English speaking cities with Low taxes?

[Gfjvchnvhb]

I currently live in Hong kong - Great place. I can't stand the weather (humidity/heat).

I am looking for a place to move to, my main requirements are

1- Better weather (I'm ok with -15c in winter)
2- Low tax for foreign corporations or very poor enforcement.
3- Safe (no LATAM)
4- English speaking or can get by with English (no thailand English level) but Estonia level is ok.
5- Dont care too much about price.
6- Cities with more than 1M people - infrastructure.

I feel like I am asking for a lot but would love to see your suggestions.

 

[bubbledouble]

Interesting topic and one that’s becoming more complex in 2025. When people ask about English speaking cities with low taxes, they often start with the obvious names like Dubai or Singapore, but the real answer depends on your goals: are you looking for 0% income tax, territorial taxation, ease of banking, or just somewhere to live quietly without pressure from your home country’s tax authorities?

Dubai is still a strong contender if you’re willing to establish proper residency and possibly open a local company. The zero tax rate, English friendly environment, and growing expat infrastructure make it appealing, but bank account openings have become tougher for individuals without business ties or employer sponsorship.

Singapore is clean, efficient, and English is an official language. While not low tax in the traditional sense, its territorial tax system means foreign sourced income (not remitted) can remain untaxed, especially relevant if you work online or manage overseas entities.

Another lesser discussed option is Labuan (Malaysia) it's technically part of Malaysia but functions as a separate tax zone. With proper structuring, you can achieve a corporate tax rate as low as 3%, and English is widely spoken in business contexts.

Mauritius also offers favorable tax treatment, bilingual administration (English and French), and active programs to attract investors and remote workers though local bureaucracy can vary.

For anyone planning a move, the key in 2025 is substance and compliance. You can no longer just set up a company and disappear. Most banks and governments expect some form of local presence or economic activity, even in low tax zones.

Anyone explored less mainstream options recently, like the Bahamas, St. Lucia, or maybe even UK overseas territories like the BVI?

Would be interesting to compare realistic pathways.

 

[Sols]

The post opens with a desire for a colder climate, so I'm not sure Singapore, Mauritius, Malaysia, and the Caribbean are going to be interesting. If anything, those places tend to be warmer than Hong Kong.

If Mediterranean climate is manageable then Cyprus almost fits all requirements. There is no city with more than one million and Limassol, Larnaca, and Nicosia will leave you disappointed if you want big city feeling. The summers get quite warm.

Uruguay (especially Montevideo) fits most of the requirements except that it's in LatAm. However, it's not usually the part of LatAm considered unsafe. Low/no tax, mild climate, good English proficiency (Spanish rarely needed in Montevideo), safe, and 1.3 million people in Montevideo.

Ireland's non-domicile scheme might be worth looking into. Dublin has just over half a million people, but you're a short flight away from London or other big cities in UK.

South Africa might be another option. There are safe parts, behind gates and armed guards. Taxes are high but tax evasion is a national pastime. The tax authority is pretty sloppy and corrupt. Wouldn't recommend but does technically satisfy many of your requirements.

Switzerland isn't a tax haven but you can end up with a pretty low overall tax rate. No big cities but Zurich, Geneva, and Bern are OK. Big cities easy to get to by plane, train, or car. High costs of living, comparable to Hong Kong. English works well in the Zurich,Zug region, although you'll struggle if you learn zero German. The French and Italian parts are hopeless.

While fitting many of the requirements, Andorra is tiny but Barcelona, Toulouse, and smaller cities aren't too far away. Comes down to how near you want to be to a city. English works quite well but you'll want to pick up some Catalan to get settled in.

None of the places mentioned come even close to Hong Kong in terms of vibrancy, international business, and variety. Very few pleases actually measure up to Hong Kong in those regards.

