Expat City Index - Best & Worst cities to live in

The Best and Worst Cities to Live as an Expat

International mobility has increased significantly in the last few years, with more and more people residing outside their country of birth than ever before. Professionals, both young and old, are moving abroad in search of a better quality of life, career opportunities, and education. Expats currently account for 0.7% of the global population. This fully comprehensive study analyses cities around the world to identify those that offer the best environment for expats to live and thrive.

The decision to move to a new city is dependent on a multitude of factors individual to each person, couple, or family; however, some factors remain universally desirable. The Expat City Index analyses 70 cities around the world and ranks them according to four major categories: Economics, Living, Environment and Urbanisation, and Family and Society. Each of these categories is then broken down into further criteria, such as Average Earnings, Rental Costs, and the Price of Food. Factors associated with overall health and happiness, like Pollution Levels and Average Sunshine Hours, are also included in the index as indicators of an ideal city to live.

Please refer to the methodology below for more information on the research process.

Key findings

1. Ottawa, Canada

Economics score

Experience score

Environment & urbanization score

Family & society score

Total population:1,363,159

0.00

Monthly cost of living for family

The cost of living for a family in Ottawa is about USD 3,169 per month. This is far cheaper than New York City, which has monthly family expenses of around EUR 9,159.

0.00

Personal income tax rate

Canadian residents with a high income are taxed at 33%. However, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) uses a no tax policy to attract skilled expats.

Average net earnings index
Cities with the most global 500 companies
Work Life Balance
Start-up ecosystem
Unemployment rate
Personal income tax rate
House price to income ratio
Price levels for food

Monthly rental expenditure
Friendly city ranking
Healthcare expenditure
Safety score
Average annual sunshine hours
Average internet speed (Mbps), 2018
Environment performance index
Air pollution, average PM2.5 concentration (µg/m³)

One-way public transport ticket cost
Traffic congestion
Number of top 1,000 educational universities
Immigration tolerance
Quality of life index
English proficiency Index
Monthly cost of living for family
Vacation days per year

