Choosing a place to live
I am approaching a point in my life where I will soon have the financial freedom to choose where in the world I live. I want to discuss various criteria for criticising different places. I am currently a citizen of New Zealand and UK.
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I want superior water quality for drinking, bathing, etc.
This means I need to live somewhere sufficiently advanced to be able to provide and service high quality reverse-osmosis water filters. Otherwise I would need to be somewhere that I can directly access spring water, which I think is much more difficult.
Thankfully the US has reverse-osmosis water filtration options pretty much everywhere.
I could have multiple homes around the world that I move between throughout the year. This way I can make the most of geographical and seasonal advantages of different places.
I want to live close to thriving cities (say, no more than 60 minutes away on an average day).
I want access to good quality food, particularly good quality meat, dairy, and fruit. Ideally the place I live has a growing culture of eating well (for example, in Austin, many restaurants are now making it a point not to use any seed oils in their cooking.)
You may want to check out Instagram account jacbfoods. He used to be opposed to seed oils, but when he got his master’s degree in dietetics, he changed his mind.
Thank you for sharing. Skimming his content, I’m not finding any criticisms of the biological explanations I currently hold that reject polyunsaturated fats. I will dig deeper later on.
I haven’t yet found good criticisms of Ray Peat’s ideas regarding unsaturated fats, so those are the ideas I am currently living by.
Avoid the US for this. Food quality is worse than third world countries. The food is no where near as organic. Unpopular opinion, but I don't think food should be industrialized.
I’ve found that if I stick to Whole Foods type places the quality of food is quite good, including some options that aren’t available in NZ.
But yes, the mainstream food options are crap, including the majority of restaurants.
The current industrialisation of food is problematic, but these are parochial problems. There is nothing about industrialised food production that is fundamentally and irredeemably flawed. Problems are soluble!
I disagree. In case of mass starvation, GMOs and the like make sense. But besides that, I am for eating food that grows without human intervention.
GMOs are great outside of mass starvation, too. If we can genetically modify foods to be better for us, why wouldn’t we?
… I am for eating food that grows without human intervention.
I don’t think that’s possible unless you go deep into a forest somewhere and eat some wild berries you find (which is dangerous anyway). You’d die trying.
GMOs are a marvel of food engineering. But ‘GMO’ as a concept isn’t coherent anyway since people have been genetically modifying foods through selective breeding for millennia. There’s virtually no food that isn’t genetically modified. That’s a good thing. For example, ‘natural’ bananas are a pain in the ass because they have seeds you need to remove before eating. Those bananas are also tiny. https://youtu.be/VRbITN4qlRs?t=121
You seem to think that whatever’s ‘natural’ is good. That’s not the case. I think you’d do well to avoid organic foods and specifically seek out GMO foods:
Organic food is a scam. Participants in double-blind experiments can’t tell what’s organic and what isn’t. Organic food hasn’t been found to be healthier than non-organic food. The ‘organic’ label was never even meant as a health endorsement. It’s just a way for stores to charge you more. Don’t be a sucker.
From what I recall, it’s a scam in Germany, too. From skimming the article, ~all of its criticisms apply there as well. For example, “Organic food has a larger impact on climate because of the greater area of land required to farm it.” I don’t see why that would be different in other countries.
Food quality [in the US] is worse than third world countries.
That seems like a wild claim to make, seeing as you can safely drink tap water in the US but not in third-word countries. That tells us something about the concern for the safety of consumables in the US. I cannot imagine that food safety in the US would be anywhere near as bad as it is in third-world countries. I mean… India? Nah.
I want to live in places that are mostly sunny, most of the time. This is for health reasons.
In terms of climate, California might be the best place on the planet to live in. But the downside is that you live in California 😂
Yeah. Kidding aside, although California is gorgeous, taxes are a serious issue. Politicians have floated the idea of a future exit tax. Retroactive, I believe (!). It’s made me think twice about moving back there.
I want to live somewhere with a more libertarian culture than average. I want to live somewhere where property rights are respected more than average, and people are left alone by the government more than average.
Ideally I would live at some altitude, for health reasons.
If America is an option (you mention Austin), the non-coastal Western US could work.
A lot of those states get good water from the Sierra Nevada or the Rocky Mountains.
Those states have either no or low state income tax and largely leave residents alone. (For example, the difference between CA and NV during Covid was night and day.)
Southern NV gets a lot of sun throughout the year. NV has no state income tax.
I’ve heard good things about the area surrounding Las Vegas, though I haven’t been myself.
