The expatriate city rankings are based on an annual study that is one of the largest surveys of expatriate life. The survey analyzes cities around the world in five areas of expat life: quality, ease of living, work, finance, and the Expat Basic Needs Index. Read more about the best and worst cities for expats in 2023

In recent years, more and more people are thinking about moving abroad. Someone is considering a short-term emigration - to become a digital nomad for a while, while others are seriously determined to change their lives forever. In any case, if you are planning to start a new life in another country, the rating Expat Insider Report from the largest expat community in the world with more than 4.5 million members InterNations is sure to interest you.

The company's experts surveyed 12,000 expats representing 177 nationalities and living in 181 countries or territories about various aspects of their lives. Everything from administrative barriers to moving and labor market accessibility to work-life balance and security were considered. Based on the collected data, InterNations has identified the best and worst cities in the world for expats.

Which cities joyfully welcome new residents, and when planning to move to which cities should you be prepared for challenges? We talk about the results of the survey in detail in our material.

The best cities for expats around the world

● 1st place - Valencia: friendly and approachable

Valencia, on Spain's east coast, is the best place for expats to live and work, according to a new survey. The city also became a leader in terms of quality of life. Most expats noted the availability of public transport and excellent opportunities for sports. Also, foreigners feel safe and even "at home" in Valencia. Many new residents were able to make friends. The city's disadvantages include the lack of bright career prospects.

● 2nd place - Dubai: ideal for both work and leisure

Dubai took second place in the ranking. Expats noted the ease of moving to the largest city in the UAE and the availability of receiving government services online. Most expats are satisfied with their social life and the hospitality of local residents. 95% noted a good level of infrastructure development in the country, foreigners also highly appreciate culture, nightlife and variety of food establishments. Dubai ranks sixth in the Work Abroad Index.

● 3rd place - Mexico City: friendly and approachable, but dangerous

Mexico City ranks first in the world on the ease of settlement index. Foreigners feel "at home" here, most expats are very happy and consider the locals to be friendly. Foreigners are also satisfied with their financial situation and career prospects. Finding affordable housing in Mexico City is quite easy. However, 35% of people are dissatisfied with the level of personal safety in the capital of Mexico.

● 4th place - Lisbon: amazing climate and high quality of life

Most of the respondents noted the good climate and weather in Lisbon, and expats are also satisfied with the city's culture and nightlife. Foreigners feel safe here and note the ease of settlement. However, only 71% of respondents say that their income is enough for a comfortable life in the city. Also, moving to the capital of Portugal did not improve the career prospects of a quarter of foreigners. Lisbon ranks only 36th in the overall work abroad index.

● 5th place - Madrid: great leisure and welcoming culture

Madrid scored among the best in the quality of life index. Expats highly rated the climate and weather, opportunities to travel, as well as the rich culture and nightlife of the Spanish capital. According to the index of ease of settlement, Madrid is also a leader: it is easy for expats to get used to the local culture and feel at home here. However, the city has the worst indicators of the Index of work abroad (38th).

● 6th place - Bangkok: expats feel at home, despite security issues

Bangkok ranks second in the world on the Personal Finance Index. Expats are satisfied not only with the general cost of living, but also with its affordability. Housing is inexpensive and easy to find. However, Bangkok's weak points are its career prospects and work culture. Expats also noted the low level of security in Thailand. Many people are dissatisfied with the air quality.

● 7th place - Basel: Expats are satisfied with their salary, work and quality of life

Basel is a city in the north-west of Switzerland, which ranks second in the world in terms of the degree of satisfaction of expats with their financial situation. Expats also note that their income is sufficient for a comfortable life in the city. Foreigners positively assess the nature of the city and feel safe here. About four in five respondents say they are paid fairly for their work and agree that the move has improved their career prospects.

● 8th place - Melbourne: a city that is easy to get used to

Most expats in Melbourne are satisfied with their work-life balance, career prospects and pay. It is easy for foreigners to deal with the authorities, expats find the locals generally friendly and it is easy for them to get used to Australian culture. The disadvantages include the fact that it is difficult for most expats to find housing here at an affordable price.

● 9th place - Abu Dhabi: excellent healthcare system and bureaucracy

It is easy for expats to open an account at any bank in the UAE and generally just deal with the local bureaucracy. Also, 75% of foreigners believe that moving has improved their career prospects, but 31% believe that they are paid unfairly for their work. Also, emigrants are very satisfied with the ease of settlement index and enjoy an excellent quality of life. Although 25% believe that their wages are unfair. Also, the city ranks first both in terms of accessibility and quality of medical care.

● 10th place - Singapore: the best place with high salaries and career prospects

Singapore is one of the best places for foreign language proficiency and quality of digital life. Most expats are satisfied with access to high-speed Internet at home, as well as the ability to conduct cashless transactions. However, housing is unaffordably expensive. The general cost of living is also too high.

