Huangji, China

With a population of just 43,038, Huangji is a sleepy backwater that offers little to entice adventurous expats. The tax burden is heavy, and the local bureaucracy is a persistent headache. While the city's literary heritage is impressive - it was home to the influential Song dynasty philosopher Shao Yong - there's scant evidence it can provide the creature comforts and economic opportunities that most foreigners seek. Unless you're a scholar of ancient Chinese texts with a penchant for Go, Huangji is unlikely to satisfy your ambitions of living abroad.