The 20 best and worst cities for expats, ranked

InterNations, the largest global expat network in the world with more than 5.2 million members, conducts an annual survey about the best and worst cities for living abroad. Here are the results of their latest survey, published in late 2023, giving you the 10 best… and 10 worst!

This may not have been on your bingo card, but this city in the Middle East is a great spot. It is rated second best in terms of housing for nice places being affordable and easy to find. It is also ranked number three for personal safety and number two for essentials like ease of opening a bank account. However, it ranks quite low in terms of leisure options and public transportation.

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Korea may be booming in popularity in terms of cultural exports to the West lately, but living there can be a challenge. If you’re going for work, watch out. It is ranked dead last when it comes to work-life balance and work culture. Expats also say they generally don’t feel welcome and dislike the bad air quality. On the flipside, the city ranks number one for healthcare and is very high in terms of public transportation.

If you’re looking for a low cost of living, the best housing options and a good social life, Bangkok may be the city for you. While the ease of settling in and the friendliness of locals is also quite high, expats tend to be unhappy about government services and local bureaucracy. Another drawback is very low ratings for work culture and satisfaction.

This European capital often falls into the fantasies of those fantasizing about a romantic destination away from home a la ‘Emily in Paris.’ However, expats who actually live there don’t tend to have such an easy time. Paris places among the five least friendly cities worldwide and 66% of expats say it's difficult to live there without speaking French. Further, 61% struggle with the cost of living. But it’s not all bad — expats love the dining options, job security and healthcare

This gorgeous Asian city is another great option for expats. It’s rated fourth-best in terms of personal finances, with 80% of people who work there who say they are paid fairly (versus 63% globally). It’s also an excellent place for meeting friends. However, expats complain about safety and political stability, as well as public transport.

This one might burst some more bubbles, but expats struggle in London. The worst part is generally related to the cost of living — with 74% of expats saying they struggle in that department and 79% saying housing is unaffordable. The grey weather and poorly ranked healthcare don’t help. But, 75% of people who moved to London said it helped their career and that the city's working culture is great in terms of creativity and flexibility.

Looking for a super-friendly city that is affordable and makes you feel at home? Well, the massive Mexican capital might be the one for you. People particularly love working abroad there, saying they are daily paid and feel a sense of purpose. It’s also the number one destination in terms of dining options and comes in high for culture and nightlife. But the city’s biggest drawback is that it comes in dead last for personal safety. It also ranks low for healthcare.

While it may be gorgeous and bursting with life, expats working in Istanbul tend to have a lot of complaints, especially around salary, job security and the state of the local economy. Expats don’t really feel safe getting around on foot or by bike there either. To make matters worse, it ranks low in expat essentials like the ease of opening a bank account. However, expats love the weather and the ease of getting a visa to move there.

The Spanish capital may be a little less popular than Barcelona, but it is ranked better for living. In fact, expats give it the very best reviews in terms of leisure options, culture and nightlife. Other highlights are friendly locals, great public transportation and excellent healthcare. But it is not the best place for working abroad (ranked 38th) because job security and the local economy leave a lot to be desired, according to the survey.

If you’re looking for an affordable city, Dublin isn’t it. It is second-worst ranked by expats in terms of personal finance and comes in last place in terms of housing, which is both expensive and hard to find. When it comes to work, it’s a bit of a mixed bag. While Dublin ranks last for “finding a purpose in work,” 66% of expats said they were happy with their career opportunities.

This futuristic city in the desert also beats out its slightly more popular sister city — Dubai. Expats love Abu Dhabi for having the best infrastructure for cars in the world, its excellent and affordable medical care, and the ease of being able to move there. Expats say it was easy to get a visa, open a local bank account, and rank it as the easiest place to get by without speaking the local language. Further, 55% said moving there had improved their career prospects by a lot!

Even though Berlin has a great reputation, expats say living there can be quite complicated. Everything from finding a home to getting high-speed internet at home can be a real drag. Further, it has the second-least friendly local population and 57% say it's hard to make friends there. But — and this is a big but — 90% said they enjoyed Berlin’s cultural scene. The local job market and economy are also highly rated.

Another Emirati city on the best list, expats rate Ras Al Khaimah as number one for expat essentials like getting a visa and finding affordable housing. It also offers the best job satisfaction and the second-best personal career options. On top of that, people say it's easy to make friends and feel at home. The downside? Limited public transport, nightlife options, and a natural environment that people generally don’t love.

If you are looking to move somewhere to be happier, Hamburg is probably not your place, as it’s the city where expats feel the second unhappiest overall. Expats say it's hard to make local friends, get a good social life or find support networks. Even so, they say it's hard to find housing or get by without speaking German. People generally aren’t satisfied with their jobs to boot. However, in terms of job security and the job market, it’s quite good.

Beautiful Valencia! It is the third-biggest city in Spain and is rated number one by expats in terms of quality of life. Healthcare is also excellent and affordable, as are leisure activities. And it’s not just great food and nightlife, the city is ranked first for options for recreational sports. On top of that, people feel welcome, happy with their social life and say it’s quite easy settling in. Working options aren’t that great for expats… but overall, 91% of expats say they are happy living there compared to the global average of 72%.

While this may be one of Canada’s most beautiful (and least cold) cities, this is the city where expats feel the unhappiest. Personal finance is a huge problem, with 84% saying the cost of living is too high and a similar amount saying they aren’t being paid fairly. Housing and making friends are big issues, and expats find the city rather boring with a lack of cultural or travel opportunities. But one good thing is work-life balance.

Photo: Jeremy Lee/ Pexels

Yes, we are staying in sunny Spain for the top expat spots. In Alicante, 92% of expats say they are happy with their life, highlighting that they feel extremely welcome, at home and happy with their social life. This Mediterranean city is also rated number one for affordable housing and 3rd in the personal finance index. But, not even Alicante is perfect, with expats complaining about uncreative, inflexible and overly controlling work environments.

For expats looking to live their ‘La Dolce Vita’ fantasies, the Italian capital has come as a disappointment to many. The low spot here is work — it’s at the very bottom when it comes to the working abroad index, with low job satisfaction and too low pay. Even though the cost of living is decent, expats are not satisfied with their financial situation. But Rome is also bad for overall quality of life and comes in last when it comes to dealing with the local bureaucracy. On the flip side, Rome has a vibrant culture and nightlife.

Photo: Gabrielle Clare Marino / Unsplash

Yes, Spain again! But Málaga comes in first in terms of local friendliness, the general cost of living and climate and weather (99% like it!). Expats also say Malaga has amazing leisure opportunities, makes a great base for travel offers a generally great quality of life. Like with everything, there is a downside — only 29% of expats say they are happy with the local job market.

Photo: Carlos Sedano / Pexels

Who would have thought there would be such a contrast between Spain and Italy, neighbors in southern Europe? But yes, Milan is brutal for many expats, who say it's awful in terms of ease of dealing with the bureaucracy, opening a bank account, finding housing, and work. Indeed, Milan is dead last for both job security and fair pay for work. That said, expats struggle immensely financially... and 33% can’t even compensate for that with a good social life. And expats said safety was another issue. The bright side? Great food and the opportunity to travel.

Photo: Rubina Ajdary / Pexels