Economics

Experience

Environment & urbanization

Family & society

Scroll to select filter

Ottawa

Canada

5.91

1.74

10.00

8.90

8.41

4.79

6.89

9.55

7.48

7.77

8.83

6.26

9.04

5.22

7.98

3.76

7.59

9.80

5.88

4.19

6.24

1.82

3.00

8.34

9.91

8.13

4.41

6.64

6.94

Canberra

Australia

6.13

1.54

9.41

6.45

8.79

2.89

6.24

9.31

7.90

8.69

5.30

5.14

8.11

6.69

7.33

2.57

7.89

9.79

5.66

8.09

6.80

1.82

3.84

10.00

9.88

5.70

4.72

6.63

6.75

Wellington

New Zealand

5.56

1.00

8.81

2.84

8.96

4.79

6.01

9.38

5.35

6.00

6.09

5.07

8.08

4.00

6.41

4.41

8.19

9.80

8.20

4.21

6.96

1.82

3.44

8.74

9.64

7.50

4.72

6.65

6.51

Toronto

Canada

5.91

1.74

10.00

9.75

8.41

4.79

6.97

8.43

6.34

6.00

8.83

5.80

9.30

4.00

7.28

3.76

7.59

9.65

6.04

2.71

5.95

2.64

3.03

5.86

9.91

6.23

4.01

5.77

6.49

Glasgow

United Kingdom

5.22

2.68

9.41

7.06

8.99

2.74

6.25

8.92

7.77

8.12

2.83

5.47

6.89

1.00

5.88

3.62

8.81

9.62

5.41

5.17

6.53

1.82

2.42

7.68

9.87

7.53

8.14

7.07

6.43

Bern

Switzerland

10.00

2.01

8.22

6.83

9.48

3.68

7.16

8.73

1.35

6.38

1.91

6.91

9.73

2.26

5.53

5.35

10.00

9.24

4.51

6.81

7.18

1.82

3.95

7.76

5.88

5.04

6.87

5.69

6.39

Madrid

Spain

3.62

1.60

8.08

9.43

5.56

2.89

5.13

8.63

7.30

7.65

7.91

5.01

7.50

6.54

7.36

4.93

8.57

9.47

6.83

6.17

7.20

4.27

2.29

5.84

4.57

7.55

6.93

5.64

6.33

Melbourne

Australia

6.13

1.54

9.41

9.39

8.79

2.89

6.54

8.75

5.69

6.00

5.30

5.14

9.20

4.53

6.51

2.57

7.89

9.81

5.53

3.55

5.87

1.82

3.84

7.68

9.88

6.14

4.72

6.25

6.29

Abu Dhabi

United Arab Emirates

3.88

1.00

5.25

1.05

9.48

10.00

5.93

9.55

6.61

4.85

8.17

1.26

8.98

10.00

7.14

1.45

5.48

6.29

9.46

10.00

6.54

1.00

10.00

7.06

2.68

4.75

7.83

5.56

6.29

Amsterdam

Netherlands

4.50

1.81

9.68

9.73

9.13

1.79

6.17

8.58

6.52

4.85

5.57

5.99

8.06

2.63

6.07

6.27

8.11

9.35

4.53

5.51

6.75

2.64

2.31

7.12

7.76

4.62

8.20

6.04

6.26

Frankfurt

Germany

5.86

2.88

8.22

8.34

9.27

2.89

6.37

8.99

5.83

7.31

4.00

6.32

7.63

2.08

6.11

4.45

8.57

8.91

5.02

4.60

6.31

2.64

2.62

7.10

6.31

7.31

7.42

6.16

6.24

Edinburgh

United Kingdom

5.22

2.68

10.00

7.77

8.99

2.74

6.44

8.91

7.52

6.77

2.83

5.47

6.89

1.29

5.62

3.62

8.81

9.78

6.71

1.59

6.10

1.82

2.42

8.09

9.87

7.15

6.59

6.76

6.23

Lisbon

Portugal

2.54

1.00

8.09

8.82

8.10

2.42

5.21

7.78

7.22

7.92

10.00

4.88

9.06

6.65

8.05

4.03

7.54

9.33

7.09

2.73

6.15

2.64

1.86

5.77

5.49

8.36

5.44

5.46

6.22

Berlin

Germany

5.40

2.88

8.24

9.89

9.27

2.89

6.44

8.64

6.24

7.73

4.00

6.32

8.65

2.49

6.45

4.45

8.57

9.33

3.94

3.05

5.87

1.82

2.62

6.75

6.31

7.39

7.24

5.98

6.18

Oslo

Norway

6.41

1.07

9.47

7.90

9.17

4.00

6.71

8.12

3.48

4.85

3.87

5.53

9.44

2.65

5.61

6.91

8.43

9.62

2.63

6.45

6.80

1.82

2.53

6.73

7.34

5.18

6.62

5.61

6.18

Washington, D.C.