 

[Propeller]

Switzerland isn't a tax haven but you can end up with a pretty low overall tax rate. No big cities but Zurich, Geneva, and Bern are OK. Big cities easy to get to by plane, train, or car. High costs of living, comparable to Hong Kong. English works well in the Zurich,Zug region, although you'll struggle if you learn zero German. The French and Italian parts are hopeless.

Personally I would go that route any time.

 

[bubbledouble]

You know what, @Sols is totally right, I completely missed the point in my last post.

OP clearly said they’re looking to get away from heat and humidity, not deeper into it… and there I was, listing tropical tax havens like Singapore and Mauritius. Big miss on my part, guess I went on autopilot and didn’t read properly. My bad.

So let me try again with places that actually fit the brief: cold or temperate climate, low tax pressure, safe, decent infrastructure, and English friendly.

Switzerland (sols already mentioned) might be worth looking at not zero tax, but depending on the canton you can strike some pretty favorable deals, especially with lump-sum taxation. Zurich or Geneva are clean, safe, international, and have strong banking and business infrastructure. English works well enough too.

Ireland’s non dom scheme could be another angle. Dublin isn’t huge, but it’s a modern city, safe, and you’re just a short hop to London or mainland Europe. Weather definitely qualifies as "better" if you're trying to escape the tropics.

Montevideo in Uruguay was a solid left field suggestion I didn’t expect, but it ticks most of the boxes mild climate, over 1M population, safe, and surprisingly English accessible. Only downside is the long flight if you're still tied to Asia or Europe for anything.

Anyway, thanks again for calling it out.

If anyone has colder climate alternatives that offer real tax benefits without crazy language barriers, I’d love to hear them.

 

[Gfjvchnvhb]

The post opens with a desire for a colder climate, so I'm not sure Singapore, Mauritius, Malaysia, and the Caribbean are going to be interesting. If anything, those places tend to be warmer than Hong Kong.

If Mediterranean climate is manageable then Cyprus almost fits all requirements. There is no city with more than one million and Limassol, Larnaca, and Nicosia will leave you disappointed if you want big city feeling. The summers get quite warm.

Uruguay (especially Montevideo) fits most of the requirements except that it's in LatAm. However, it's not usually the part of LatAm considered unsafe. Low/no tax, mild climate, good English proficiency (Spanish rarely needed in Montevideo), safe, and 1.3 million people in Montevideo.

Ireland's non-domicile scheme might be worth looking into. Dublin has just over half a million people, but you're a short flight away from London or other big cities in UK.

South Africa might be another option. There are safe parts, behind gates and armed guards. Taxes are high but tax evasion is a national pastime. The tax authority is pretty sloppy and corrupt. Wouldn't recommend but does technically satisfy many of your requirements.

Switzerland isn't a tax haven but you can end up with a pretty low overall tax rate. No big cities but Zurich, Geneva, and Bern are OK. Big cities easy to get to by plane, train, or car. High costs of living, comparable to Hong Kong. English works well in the Zurich,Zug region, although you'll struggle if you learn zero German. The French and Italian parts are hopeless.

While fitting many of the requirements, Andorra is tiny but Barcelona, Toulouse, and smaller cities aren't too far away. Comes down to how near you want to be to a city. English works quite well but you'll want to pick up some Catalan to get settled in.

None of the places mentioned come even close to Hong Kong in terms of vibrancy, international business, and variety. Very few pleases actually measure up to Hong Kong in those regards.

Yes. Correct. I can't stand Dubai or SG. Lovely places but climate is def a big thing for me.

Let me check this one out -> Ireland's non-domicile scheme

I guess the UK would also work for 4 years no? they have a 4 year foreign earned income thing right?

 

[meze99]

Have you considered a second home? Andorra would be perfect for you if you like mountains, with 14-21°C May to October temperatures. If you want cooler climate then go to Iceland for 3 months holidays, there you have 8-13°C from May until October.
If you really want to be in a large city, then London is your best option if you can afford it, you can spend 5 months there, average summer temperatures are 20-24°C.

Ireland and UK winters are grey and not nice at all, you will miss green plants and sunshine.