Kunshan, China

Forget the idyllic pictures - Kunshan has a population of 2,092,496 and the realities of living there can be a mixed bag. While the city has seen rapid economic growth, becoming home to over 1,000 high-tech companies, the bureaucracy can be a persistent headache. Historically, the region was plagued by schistosomiasis, an infectious disease, until intensive campaigns in the 1970s brought the infection rate down to 3% by 1977. Kunshan's role as a transportation hub and integration into the broader Shanghai metropolitan area has brought both benefits and challenges. Overall, this "Little Taiwan" may appeal to Taiwanese investors and tech workers, but others should weigh the trade-offs carefully before making the move.