Which City is the Most Livable for Expats?

As the number of people moving abroad for work continues to rise, a new study has revealed the most suitable cities for educated immigrants.

Today, according to the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, more than 300 million people live outside their country of birth—a figure that has nearly doubled since 1990.

Following the pandemic, there has been a significant surge in the number of remote workers and digital nomads, who join the ranks of retirees and the vast number of people forced to relocate for employment.

Global Citizen Solutions examined 35 cities across six continents for the world's increasingly mobile international population, publishing its inaugural list titled "The World's Most Livable Cities for Expats."

Rather than merely looking at traditional urban performance metrics, the company's Global Intelligence Unit delved deeper, evaluating cities across seven distinct indicators.

These are listed as the cost of living, safety, social life, air quality, healthcare, ease of settling in, English proficiency, and enhanced mobility—namely passport strength and visa liberalization.

Utilizing publicly available datasets, the unit scored each city on a scale from 0 to 100, with a specific weight assigned to each category. Safety and healthcare carried the highest total weight, reflecting their significance in long-term relocation decisions.

📍Ultimately, Lisbon secured the top spot on the list by a wide margin. Minor differences emerged between second-placed Amsterdam and the cities ranked below it: Melbourne, Vienna, Barcelona, Singapore, and Auckland.

Here are the top 10 most livable cities for expats:

1. Lisbon, Portugal: 88.49/100

2. Amsterdam, Netherlands: 81.97/100

3. Melbourne, Australia: 81.79/100

4. Vienna, Austria: 81.07/100

5. Barcelona, Spain: 80.7/100

6. Singapore: 80.58/100

7. Auckland, New Zealand: 80.15/100

8. Tokyo, Japan: 79.78/100

9. Copenhagen, Denmark: 79.57/100

10. Seoul, South Korea: 78.89/100

Why Lisbon?

Rather than dominating in any single category, the Portuguese capital secured the top spot by consistently performing well across all indicators.

It ranks among the most affordable cities in the index, scoring significantly lower in the cost of living category than cities like Vienna, Amsterdam, and Copenhagen.

English proficiency is high here, and its air quality and safety levels surpass those of many European cities.

Another advantage that sets Lisbon apart from other hubs on the continent is that it offers multiple legal pathways to residency; options such as residency by investment and digital nomad visas make the city ideal for expats.

Source: Euronews