Researched, sourced, and dated
Cost, visa rules, healthcare, safety, climate, taxes — each is a researched estimate from named public sources, and every destination shows a “last reviewed” date and a confidence flag. We’d rather show you where a number came from, when we checked it, and how sure we are than ask you to take our word.
We rate — we don’t hype
We store the raw numbers (a real monthly budget, an advisory level, a healthcare cost) and turn them into comparable 1–5 fit scores the matcher uses. You always get the raw figure too, so you can judge it yourself. No “paradise,” no “hidden gems” — just what the data says.
We name the trade-offs
Every destination shows its cons next to its pros, weighted equally — the summer heat, the visa bar, the hospital that’s two hours away. A place that fails your must-haves doesn’t make your shortlist, and we’ll tell you when the honest answer is to stay put.
Fit first — money never moves the ranking
We make money through clearly-labeled partners and, in time, our own guides. None of it touches your results. Rankings are built from your answers and our destination data, full stop. We don’t sell property, and a partner can’t buy a higher spot.
How we keep it current
Volatile facts — visa income thresholds, safety advisories, costs — change often. We re-check them on a schedule and hand-verify the high-stakes ones, and every destination shows the date we last looked and how confident we are.
What we’re not
Second Summer is an independent guide, not licensed financial, legal, tax, immigration, or medical advice. The volatile figures (especially visa and safety) can change between our review and your decision — verify the ones that matter to you with the official source or a licensed professional before you act.