How to score a city fast: a 10-metric evaluation template

So, let’s say you’re thinking about moving somewhere new. You’re tired of your collapsing Western nation and you’ve finally followed my advice to get out of there.

Where to go? Could be a tiny Latin American town in Paraguay, could be a mid-sized Asian city, it doesn’t matter to you – as long as you’re anywhere but the West.

You don’t want to spend half a year figuring out if it works for you.

That’s where having a rough evaluation template saves you from regret. Not an official survey with clipboards and bar graphs, just a handful of key things you can look at in the first week that give you the vibe.

Here’s how I’d break it down into 10 city comparison metrics, it’s how I more or less judge a new place whenever I travel!

1. Cost of Living (obviously)

Yeah, let’s start with the big one. If you can’t afford it, nothing else matters. But don’t just Google “cost of living in X” and trust Numbeo.

While this can definitely give you a broad idea, prices on the ground can swing wildly, even within a city.

Your job is to check rent, food, transport, and random daily stuff like laundry or SIM cards.

What I do: walk into a local supermarket your first day. What does $10 buy?

• If you come out with a bag full of veggies, bread, and a piece of meat, that’s a green light.
• If it only covers a sad latte and a croissant, you’re in trouble – if your budget doesn’t stretch that far.

2. Housing Hunt

Rent isn’t just about numbers, it’s about what those numbers get you.

• Is $400 getting you a crumbling studio with a cold shower?
• A nice one-bedroom with sunshine and a balcony?
• Or even a house, a 2BR or a penthouse, like it does in the Philippines or in Paraguay?

Take a few hours to scan listings, but also check those handwritten signs in windows. That’s where the real deals live.

Also: talk to locals about deposits. Some cities demand six months upfront (ouch, but not common,I’ve only ever seen that in Korea), others are chill. That can make or break your budget.

3. Safety and Comfort

Every city has good areas and “don’t linger there” areas.

Spend a couple evenings walking around at dusk.

• Do you feel tense?
• Are people out walking dogs, pushing strollers, laughing with friends, or are the streets empty except for stray dogs and suspicious stares?

It’s not about zero crime (no place has that, although Dubai comes close).

It’s about whether daily life feels relaxed. If you feel like you’re on guard 24/7, you won’t last.

You know what’s funny? I’ve lived on multiple continents and in over two countries, and the only places I’ve ever felt like having to be on guard in the evening were in Western Europe (France, Spain and Germany specifically).

Supposedly civilized countries, certainly in the eyes of the world, but with higher crime rates than most nations in Asia and Latin America I’ve been to – provided you pick the right neighbourhoods.

4. Getting Around

This one’s huge and often ignored, but I’ve learned to really prioritize it.

• How do people move?
• If you’re relying on buses, are they frequent and cheap, or a nightmare?
• If taxis or Ubers are your thing, is it affordable?

Bonus points if you can actually walk places without playing human Frogger across six lanes of traffic.

You’ll learn a lot just by trying to run errands. Can you get from your Airbnb to the market to the main plaza without spending an hour? That’s a solid test.

This is one of the (numerous) reasons I chose the Philippines, over a decade ago. Transportation here is usually extremely good. You can take public transport (jeepneys and busses), which is cheap but often hot and crowded, or you can take taxis, which are more expensive and have aircon.

However, when I say “more expensive” … you have to view this through the lens of SEA. A short ride costs AT MOST $2, and a longer one of about half an hour maybe $5 to $10.

5. Community Vibes

Forget TripAdvisor reviews, spend an afternoon sitting in the central plaza, park, or main square.

• Are people friendly?
• Do they make eye contact, smile, chat with strangers?
• Or does everyone look suspicious of outsiders?

This is one of those factors that really sold me on Paraguay. Almost every single person I’ve met here was very friendly, open, eager to help. Likewise in the Philippines.

And just like I mentioned earlier, the contrast between those nations and Western Europe is stark. Sure, there are plenty of nice people, but damn … there’s a lot of shady motherfuckers around these days as well.

If you’re an expat or digital nomad, also check if there’s a decent-sized community already there. It’s not about hiding in an expat bubble (don’t do that … what a waste!), but having a safety net is nice when you need a buddy for a beer.

