The Best Places to Move When You Win the Lottery
Winning the lottery is the dream. Who wouldnโt want to wake up one day, half-heartedly check their ticket with a sense of โwhat-if?โ, only to see the fated numbers line their screen. Many people think about that moment, but not many think about what theyโd do after. Ask someone what theyโd do with their winnings, and youโll get a vague โbuy a houseโ, or a non-committal โgo on a long vacation.โ
But if you won โ if you really won โ would you know what to do? Where to go? We've thought long and hard about this ourselves, and are here to share with you the best cities to move to once you hit the big time.
If you're ready to move, whether you've won the lottery or not, you can get the ball rolling by filling in our easy-to-understand webform. Tell us where you're moving to and we'll connect you with up to six removal companies, so you can compare prices and find out how much you could save.

The amber beaches of Australia's Gold Coast are a prime spot for anyone wanted to live their life in paradise
The criteria
What would you be searching for in a city worthy of a lottery winner? Some things youโll probably be looking at include:
- Cost of living (housing, food, etc.)
- Fun activities (beach, skiing, etc)
- Environment (weather, crime rate etc.)
With that said, letโs look at some noteworthy cities that you might want to grace with your newfound millions.
Gold Coast Australia
The Gold Coast is quite aptly named. Located in Australiaโs Northwestern state of Queensland, its most popular draw is quite obvious: its long golden beaches. We started with this one as itโs probably closest to what youโd picture when you think about retiring to a nice beach house, where the sun always beams down.
The Gold Coast real estate market hovers in the (relatively) cheaper 1-3 million AUD range, which wouldnโt put a massive dent in your winnings. This means you could use the rest of your money to travel to nearby places like Thailand, New Zealand, or even around Australia itself, where you can partake in any number of outdoor activities from water sports to skiing (yes, you can ski in Australia.)
If the city is more your scene, the Gold Coast is only an hourโs drive or train ride from Brisbane, one of Australiaโs biggest cities. This means itโs far enough away to be free from the hustle and bustle, but close enough that you can immerse yourself in the city life if you ever need some good olโ noise.
And not to stereotype, but Australia certainly has one of the more relaxed airs and cultures of any country in the world โ perfect for anyone looking to spend their days doing little more than whatever they want.
Similar locations
Southern California: A very similar climate and attitude in places like LA and San Diego
Florida: Itโs known as the retirement state for a reason. While maybe not the best move for a younger person, the heat and relaxed attitude is a draw for many
Park City, Utah
From hot to cold, south to north, letโs look at Park City, Utah. If hot beachy climates arenโt your cup of tea, then maybe a nice chilly mountainous region is more your fancy. You might be familiar with the Sundance Film Festival, where independent filmmakers come together to present their films, vying for attention from Hollywood. This annual event actually takes place in Park City, making it the cityโs claim to fame.
Utah is one of the best states for the rich. The real estate in Park City is anywhere between a single million and an eight figure number, so itโs certainly one of the higher value areas that weโll be looking at. However, the hiking trails, generally low-traffic area (outside of the Sundance festival), and overall peaceful environment is perfect for anyone who wants to sequester themselves.
If you like an occasional dip into a higher traffic area, Salt Lake City is only a 40 minute drive away. While itโs not the biggest city in America, with a population of only 200,000, itโs big enough to give you a sense of busyness.

Looking to cuddle up under a blanket of money? You could do a lot worse than Park City, Utah
Similar locations
Aspen, Colorado: More of a vacation spot than a year-round place to live, but what multimillionaire is complete without a โhouse in Aspenโ?
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London, England
While it may not be the most exotic location on this list, London isnโt known as the financial capital of the world for nothing. When you find yourself suddenly inundated with cash, you might want to start your new investment hobby. If this is the case, then thereโs no better place to do so than London.
London is massive, so youโll be spoilt for choice when it comes to where to live โ from the quiet Chiswick to the bustling Notting Hill. As you could expect from the financial capital of the world, there are some truly lavish spots that would put a dent in even the biggest lottery winnerโs bank account.
London is also a great spot for a wannabe traveller, sitting right on Europeโs doorstep, so you can go galavanting while your money stays at home and works for you.
As far as any cliches youโve heard about London, theyโre pseudo-true. The weather isn't great, and crime is a problem in certain parts of the city โ but what youโve heard has probably been overstated, as most cliches are. As far as weather, England had its hottest summer on record in 2018!
Similar locations
New York: Following close behind London as a financial centre, if youโre trying to enter the investment game, you couldnโt go wrong in New Yorkย
Tokyo: If youโre looking for a big exotic change while also trying to invest wisely, Tokyo has a bit (or a lot) of both
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
If investing isnโt your game, and youโd rather just hold onto your money as tightly as you can, then you arenโt going to find a better location than Saudi Arabia. Weโve chosen the capital of the country, but any major city will do for the reasons weโll discuss.
Putting the heat and potential social issues aside, Saudi Arabia has the best โbang for your buckโ potential of any country in the world. Firstly, they have some of the most relaxed tax laws. Saudi Arabia is already a very rich country, meaning they donโt have a massive incentive to tax their citizens (not that thatโs ever stopped some people in the past).
That means your money stays in your pockets, and can be spent how you see fit. This could entail any number of things, as Saudi Arabia also has phenomenal spending power, meaning that more stuff can be bought with a smaller amount of money.
Similar locations
Brunei: Brunei has surreally low tax rates, meaning your money is going to stay yours
Cayman Islands: Known as โthe most notorious tax haven on earth,โ there are few better places to store your riches

This happy camel doesn't have many riches, but he's still enjoying living in Saudi Arabia
Oslo, Norway
Finally, if you donโt care about the weather, investing, taxes, or amazing activities, and youโre just looking for a good life, there arenโt many better options for you than Norway. Norway consistently ranks as one of the best places to live in almost every category you could think of.
When looking at the Human Development Index โ a metric quantified by the United Nations that measures a countryโs important quotients, like education levels, life expectancy, and income โ Norway is consistently at the top.
What's more, in the Better Life Index โ a similar metric measured by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, which looks at things like work-life balance, environment, and overall happiness of citizens โ Norway once again took the crown.
So if you don't care for the fancy things that everyone always associates with money, and you just want to settle down with your untold riches in a nice spot, then thereโs no better place for you than Norway. Norwegians also mostly speak very good English, so you wonโt be left high and dry if you do end up moving there.
Similar locations
Australia: Simply going off of the BLI and HDI numbers, Australia is a close second when it comes to quality of life and society โ and it comes with a warmer climate, too
Switzerland: Switzerland is not far behind Australia in these metrics, making it a similarly promising prospect
Sweet, sweet victory
Well, if youโve won: congratulations. We wish you the best with your new fortune, but make sure not to spend it all in one place (if thatโs even physically possible). If you havenโt won yet, hopefully you have more of an idea of where youโd want to end up if โ no, when โ you do.
Of course, if youโve won and have no idea what to do even after reading this article, you could always contact the writer of this article (found below) and send him a small slice of your winnings as a show of gratitude for the help heโs tried to offer.