Exmouth, Australia

Capital City

With a population of just 2,806, Exmouth is a remote outpost on the fringes of Australia's northwest coast. The town was established in 1967 to support a nearby U.S. naval base, and today it relies more on tourism than the station for its existence. At the height of the tourist season, the population swells to 6,000 - but the rest of the year, you'll be dealing with a heavy bureaucratic load and the relentless heat of the arid climate.

Exmouth's remoteness brings both benefits and drawbacks. On the plus side, the town offers world-class diving and snorkeling in the nearby Ningaloo Reef. But the area is also prone to extreme weather, including the catastrophic Tropical Cyclone Vance in 1999 and a flash flood in 2014 that seriously damaged the town's infrastructure.

If you're looking for a laidback coastal lifestyle and don't mind the administrative hassle, Exmouth could be a good fit. But this is no tropical paradise - it's a rugged, sun-blasted outpost that may not be for the faint of heart.