United States of America

6.69

10.00

8.22

9.86

9.13

4.16

7.63

9.46

4.65

4.08

5.43

10.00

5.07

4.42

5.77

4.73

7.43

9.53

6.07

3.96

6.35

2.64

2.43

6.74

10.00

2.69

2.86

4.96

6.18

Munich

Germany

5.90

2.88

8.22

9.29

9.27

2.89

6.47

7.57

5.28

5.62

4.00

6.32

9.74

2.79

6.07

4.45

8.57

9.17

4.20

3.48

5.97

2.64

2.62

7.97

6.31

6.54

7.39

6.17

6.17

Tallinn

Estonia

2.67

1.00

9.41

8.54

8.82

6.84

6.50

8.58

6.89

8.81

1.13

3.23

8.83

3.05

5.93

5.04

6.34

9.71

6.66

3.16

6.18

1.00

2.49

7.24

4.66

8.74

7.80

6.04

6.16

Prague

Czech Republic

2.17

1.00

7.64

8.86

9.37

6.53

6.13

7.33

7.32

8.15

2.04

3.76

9.30

2.65

6.00

4.40

6.87

8.86

8.04

4.37

6.51

4.27

1.70

6.30

5.49

8.14

6.93

5.97

6.15

Sydney

Australia

6.13

1.54

9.41

9.68

8.79

2.89

6.57

8.21

5.41

4.46

5.30

5.14

8.83

5.92

6.19

2.57

7.89

9.66

5.69

2.32

5.63

4.27

3.84

7.43

9.88

4.94

4.72

6.21

6.15

Bucharest

Romania

1.65

1.00

8.22

8.29

8.79

8.42

6.34

8.44

9.06

9.58

7.65

2.38

6.12

3.66

7.02

6.67

6.42

7.94

9.29

1.23

6.31

1.82

1.19

4.15

3.35

9.28

5.90

4.84

6.13

Luxembourg City

Luxembourg

7.36

1.07

8.19

6.40

8.62

2.74

6.13

8.50

5.24

5.23

5.04

2.91

7.76

2.51

5.52

6.15

8.69

9.37

6.12

2.44

6.55

1.82

5.68

8.24

6.89

4.71

7.83

6.28

6.12

Copenhagen

Denmark

6.22

1.07

9.89

8.72

8.75

1.16

6.18

8.88

3.44

6.38

2.30

5.73

8.70

3.04

5.59

7.50

9.08

9.53

2.37

6.47

6.99

2.64

2.11

8.32

7.11

3.15

7.42

5.67

6.11

Zurich

Switzerland

10.00

2.01

8.22

9.07

9.48

3.68

7.38

8.58

1.00

3.69

1.91

6.91

10.00

2.29

5.00

5.35

10.00

9.37

3.48

3.01

6.24

2.64

3.95

8.88

5.88

3.79

6.87

5.74

6.09

Dubai

United Arab Emirates

3.99

1.07

4.65

7.54

9.44

10.00

6.48

9.62

6.81

5.23

8.17

1.20

8.67

9.96

7.17

1.45

5.48

5.76

8.75

5.58

5.41

1.00

9.86

7.16

2.68

3.25

7.83

5.27

6.08

Stockholm

Sweden

5.35

1.20

8.94

9.59

8.27

1.00

5.79

7.46

5.27

6.00

3.48

6.19

8.99

3.19

5.90

7.80

8.91

9.75

1.00

4.81

6.45

2.64

2.78

6.73

7.85

6.32

6.59

6.04

6.05

Manama

Bahrain

4.66

1.00

4.65

1.00

9.10

10.00

5.88

9.25

5.61

9.00

9.48

2.38

4.89

8.60

7.26

1.55

4.89

5.39

9.01

5.92

5.35

1.00

5.88

5.66

2.43

8.11

8.45

5.62

6.03

Vienna

Austria

5.54

1.07

7.49

8.40

8.69

1.32

5.55

7.75

4.93

7.73

1.78

5.27

9.81

3.57

6.02

3.46

8.66

9.04

5.17

4.28

6.12

4.27

2.93

8.23

6.18

7.37

6.43

6.36

6.01

Riyadh

Saudi Arabia

3.25

1.07

10.00

1.21

6.08

10.00

6.09

10.00

9.00

9.08

2.43

2.77

5.21

8.18

6.34

1.41

5.26

6.84

9.01

5.78

5.66

1.82

4.76

