- The Expat City Ranking 2023 includes 49 cities from across the globe.
- In 2023, Málaga (1st), Alicante, Valencia, Ras Al Khaimah, Abu Dhabi, Madrid, Mexico City, Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok, and Muscat (10th) receive the best ratings from expats worldwide.
- However, Milan (49th), Rome, Vancouver, Hamburg, Berlin, Dublin, Istanbul, London, Paris, and Seoul (40th) are considered the worst cities for expats.
Málaga (1st), Alicante (2nd), and Valencia (3rd) are the top 3 destinations in the Expat City Ranking 2023 by InterNations, the world’s largest expat community with around 5 million members.
What these three Spanish cities have in common are top 10 ratings in the indices Ease of Settling In, Quality of Life, and Personal Finance. This translates into welcoming cultures that allow for an enjoyable and affordable life. Málaga and Alicante also make it into the top 10 for Expat Essentials such as housing.
The Expat City Ranking is based on the annual Expat Insider survey by InterNations. With 12,065 participants in 2023, it’s one of the largest and most comprehensive surveys about living and working abroad.
Malaga, Alicante and Valencia voted top places to live
- Malaga, Spain
Málaga places 1st out of 49 in the Expat City Ranking 2023. According to the respondents, Málaga is the best-rated city worldwide for Local Friendliness (1st): 89% say that the locals are particularly friendly towards foreign residents (vs. 65% globally). It’s maybe not surprising, then, that the city also ranks 2nd for Finding Friends.
The Quality of Life Index (2nd) is another highlight for Málaga. It claims first place for its well-known and highly popular climate and weather (1st), and its natural environment (8th) also makes it into the top 10. Luckily, there seem to be a lot of opportunities to enjoy this, as the city ranks 2nd for its Leisure Options. Additionally, Málaga features among the top 10 in the Travel & Transit (8th) and Healthcare (10th) Subcategories.
2. Alicante, Spain
Alicante places 2nd out of 49 in the Expat City Ranking 2023. The city misses the top spot largely due to its bottom 10 ranking in the Working Abroad Index (40th). Expats report that the local business culture does not promote creativity (39th), independent work (40th), or flexibility (41st). The ratings for their personal career opportunities (40th) aren’t any better. Alicante excels in the Ease of Settling In Index (2nd), claiming the top spot in the Culture & Welcome Subcategory (1st). Expats feel both welcome (1st) and at home (1st) there and are very happy with their social lives (1st).
And their lifestyle doesn’t seem to be restricted by costs: Alicante ranks 3rd in the Personal Finance Index. The majority of expats (78%) is happy with the general cost of living, compared to only 44% globally. In the Expat Essentials Index (9th), the city even ranks 1st globally for affordable housing.
3.Valencia Spain
Valencia places 3rd out of 49 in the Expat City Ranking 2023. It even comes 1st globally in the Quality of Life Index. Its Leisure Options (3rd) are a major highlight: the city places 1st for its opportunities for recreational sports. Both the affordability (1st) and availability (3rd) of healthcare also rank among the best worldwide. Getting out and about isn’t a problem either: it’s easy to get around Valencia on foot and by bicycle (3rd), and public transportation is affordable (9th).
Expats praise the general cost of living (3rd) in Valencia, which leads to a top 10 place in the Personal Finance Index (6th). They also highlight economical living in the Expat Essentials Index (15th), where they vote the city 7th for affordable housing. Beyond these practical concerns, expats are also well connected in Valencia.
Top city number 4: Ras Al Khaimah, United Arab Emirates.
Number 5. Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
Number 6: Madrid, Spain.
Number 7: Mexico City, Mexico.
Number 8: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Number 9: Bangkok, Thailand.
Number 10: Muscat, Oman.
Number 11: Dubai, Arab Emirates.
Number 12: Lisbon Portugal.
Number 13: Barcelona, Spain.
Number 14: Amsterdam, Netherlands.
Number 15: Nairobi, Kenya.
Number 16: Zurich, Switzerland.
Number 17: Athens, Greece.
Number 18: Stockholm, Sweden.
Number 19: Luxembourg City, Luxembourg
and finally the 20th top city is: The Hague, Netherlands.
Recent Comments