year, Mozambique comes in second to last place, although it didn’t do much better in the past, ranking 61st out of 64 countries in 2015.