Best Countries to Teach Abroad in 2026
Compare complete packages across destinations: base pay, housing, flights, tax context, estimated savings, and workplace reality from teachers who worked there.
A higher base salary can still mean lower savings once housing and tax are included. Use each guide to weigh the full offer, then open school pages for report counts and dates.
Teaching in Thailand
$2,000–$3,500/month · Est. savings $1,000–1,500/month with housing provided
Thailand is a lifestyle-plus-savings market. Licensed teachers at real international schools keep $1,000–1,500/month when housing is included. Base pay sits below the Gulf; living costs are why the math still works. Compare housing, tax, and workload, not base pay alone.
Package & salary guideTeaching in Bangkok
฿78,000 to ฿125,000 per month (interquartile range from submitted reports). Top tier IB and British schools push higher. · Est. savings $1,000–1,500/month when housing is covered; rent of ฿18,000–35,000 can erase it
Bangkok has one of the largest clusters of international schools in Southeast Asia, 30+ on this site alone, including International School Bangkok (ISB), Harrow Bangkok, Brighton College Bangkok, Concordian, and the American School of Bangkok. Teachers compare base pay (medians sit around ฿109,000/month for the schools reported here), housing support, and savings potential school by school. The salary table below is built from real submissions, not job-board guesses.
Package & salary guideTeaching in United Arab Emirates
$3,500–$6,000/month · Est. savings 50%+ of salary with housing provided
The UAE, Dubai and Abu Dhabi especially, pays tax-free salaries of roughly $3,500–6,000/month. Housing, flights, insurance, and end-of-service gratuity are the rest of the package. Competition is stiff; schools want licensed teachers with experience. Dubai lifestyle spend can wipe the savings if you treat the city like a holiday.
Package & salary guideTeaching in China
$2,500–$4,500/month · Est. savings $1,000–2,000/month with housing provided
China has one of the largest international school markets in the world. Shanghai, Beijing, and Shenzhen host hundreds of schools. Tier-1 packages run $2,500–4,500/month with housing usually included. Bilingual and tier-2 roles pay less, so school type matters as much as the country label.
Package & salary guideTeaching in Beijing
$2,500–4,500/month at international schools; housing support is the swing factor · Est. savings Solid monthly savings when rent is covered; self-paid housing of ¥6,000–12,000+ can erase it
Beijing is a tier-1 China market: large international and bilingual campuses, employer-sponsored Z visas, and packages that only save well when housing is included. Pay and workload split hard by school tier. Without housing, a one-bedroom at ¥6,000–12,000/month can wipe the advantage over a smaller city.
Package & salary guideTeaching in Shanghai
$2,500–4,500/month at international schools; housing support is what makes Shanghai pay work · Est. savings Strongest when rent is covered or heavily subsidized
Shanghai pays at the top of the China market when housing is in the package, and charges at the top when it is not. International and bilingual schools compete for licensed teachers. Compare school tier and rent support, not the city name.
Package & salary guideTeaching in South Korea
$2,200–$3,800/month · Est. savings $1,000–2,000/month with housing provided
Licensed international schools in Seoul and Busan pay $2,200–3,800/month plus housing, flights, and legal severance after one year. Hagwons are a different job with different hours and pay. This guide covers the school packages.
Package & salary guideTeaching in Vietnam
$2,500–5,000/month at tier-1 international schools (ESL roles pay less) · Est. savings $500–1,200/month at international schools with housing
Vietnam's international school market is growing fast, and the pay gap is the story. Tier-1 schools in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi pay $2,500–5,000/month plus housing. Language centers pay less for a different job. School tier decides what you keep.
Package & salary guideTeaching in Saudi Arabia
SAR 9,000–22,000/month (~$2,400–5,900), tax-free · Est. savings Highest among teaching destinations; many save 60%+ with housing
Saudi Arabia is the strongest savings play on this list. Tax-free pay, compound housing usually provided, and the most generous end-of-service gratuity in the Gulf. Teachers regularly save 60–70% of salary. Schools in Riyadh, Jeddah, and Dammam recruit globally.
Package & salary guideTeaching in Qatar
QAR 10,000–24,000/month (~$2,750–6,600), tax-free · Est. savings Similar to UAE; many save 50%+ with housing provided
Qatar is a savings play. Tax-free pay of QAR 10,000–24,000/month, housing usually provided or a QAR 5,000–9,000 allowance, plus end-of-service gratuity. Doha hosts most of the schools. Competition for top roles is high. Confirm housing vs allowance before you treat two offers as equal.
Package & salary guideTeaching in Spain
€1,600–2,200/month (~$1,750–2,400), before tax · Est. savings Lower than Asia/Middle East; many prioritize lifestyle over savings
Spain is a lifestyle choice, not a savings play. Pay is €1,600–2,200/month gross, income tax applies, and housing is rarely provided. The food, travel, and work-life balance are the payoff. Budget on net pay before you compare a Spain offer to a tax-free one.
Package & salary guideTeaching in Hong Kong
$3,800–$10,000/month (HKD 30,000–80,000) · Est. savings $1,000–3,000/month with a strong housing allowance; significantly less without one
Hong Kong is one of the most competitive, and rewarding, destinations for international teachers. Over 80 international schools, salaries that rival the Middle East, and a tax rate capped at 15% on net income make it a top-tier market. The catch: rent is among the highest in the world, so the housing allowance your school offers will make or break your savings.
Package & salary guideTeaching in Taiwan
US$24,000–116,000/year (median ≈US$38,000) · Est. savings Varies widely by school tier and city, see the caveat above
Taiwan is a smaller international-school market than China or Thailand, and a more uneven one. The gap between the top of the market and the middle is wide, most schools pay a housing allowance rather than providing housing, and an August start lands you in a flat 18% tax band for your first five months. Compare the whole package and the timing, not the headline salary.
Package & salary guideReady to compare schools?
Open school pages for teacher-reported housing, flights, estimated savings, and workload notes, with sample size shown beside every summary.