New Mexico could be good for high altitude (I think).
I second that about Las Vegas. If you don't mind the provocative posters, southern Nevada, southern Utah, Northern Arizona is a great place to be.
I would like to have kids one day. I should find places that allow kids to pursue their interests with minimal or no legally required education standards infringing on that.
I’ve heard good things about New Hampshire in this regard. I think they have no compulsory schooling.
Auckland is at sea level, so the health benefits of being at altitude are not available here.
Reduced sun exposure: Auckland experiences a lot of cloud cover and rainfall, particularly during the winter months. Summer months are quite good though. Auckland gets about 2,000 - 2,120 hours of sunshine per year according to Google.
If children are not sent to school, there is a lot of bureaucratic work that the parents need to go through. It requires an exemption application and the Ministry of Education retains the right to review the educational philosophy and curriculum.
People are not fully free to do what they want with the land. The Resource Management Act (RMA) and local council unitary plans create extreme friction. Modifications to land, heritage overlays, and tree protection laws severely restrict the "Right to Build."
Taxation: No comprehensive capital gains tax and no inheritance tax suggest a favorable environment. However, the Foreign Investment Fund (FIF) rules tax unrealized gains on foreign assets, and trust tax rates are high (39%), creating friction for global capital allocators.
No right to self-defense: Self-defense laws rely on "reasonable force" proportionality which often favours the aggressor in court. Pepper spray is classified as a restricted weapon and is illegal for civilians to carry for self-defense.
Freedom of expression is generally upheld by common law, but recent legislative trends and the Harmful Digital Communications Act introduce mechanisms for state censorship regarding "hate speech."
Social Trust / Safety: Urban awareness required. While historically very safe, recent trends in property crime and "ram raids" indicate a degrading security environment. It is no longer a "doors unlocked" culture.
Auckland tap water is drinkable, but fluoride is added.
Gemini's response to that tweet: "The text uses legitimate biochemical concepts—like the fact that fluoride is a potent halogen that hardens minerals and can be toxic in high doses—to build a narrative based on skewed history. It fabricates a geological explanation for Hereford, Texas, to erase the very thing that actually protected the town's teeth: naturally occurring fluoride."
I usually get conspiracy vibes from anti-fluoride sources, but I haven’t looked into it much.
Very little sunlight except for a fairly brief period in summer. About 1,600 hours per year.
Note: This comment was added at the wrong level in the chain.
At sea level, so fails altitude criterion in #2294.
London tap water is recycled repeatedly (waste-to-tap loop) and is very "hard." While currently not artificially fluoridated in Greenwich (unlike other UK regions), the high density of population upstream creates risks of trace pharmaceutical contaminants that standard filters miss.
Air Quality: While Greenwich is "leafier" than central London and benefits from the park, it is still within the London orbital pollution belt. PM2.5 levels frequently exceed WHO pristine standards, though the ULEZ (Ultra Low Emission Zone) has mitigated diesel fumes.
Temperature: Not extremely cold, but "damp chill”. Summers are mostly mild.
Homeschooling is currently legal, but the "Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill" (2025) introduces a mandatory register for home-educated children, signaling a shift from a "notification" system to a "permission" system.
Very little property sovereignty: The UK planning system is draconian. Conservation areas (common in Greenwich) prevent minor alterations (windows, doors).
Taxation: As of April 2025, the classic "Non-Dom" regime is abolished. While a 4-year exemption exists for new arrivals, long-term residents face worldwide taxation at high rates (45% top rate), plus a potential 40% inheritance tax on global assets. It is no longer a viable long-term tax haven.
The UK has arguably the strictest anti-self-defense laws in the West. Pepper spray is classified as a "Section 5 Firearm" (illegal). Carrying any item for the purpose of defense is a criminal offense. You are effectively legally mandated to be a victim.
The UK has normalized arrests for online speech ("malicious communications"). The definition of "hate speech" is fluid and policed aggressively, creating a high-risk environment for public dissenters.
Rule of Law: The criminal justice system is increasingly viewed as "two-tier" and politicised. Administrative bloat causes significant delays in civil matters.
Greenwich is safer than central boroughs, but London is currently experiencing an epidemic of "high-value" street robbery (watches, phones) and bike jackings. It is not a "high trust" environment.
Prescott has active zoning and historic preservation boards that can act as NIMBY barriers to development. Water rights are a complex/critical legal layer here.
