The south of Spain, specifically the port city of Malaga, has the happiest expats, according to the latest Internations report ranking the best cities for thriving in their lives abroad.
Based on responses from over 12,000 individuals living in 172 countries or territories, Malaga scored the top spot as the best city worldwide for local friendliness and residents who are particularly welcoming toward foreigners. Expats in Malaga rated the city highly for its good weather, affordable housing, and manageable cost of living. Interestingly, its local job market isn’t great but it is known for ensuring a good work-life balance.
Two other Spanish cities, Alicante and Valencia, rounded out the top three, boasting available and affordable housing, outstanding health-care options and good quality of life.
Other cities that made it to the top 10 include Ras Al Khaimah and Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates, Madrid in Spain, Mexico City, Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia, Bangkok in Thailand, and Muscat, Oman.
At the bottom of the list is Milan, Italy, where expats find it challenging to deal with bureaucracy and find resources to settle in.
Survey responses were gathered in February and released in November. The ranking analyzed 49 global cities across quality of life, ease of settling in, working abroad, personal finance and overall expat essentials.
The other global cities that rank poorly for expats living abroad include Rome, Vancouver, Hamburg, Berlin, and Dublin.
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