5.83

1.88

8.64

10.00

5.93

6.01

Budapest

Hungary

1.71

1.00

7.62

8.43

9.23

7.63

6.18

7.75

7.18

9.08

2.57

3.69

8.22

3.57

6.19

5.97

6.45

8.94

7.99

2.21

6.31

1.82

1.52

4.45

5.47

9.09

6.00

5.33

6.01

Barcelona

Spain

3.60

1.00

8.22

9.54

5.56

2.89

5.11

7.77

7.21

7.23

7.91

5.01

7.07

5.68

7.01

4.93

8.57

9.45

4.10

3.67

6.14

2.64

2.31

5.34

4.57

7.34

8.45

5.64

5.97

San Francisco

United States of America

6.69

10.00

8.22

10.00

9.13

4.16

7.64

8.10

5.29

1.00

5.43

10.00

6.20

7.19

5.59

4.73

7.43

9.26

5.64

2.23

5.86

2.64

2.42

7.26

10.00

1.00

3.23

4.80

5.97

Warsaw

Poland

2.22

1.07

7.40

9.06

9.13

4.95

5.75

8.29

8.07

8.54

3.09

3.10

9.12

4.18

6.51

3.79

6.31

8.31

8.53

1.75

5.74

3.45

1.40

5.49

6.03

8.89

6.46

5.86

5.97

Bratislava

Slovakia

1.94

1.00

8.81

7.91

8.34

6.05

5.92

8.13

7.74

8.58

1.26

3.50

7.41

2.78

5.66

4.64

7.34

8.88

8.63

2.55

6.41

2.64

1.34

5.79

5.07

9.57

6.68

5.82

5.95

Taipei

Taiwan

4.41

1.47

8.22

5.56

9.17

3.68

5.80

7.01

4.62

9.08

9.87

2.31

9.17

2.56

7.27

5.07

7.69

8.77

9.52

2.30

6.67

1.00

1.19

5.21

3.70

8.07

1.99

4.01

5.94

Lyon

France

4.67

2.95

8.81

7.45

7.42

2.89

5.80

8.69

5.96

7.77

2.96

6.26

7.31

3.83

6.08

4.48

9.45

9.33

6.71

3.69

6.73

2.64

2.21

4.05

4.50

6.94

7.36

5.05

5.92

New York

United States of America

6.69

10.00

8.22

9.98

9.13

4.16

7.64

8.09

3.87

1.77

5.43

10.00

6.81

4.71

5.47

4.73

7.43

9.71

5.36

1.93

5.83

5.09

2.42

5.17

10.00

1.41

3.23

4.71

5.91

Tokyo

Japan

5.79

4.49

8.81

9.77

9.61

1.16

6.50

7.81

2.91

6.77

4.39

6.12

9.04

3.40

6.06

5.20

7.98

9.21

7.13

1.55

6.21

5.91

1.17

7.00

3.68

5.66

4.26

4.83

5.90

Singapore City

Singapore

3.91

1.20

5.84

9.64

9.75

6.53

6.29

6.14

4.47

3.69

4.91

1.79

8.69

4.05

5.10

10.00

6.33

9.08

8.25

2.98

7.33

3.45

5.68

6.19

7.39

4.22

1.93

4.86

5.90

Brussels

Belgium

3.59

1.13

8.93

8.91

8.41

2.11

5.61

9.15

6.47

7.62

3.61

5.86

5.68

2.21

5.75

6.39

8.41

9.13

5.92

1.87

6.34

2.64

2.72

5.85

6.27

7.36

6.77

5.78

5.87

Doha

Qatar

3.38

1.00

7.03

1.04

9.58

10.00

6.20

9.56

6.98

4.46

3.22

1.00

9.35

7.72

5.93

1.36

6.89

6.21

8.86

5.49

5.76

1.82

7.64

6.66

2.62

4.83

8.45

5.46

5.84

Paris

France

4.82

2.95

8.66

9.80

7.42

2.89

6.03

7.04

4.87

5.62

2.96

6.26

6.99

2.63

5.19

4.48

9.45

9.01

6.35

1.91

6.24

6.73

2.23

4.39

4.50

6.58

7.83

5.55

5.75

London

United Kingdom

5.22

2.68

9.41

9.96

8.99

2.89

6.57

6.14

5.50

3.69

2.83

5.47

6.89

1.73

4.57

3.62

8.81

