The SettleHappy family grade
One grade based on seven family priorities
Our family grade is a quick way to compare destinations through a family's needs. It is consistent and based on published information, but it is not a universal verdict — your budget, children and priorities still get the final say.
Method and current grades last reviewed: Aug 2026
What we compare
The seven factors we assess
Cost, schooling, visas and healthcare are the core factors: if one of those is seriously limiting, it matters more than a collection of nice-to-haves. English, international connections and the family community add important day-to-day context.
- Core factor
Cost of family life
A realistic monthly range for a family of four, including international school — plus the city and school choices that can push it up or down.
- Core factor
International schooling
Choice, curriculum, location and published fees. A country does not score well just because one excellent school exists at an eye-watering price.
- Core factor
Visa accessibility
Whether there is a suitable visa option for parents and children, including eligibility, dependants, length of stay, renewals and financial requirements.
- Core factor
Healthcare
Access to suitable private care, paediatrics and emergency treatment in the places families are most likely to live — not a country-wide average that hides local gaps.
- Supporting factor
English usability
How manageable everyday life is in English, including schools, healthcare, housing and admin. Learning the local language still matters everywhere.
- Supporting factor
The journey home and international connections
Direct-flight availability, typical journey length, connection difficulty and access to major regional hubs. The exact journey depends on where your family starts, so route examples always name the departure point.
- Supporting factor
Expat-family community
The availability of family networks, activities and practical support for newcomers. We look beyond social-media visibility to the help families can actually find.
How the grade is decided
How the grade is made
The same sequence applies to every destination. We keep it broad on purpose: relocation information includes ranges, unusual circumstances and fast-changing rules, so decimal scores would suggest more certainty than the available information can support.
Check the main sources
We start with official immigration and government sources, school fee pages, healthcare providers and published travel information. Secondary sources can add context, but they do not overrule the official source responsible for the rule or service.
Assess all seven factors
Each factor is judged as strong, mixed or limiting for a typical internationally relocating family with school-age children. The four core factors carry more influence than the supporting factors.
Apply the grade rule
The combination of strengths and limitations becomes a letter grade. A serious visa, school, cost or healthcare problem cannot be cancelled out by good weather or a lower everyday budget.
Date it and explain it
We publish the review date and explain the trade-offs behind the result. When important information changes, we review the affected factor and the overall grade.
Reading the result
What each grade means
The words matter more than the symbol. A B is not a bad country, and an A is not automatically right for you — it means the overall fit needs fewer caveats for the family we score for.
| Grade | Plain-English meaning | How it earns the grade |
|---|---|---|
| A | Excellent all-round fit | Strong across the core factors, with no major constraint likely to derail a typical family move. |
| A− | Very strong, with one notable drawback | A compelling family option with one important compromise that deserves careful planning. |
| B+ | Good, with several trade-offs | A workable move for many families, but one limiting core factor or several meaningful compromises stop it reaching the A range. |
| B | Viable for the right family | Real advantages, alongside limitations that make budget, location or circumstances unusually important. |
| C or below | A specialist fit | One or more serious barriers make this hard to recommend as a general family option, even if it suits a narrower set of circumstances. |
How the quiz personalises it
Your context changes the shortlist, not the evidence
The destination quiz starts with the same researched factors, then applies the priorities you choose. Its result is a research order, not a replacement for checking a visa, school or healthcare need.
Core answers carry more weight
Budget, schools, visas and healthcare receive twice the influence of the supporting factors. A known blocker is kept visible in the result.
Origin only changes the journey factor
Your chosen departure region adjusts broad route friction. It does not change visa, cost, school, healthcare, English or community scoring.
Currency never changes the winner
Budget bands use one underlying comparison. Selecting USD, EUR, GBP, AUD or CAD only changes the approximate prices you see.
The current picture
Today's family grades
These are the headline grades used across SettleHappy. Each destination guide explains the supporting information and local trade-offs in more detail.
Last reviewed: Aug 2026
Thailand
Family grade A−The established choice — deepest expat-family infrastructure in the region, but the visa system is a genuine maze and Bangkok/Phuket costs climb fast.
Malaysia
Family grade AThe value pick — excellent English, strong British-style schools at a fraction of KL-vs-Singapore prices, and Penang is a genuine family hub. MM2H's cost jump is the catch.
Vietnam
Family grade B+The most affordable comfortable life in the region, and Da Nang is a rising family favourite — but the visa picture is the weakest of the five and English is less common.
Indonesia (Bali)
Family grade B+A ready-made international family community and a lifestyle that sells itself — but journeys can be long or multi-leg, costs are rising in Canggu, and visa categories need current-code checks and careful planning.
The Philippines
Family grade BThe English-speaking wildcard — English is widely used, family culture is a major strength and daily costs can be low, but expat-family infrastructure is thinner and some long-haul journeys involve a stop.
Important limitations
What the grade cannot tell you
It is just as important to understand what the comparison does not cover. These limitations make the grades less tidy but more honest.
The grades are useful, not artificially precise
The grade is an editorial comparison, not a scientific measurement. We do not publish a score such as 4.37 out of 5 when many of the choices are personal and the information is often best expressed as a range.
A serious problem still affects the grade
A lower cost of living cannot make an unsuitable visa workable. A major problem with a core factor can lower the grade even when several supporting factors are strong.
The grades are designed for a particular family
We score for a family of four with one or two school-age children planning an international move. A retired couple, solo traveller or locally employed family may reasonably reach a different conclusion.
Country grades hide city variation
The headline grade is a starting point. Cost, schools and healthcare can change sharply between cities, so destination guides explain the local differences that the letter cannot.
Found something out of date?
Please tell us
Visa rules, school fees and flight routes change quickly. If a source has changed or you think a grade no longer reflects the information, send us the link and we will review it.