6. Food Scene

Most people are going to eat three times a day, maybe four if you’re a snacker. So don’t underestimate this one.

• What’s the street food like?
• Can you find cheap set lunches?
• Is there variety, or are you eating the same rice-and-chicken combo until you scream?

A quick check: can you eat out for under $5 without feeling ripped off? And is the grocery store stocked enough that you won’t cry when you miss cheese, spices, or decent coffee?

Once again, many Latin American and Southeast Asian countries score extremely high on this metric.

For example, in Asuncion, my family and I can get a BIG, healthy lunch for about $14. That’s $2.5 per person and it includes quality meat, vegetables, potatoes, fruit, pasta … even free bread if you want. Name me one Western city where you can get this.

7. Internet and Utilities

Digital nomads, this one is life or death. Test the Wi-Fi speed at a café and your Airbnb. If the connection drops just loading emails, that’s a red flag.

Power outages also matter, ask around. In some towns, losing electricity twice a week is normal. You can adapt, but it helps to know what you’re signing up for.

In my experience, in this day and age, unless you’re purposely going to remote areas, you should be able to get a decent internet connection, even in smaller cities.

But yeah, if you want to go live in a hut on a small island, or somewhere on a mountain, you can’t expect 5G speeds and 24/7 uptime.

8. Healthcare

Boring but crucial. You don’t want to be the person Googling “closest hospital” mid-appendicitis.

Drop by a local pharmacy and a small clinic. Are they professional, affordable, and open? If you need ongoing medication, check availability.

It’s no fun realizing your prescription doesn’t exist in the local system.

Also, ensure you have international health insurance, so you’re covered wherever you are.

You don’t want to have to get new insurance every time you move to another country, so I can recommend a cross-borders-providers.

9. Fun Factor

What do you do on weekends? If the highlight is walking in circles around the plaza, you might get bored fast.

Look for live music, local sports, hiking spots, salsa clubs, even quirky museums.

A city doesn’t need to be Vegas, but it should have some heartbeat beyond errands and sleep – if this is what you desire.

Personally, I’m very easy-going on this metric. I want a gym, and some reasonably-close-by nature spots (like a river, waterfalls, beaches to dive, mountain to hike) to sometimes explore, and I’m good.

10. Intangible Feel

This is the hardest one, and maybe the most important. Call it gut instinct, call it chemistry, whatever. Some cities feel right for you. Others don’t – and this is highly personal.

Sit in a café, order a coffee or tea, watch the world move. Are you relaxed? Do you catch yourself smiling at random things? Or are you fidgeting, annoyed, checking your watch? That’s your answer.

But of course, you can’t just decide this the first day. It takes at least a week, probably closer to a month, before you can really say you’ve got a “feel” for the city, and whether it’s right for you or not.

Sometimes you might immediately love a city (like I did with Davao and Asuncion), sometimes you immediately hate it, but often it takes awhile to figure it out.

In summation

Now, how do you actually score all this?

Simple. Don’t overcomplicate it. Give each metric a rating from 1 to 10. Not scientific, just vibes. Cost of living: 8. Safety: 6. Food: 9. You’ll quickly see if the city is hitting your priorities.

A city doesn’t need to ace everything. Maybe it’s only a 6 on healthcare, but a 10 on affordability and a 9 on fun. That might work for you.

Or maybe safety is non-negotiable, so anything under 8 is out. The point is to create a rough map that helps you compare apples to mangoes.

There’s no perfect city, just like there’s no perfect country. You’ll always trade something, safety for affordability, fun for peace, fast internet for killer views.

But with this 10-metric template, you cut through the guesswork and figure out if a city fits your lifestyle before you commit.

The beauty is, it’s flexible. Hate cooking? Then maybe the food metric matters more. Need strong Wi-Fi for work? Put internet at the top. Customize it and trust your gut.

At the end of the day, cities are like dates. You’re just looking for a good match.

Doesn’t have to be flawless, it just has to feel like a place you want to wake up in. And with a system like this, you’ll know pretty fast whether to unpack or catch the next bus out.