Pedreiras, Brazil

With a population of just 27,972, Pedreiras is a sleepy backwater that offers little in the way of cosmopolitan amenities. The town's main commercial draw is its porcelain, glass, and wood crafts - hardly the stuff of a thriving, global metropolis. And while the city bills itself as the "Porcelain Flower", the reality is a persistent bureaucratic headache for anyone looking to set up shop or navigate the local red tape.

Pedreiras' isolation - it sits 138 km from the state capital - means residents are largely cut off from the cultural and economic opportunities of larger Brazilian cities. The upside is a lower cost of living, but the trade-off is a stifling lack of dynamism that will appeal only to those seeking a quiet, provincial lifestyle far from the madding crowd.

Unless you're a retiree content with a simple existence centered around the town's modest porcelain industry, Pedreiras is unlikely to be an ideal destination for most would-be expats.