9.30

4.89

1.89

5.70

9.18

2.42

4.42

9.87

4.11

6.28

6.10

5.73

Dublin

Ireland

5.62

1.20

8.66

9.23

8.48

2.42

6.08

8.58

5.73

4.85

6.22

4.09

7.66

1.78

5.76

3.56

8.63

9.51

4.43

1.30

5.49

2.64

2.71

5.63

9.21

4.92

5.25

5.54

5.72

Helsinki

Finland

5.13

1.07

8.78

9.38

7.90

1.47

5.70

8.36

5.07

6.77

2.17

5.14

1.83

3.04

4.32

4.45

8.61

9.70

4.20

7.31

6.85

1.82

1.62

7.86

6.78

5.95

7.42

5.95

5.70

Riga

Latvia

1.71

1.00

7.62

8.24

7.93

5.11

5.40

8.39

8.50

9.27

1.39

2.77

2.60

2.96

4.91

5.15

6.63

9.63

8.15

5.24

6.96

1.00

2.34

5.45

4.83

8.83

5.13

5.18

5.61

Athens

Greece

2.28

1.00

7.34

8.22

3.81

2.89

4.19

8.41

7.11

9.35

5.96

4.48

6.85

6.55

7.09

2.51

7.81

8.67

1.64

5.86

2.64

1.60

4.48

5.16

8.37

5.53

5.13

5.57

Moscow

Russian Federation

1.95

1.34

8.22

9.84

8.79

7.95

6.50

6.60

8.64

7.77

3.35

2.64

2.52

2.83

4.80

2.85

6.26

9.46

8.72

1.09

5.67

2.64

1.82

3.25

3.94

8.14

8.85

5.28

5.56

Milan

Italy

4.21

1.60

8.22

9.00

6.76

3.21

5.54

7.00

6.00

6.77

4.78

4.88

6.65

3.52

5.78

3.09

8.34

8.48

7.20

3.32

6.09

3.45

2.01

4.53

4.56

6.30

6.03

4.83

5.56

Reykjavík

Iceland

5.19

1.00

6.37

7.04

9.51

2.74

5.57

9.16

5.65

4.85

1.65

4.61

2.35

1.23

3.84

3.66

8.60

10.00

4.17

8.02

6.89

1.82

2.42

8.08

7.07

5.79

5.97

5.81

5.52

Buenos Aires

Argentina

2.01

1.00

6.44

9.16

7.04

4.47

5.01

7.97

8.75

9.15

6.74

3.43

5.82

5.71

6.93

1.27

5.55

8.24

9.97

2.03

5.41

1.82

1.49

3.68

4.96

9.92

3.39

4.72

5.52

Kuala Lumpur

Malaysia

2.03

1.07

5.84

8.38

9.26

5.58

5.49

8.33

4.53

9.12

7.26

1.59

5.16

4.63

6.22

2.81

5.54

7.80

9.57

1.98

5.54

2.64

1.86

3.55

5.34

8.47

3.95

4.71

5.49

Sao Paulo

Brazil

2.67

1.47

8.22

9.61

6.52

5.58

5.71

6.43

8.16

8.77

8.30

4.81

3.18

4.71

6.46

1.18

5.54

8.96

8.27

1.46

5.08

2.64

1.09

1.77

3.49

8.80

7.30

4.65

5.47

Kyiv

Ukraine

1.12

1.00

8.22

9.41

7.52

7.16

5.84

7.09

10.00

9.54

4.26

2.97

2.51

4.47

5.72

2.50

4.53

9.16

9.98

1.27

5.49

1.00

2.13

3.23

3.92

9.14

5.97

4.76

5.45

Zagreb

Croatia

1.83

1.00

5.84

7.95

7.35

4.32

4.76

8.27

7.78

9.35

1.52

3.82

2.44

3.46

5.00

3.16

6.52

9.14

9.36

2.14

6.07

1.82

2.36

6.48

5.53

9.69

6.06

5.97

5.45

Mexico City

Mexico

1.18

1.20

5.84

9.18

9.23

4.47

5.19

8.35

9.06

9.00

9.74

2.84

3.29

4.08

6.84

1.65

5.61

8.67

9.90

1.18

5.40

3.45

1.09

2.57

3.23

9.01

4.41

4.30

5.43

Rome

Italy

4.60

1.60

8.40

8.16

6.76

3.21

5.57

6.48

6.45

6.77

4.78

4.88

6.36

5.13

5.88

3.09

8.34

8.53

7.20