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The worst cities for expats in the world

● 50th place - Johannesburg: the world's worst destination for foreigners

Johannesburg is the worst city for expats. Foreigners are dissatisfied with the availability and level of development of public transport. Also, most people feel unsafe in South Africa. Expats negatively evaluate the local labor market and their personal career prospects. Many are dissatisfied with the level of earnings. Emigrants say that their income is not enough for a comfortable life. The only plus is that housing prices are low.

● 49th place – Frankfurt: here, most expats struggle with digitalization and the language barrier

About two out of five respondents are dissatisfied with the administrative services that are available online and the possibilities for cashless payment in Germany. Also, many expats consider housing prices too high. It is difficult for foreigners to make new friends and get used to the local culture. Frankfurt is a very contrasting city, for example, while it scored highly for car infrastructure, it was also ranked worst in the world for public transport accessibility.

● 48th place - Paris: The world's best culture and cuisine, but only for those who can afford it

It is extremely difficult for expats to find housing in Paris, and 71% of respondents generally believe that the cost of housing is too high, which is why the overall cost of living in the city is quite high. 35% of expats are dissatisfied with their financial situation. Also, unfortunately, many foreigners do not feel very welcome in the capital of France. They say that Parisians are unfriendly to foreigners, so it is difficult for them to make new friends. Expats appreciate the diversity of Paris' cuisine and dining options, as well as its culture and nightlife. However, 23% worry about their personal safety.

● 47th place - Istanbul: the worst city to work abroad

Istanbul ranks last in the world on the index of working abroad. Expats are unhappy with their working hours and work-life balance. Also, many people note unfair payment for their work. The Turkish capital was also ranked 40th in the quality of life ranking, with particularly poor results in the safety subcategory. Expats negatively assess political stability in the country. Istanbul also ranked in the bottom ten for its opportunities for sports (46th place), urban environment (41st place) and availability of green goods and services (41st place).

● 46th place - Hong Kong: Environment and working life indicators disappoint expats

Hong Kong is the city where expats are generally the most dissatisfied with their life abroad. One of the reasons for this is the low quality of life index (46th place). Foreigners do not like the air quality and believe that the government does not support environmental protection policies. Hong Kong's business culture does not encourage flexibility (28% dissatisfied) or creativity.

● 45th place – Hamburg: here expats are the unhappiest and have the hardest time making friends

Hamburg is ranked 49th in the ease of settling in and 50th in the subcategory "Finding friends". Only 19% believe that it is easy to make new acquaintances in the city, and 39% do not feel "at home" here. Housing is hard to find for expats, the city scores poorly on climate and weather, but scores very well on the availability of green goods and services. Expats appreciate the level of labor protection, the length of the working day and the general state of the German economy.

● 44th place - Milan: difficult financial situation and working life

Milan is in the top five worst cities, both in terms of working hours and work-life balance. Expats also struggle with a lack of personal career growth opportunities and believe they are being unfairly paid for their work. 54% are dissatisfied with the air quality in the city, but 73% enjoy the climate and weather of Italy. Also, foreigners are not satisfied with their financial situation and most believe that their income is not enough for a comfortable life in Milan.

● 43rd place - Vancouver: housing is not affordable here, and the locals are not very friendly

Vancouver ranks last in the world on the Personal Finance Index (50th place). Expats are extremely dissatisfied with the overall cost of living and their financial situation. Housing affordability is also the worst factor in the Expat Essentials index. According to the Work Abroad Index, expats do not feel adequately paid for their work (31% dissatisfied). However, they are satisfied with their work-life balance and are positive about the Canadian labor market.

● 42nd place - Tokyo: difficult to navigate, but high quality of life

Expats are not satisfied with the availability of government services online, it is also difficult to carry out cashless transactions and open a bank account. Foreigners believe that the local business culture does not encourage creativity or independent work. However, Tokyo is among the top 10 cities in terms of job security, and most expats see a purpose in their work. After all, the capital of Japan shows the best indicators according to the index of quality of life, medical care and diversity of cooking and nutrition.

● 41st place - Rome: emigrants feel at home, despite the low quality of life

Rome is in the bottom ten of the ranking, as expats are dissatisfied with the local labor market, and 24% believe that moving to Italy has not improved their career prospects. Half of the respondents are dissatisfied with the availability of administrative and government services online. In the Quality of Life Index, expats negatively evaluate the level of development of public transport and the quality of medical care. On the plus side, the city scores well on the Ease of Settlement Index and ranks central on the Personal Finance Index.

So, Valencia and Mexico City are great for digital nomads. Also, expats who settle in Valencia and Dubai can count on a high quality of life. Dubai is the best choice when it comes to working abroad, and it's easy for most expats to find their way around.

On the other hand, Johannesburg (50th), Frankfurt am Main (49th) and Paris (48th) are the worst destinations for expats to move to. Expats in Johannesburg are particularly frustrated by poor quality of life, while Frankfurt and Paris score poorly on ease-of-settlement indices. In addition, expatriates in all three cities have financial difficulties.

Photo: Alexander Spatari/Getty Images

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Travel insurance: 8 useful tips for travelers and expats can be found here.

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