Arizona employs a flat income tax (2.5%). There is no estate tax/death tax. While federal US taxes still apply (global taxation), for a US-domiciled Sovereign, this is as efficient as it gets. But it is still in America.
US courts are generally reliable, though expensive. Corruption is low, but the US legal system is litigious. You are unlikely to face bribery, but likely to face regulatory lawfare if you scale too big.
Urban Proximity: Prescott is ~90 minutes from Phoenix Sky Harbor (International Airport) and Level 1 Trauma care. It is a manageable drive, but not "immediate" access.
Arizona is a premier beef producer. Raw milk is legal for retail sale (with state license) and herd shares are expressly permitted by statute. Proximity to Mexico (Nogales port) ensures a steady flow of tropical fruits (papaya, mango) alongside California produce.
Arizona is the world leader in educational freedom. The "Empowerment Scholarship Account" (ESA) system not only allows unschooling/homeschooling with minimal regulation but provides state funding (~$7,000/year) to parents to pay for it.
Prescott Valley consistently ranks as one of the safest regions in the Southwest. It retains a "small town" conservative culture where community policing is effective and property crime is low compared to national averages.
This is a ski town. Cold is a real factor in winter, requiring cold adaptation or good heating. However, summer is the ideal: warm days (25°C), cool nights, and low humidity.
The Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA) is notoriously bureaucratic regarding building and land use (to protect the lake clarity). You cannot just "build a shed." However, once built, property rights are strong, and the "Nevada side" shields you from California's rental laws.
While Nevada offers 0% State Income Tax, residents still pay Federal Income Tax. The United States enforces Citizenship-Based Taxation (CBT). You are subject to federal tax on worldwide income and invasive reporting (FATCA), regardless of residency.
Since this criticism (having to pay federal income tax) is true of any US state, I wouldn’t hold it against Nevada specifically unless you wish to rule out the US as a whole.
No requirement for annual standardised testing, no portfolio reviews, and no teacher qualifications.
Nevada is a "Stand Your Ground" and "Castle Doctrine" state. Concealed carry permits are "Shall Issue" (the sheriff cannot arbitrarily deny you), and open carry is legal without a permit.
The US First Amendment provides the strongest speech protections globally, specifically protecting "hate speech" that is criminalized in the UK, NZ, and Canada.
High Trust Enclave. Galena Forest is a wealthy, low-density residential zone. Violent crime is statistically negligible. It operates as a de facto "gated community" due to its geography and demographics.
~20 minutes from Reno-Tahoe International Airport and Renown Regional Medical Center (Trauma Level 2).
A place to live: Tunuyán or Tupungato districts, Mendoza, Argentina
Possible arsenic and other contaminants in water.
Argentina has mandatory schooling laws, but the constitution guarantees the "right to teach." There is no specific law explicitly banning homeschooling, nor one regulating it. It exists in a "tolerance" void. Milei's "Omnibus Law" proposed explicit legalisation, but the situation remains administratively "don't ask, don't tell."
Argentina is not a tax haven. Becoming a tax resident (living >12 months) triggers a Global Income Tax (Progressive up to 35%), and a Personal Assets Tax (Wealth Tax) on worldwide assets.
It's unlikely that an anarcho-capitalist president, if given enough time, will not lower these taxes.
Corruption has historically been endemic, but the current administration is aggressively purging regulatory capture. However, legal enforcement can still be slow, and the judiciary is not fully independent of political winds.
Mendoza sits in a "rain shadow" and receives ~300+ days of sun annually.
I have trouble with altitude and can barely breathe when I am in, e.g. Bogotá. But Mendoza was no problem for me and I went on morning runs without even noticing a difference.
Milei's administration has authorized semi-automatic rifles for civilians again (reversing a ban) and streamlined the "Legitimate User" (CLU) process.
Pepper spray is legal and unregulated.
The cultural and legal trend is rapidly moving away from "hate speech" regulation and towards US-style First Amendment interpretations.
Uco Valley is a high-trust agrarian bubble; violent crime is low, and neighbors look out for each other. Mendoza City (1 hour away) has standard Latin American urban crime risks (theft, robbery). You must maintain "situational awareness" when leaving your estancia.
Mendoza City, roughly 60–80 minutes away, has decent private hospitals (Hospital Español, Hospital Italiano). For Level 1 massive trauma, you might need a medical evacuation flight to Santiago (Chile) or Buenos Aires.
No. If living in the best place on Earth requires me to learn a new language I will happily do so. Thankfully I have an interest in languages so it wouldn’t be a problem for long.