Abu Dhabi: Dubai has been ranked the second-best city to live and work for expats with Abu Dhabi also featuring in the top 10.
Expat City Rankings 2022, created by InterNations, honours three different cities on three continents as the best places for expats to live and work.
InterNations has collected information from 11,970 expatriates living in 181 countries or territories. 50 cities met the sample size requirements of at least 50 participants per destination.
The final ranking was made after collecting in-depth information on five areas of expat life– quality of life, ease of settling abroad, personal finance, and the new expat essentials, which cover digital living, administrative topics, housing, and language.
“Dubai and Abu Dhabi claim the top two spots in the Expat Essentials Index, and both also rank in the top 10 for Quality of Life,” says InterNations.
Valencia in Spain topped the global ranking for the best city for foreign workers to live in, with Mexico City in third place, Lisbon in fourth and Madrid in fifth, InterNations says in its annual Expat City Ranking 2022 report.
Top 10 best cities for expats
| Ranking | Country |
| 1 | Valencia, Spain: Liveable, friendly and affordable |
| 2 | Dubai, UAE: Great for work and leisure |
| 3 | Mexico City, Mexico: Friendly and affordable, but unsafe |
| 4 | Lisbon, Portugal: Amazing climate and quality of life, mediocre work options |
| 5 | Madrid, Spain: Great leisure activities, a welcoming culture |
| 6 | Bangkok, Thailand: Expats feel at home despite safety concerns |
| 7 | Basel, Switzerland: Expats satisfied with finances, jobs, quality of life |
| 8 | Melbourne, Australia: An easy city to get used to |
| 9 | Abu Dhabi, UAE: Excellent healthcare, worry-free bureaucracy |
| 10 | Singapore: Easy administration, satisfying finances, improved career prospects |
Worst cities for expats
| Ranking | Country |
| 41 | Rome, Italy: Expats feel at home despite the low quality of life |
| 42 | Tokyo, Japan: Hard to navigate, but the quality of life high |
| 43 | Vancouver, Canada: Housing unaffordable and local residents not so friendly |
| 44 | Milan, Italy: Troubling financial situation, difficult working life |
| 45 | Hamburg, Germany: Expats are unhappiest here and have a hard time making friends |
| 46 | Hong Kong, China: Frustrating environmental and work-life factors |
| 47 | Istanbul, Turkey: The worst city for working abroad |
| 48 | Paris, France: A top destination for culture and cuisine — if you can afford it |
| 49 | Frankfurt, Germany: Struggle with digitisation, administration and language |
| 50 | Johannesburg, South Africa: The world’s worst expat destination |