1.68

5.77

2.64

2.01

3.54

4.56

5.82

5.75

4.40

5.40

Manila

Philippines

1.37

1.00

8.22

8.52

8.55

4.47

5.48

7.19

8.91

9.50

8.70

1.85

1.81

4.19

6.22

1.57

5.29

9.12

9.72

1.82

5.50

1.00

1.01

1.13

5.90

9.43

2.89

4.07

5.32

Seoul

South Korea

3.38

2.01

3.47

9.48

9.16

3.37

5.02

6.95

1.70

8.15

4.65

3.82

9.78

4.06

6.17

3.93

6.02

8.32

7.82

1.50

5.52

2.64

1.22

5.62

4.89

7.09

2.92

4.49

5.30

Tel Aviv

Israel

4.35

1.00

6.44

9.91

9.06

2.11

5.48

6.22

5.17

6.38

7.00

3.82

4.68

8.44

5.98

1.95

8.04

8.76

7.46

1.41

5.52

1.82

3.40

5.97

2.35

5.18

3.51

3.92

5.23

Tripoli

Libya

1.18

1.00

8.22

8.81

4.60

8.42

5.46

8.45

9.18

9.46

1.00

2.38

2.15

8.14

5.34

1.00

4.04

7.59

9.17

5.12

5.38

1.00

2.25

2.70

1.00

8.80

7.83

4.39

5.14

Hanoi

Vietnam

1.61

1.00

4.06

5.94

9.68

4.47

4.66

7.11

8.09

8.31

8.96

2.71

6.70

1.87

6.77

1.81

3.59

7.59

9.84

4.08

5.38

1.00

1.03

2.79

3.97

9.62

1.00

3.68

5.12

Jakarta

Indonesia

1.16

1.07

8.22

9.32

8.48

5.26

5.66

7.05

7.51

9.50

7.39

1.13

5.08

7.27

6.69

1.66

3.59

6.58

9.69

1.14

4.53

1.00

1.01

1.35

3.63

9.29

2.24

3.50

5.10

Bangkok

Thailand

2.06

1.07

5.25

8.73

10.00

4.47

5.34

6.40

5.47

8.92

7.52

1.46

4.33

6.03

6.09

3.39

4.06

8.22

8.75

1.16

5.12

1.82

1.52

2.62

2.96

8.30

2.33

3.58

5.03

Beijing

China

1.84

7.92

6.44

9.71

9.13

2.89

5.82

1.00

6.47

7.69

4.52

2.45

6.72

5.95

5.37

1.15

4.19

6.12

9.31

1.66

4.49

10.00

1.00

3.71

7.72

1.53

3.89

4.89

Shanghai

China

1.91

7.92

6.44

9.47

9.13

2.89

5.81

2.05

6.09

7.92

4.52

2.45

6.94

3.15

5.25

1.15

4.19

7.34

9.24

2.48

4.88

2.64

1.00

1.46

3.71

7.93

2.15

3.42

4.84

Istanbul

Turkey

1.41

1.07

1.00

8.63

6.70

4.47

3.68

8.09

7.22

9.35

6.35

1.66

3.82

3.91

5.99

1.53

4.54

8.52

8.68

1.11

4.88

2.64

1.19

3.60

2.66

9.63

5.87

4.74

4.82

New Delhi

India

1.07

1.47

6.44

9.70

9.37

4.32

5.35

7.49

7.94

10.00

5.70

1.53

3.24

6.25

6.11

1.58

1.00

9.60

1.07

2.85

3.45

1.03

2.02

4.86

10.00

4.94

4.81

4.78

Mumbai

India

1.00

1.47

5.84

9.50

9.37

4.32

5.20

4.96

7.66

9.08

5.70

1.53

5.32

5.89

6.02

1.58

1.00

5.49

10.00

1.00

3.81

1.82

1.03

1.54

4.86

9.07

1.74

3.73

4.69

Cape Town

South Africa

2.26

1.00

6.44

7.22

1.00

2.89

3.34

9.21

8.04

8.00

2.70

4.35

1.00

7.36

5.24

1.76

3.24

6.92

8.44

3.03

4.68

1.82

1.71

5.59

6.93

8.65

3.05

5.20

4.61

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Methodology and definition used for the ranking

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