As more people swap traditional home bases for a life abroad, a new global ranking has revealed the best cities in the world for expats to actually live in.
The list goes beyond postcard views and low taxes, looking instead at what really matters when relocating, from healthcare and safety to affordability, social life and even passport power.
Today, more than 300 million people live outside their country of birth, according to the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs – nearly double the figure in 1990.
Post-pandemic, there’s been a significant increase in remote workers and digital nomads joining the throngs of retirees and those who need to relocate for work.
Now, Global Citizen Solutions, a residency and citizenship planning advisory firm, has released its inaugural list of the World’s Most Livable Cities for Expats, ranking 35 cities across six continents as destinations for the world’s growing population of internationally mobile residents.
The company’s Global Intelligence Unit delved deeper than examining traditional urban performance metrics and instead judged cities across seven distinct indicators.
They were cost of living, safety, air quality, healthcare, ease of settling in, English proficiency, and enhanced mobility – or passport power and visa freedom.
The unit drew from publicly available datasets and ranked each city on a 0-100 scale, with each category having a specific weighting. Safety and healthcare have the highest combined weighting, which reflects their importance to long-term relocation decisions.
In the end, Lisbon topped the list, with Amsterdam following closely behind. In total, the top 10 includes five European cities.
The top 10 most liveable cities for expats
- Lisbon, Portugal: 88.49/100
- Amsterdam, Netherlands: 81.97/100
- Melbourne, Australia: 81.79/100
- Vienna, Austria: 81.07/100
- Barcelona, Spain: 80.7/100
- Singapore: 80.58
- Auckland, New Zealand: 80.15
- Tokyo, Japan: 79.78
- Copenhagen, Denmark: 79.57
- Seoul, South Korea: 78.89
A closer look at the top three best cities for expats
Lisbon
The Portuguese capital scooped top ranking because it showed a consistently strong performance across all indicators, rather than dominance in any single category.
It is among the most affordable cities in the index, scoring well below the likes of Vienna, Amsterdam, and Copenhagen in the cost of living category.
English proficiency here is also high, as is its air quality and safety levels, which exceed those in many other European cities.
Another positive in Lisbon’s favour over other hubs on the continent is the existence of multiple legal pathways to residency, including residence-by-investment and digital nomad visa options, making it ideal for expats.
Amsterdam, Netherlands
Amsterdam secured its second-place spot in the index thanks to scoring well across all of the categories.
The Dutch capital boasts high safety, high-quality healthcare, and clean air, alongside accessibility for international residents.
It was found to have the highest English proficiency level across all the European cities in the index, and language barriers across daily life and administrative processes are frequently reduced.
Famous for its car-free streets – walking, cycling, and public transport accounted for more than 70% of all trips between 2015 and 2022 – it’s a good bet for expats who crave a car-free existence.
It’s cost of living where Amsterdam does come a little unstuck. The city is among the more expensive cities in the ranking, which means not every expat would be able to afford to make it their home.
While its ease-of-settling-in score also indicates that social integration can take time, Amsterdam does offer a well-rounded and stable living environment – for those who can afford to live there.
Melbourne, Australia
The only non-European city in the top five, Melbourne achieved strong outcomes across several of the categories.
It has the highest English proficiency levels in the entire ranking, alongside Singapore, Auckland, and Vancouver, and is one of the cleanest cities on the list.
The Australian city also offers high-quality healthcare, stable governance, and well-developed urban systems. In practice, those factors equate to a solid standard of living, and Melbourne remains a particular favourite for expats leaving other English-speaking countries.
It did fall down a little in the safety category, as it’s comparatively lower here than in European cities, which is its main weakness in an otherwise well-balanced profile.
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