Dubai: Planning to move further afield? InterNations, a network of 2.4 million expatriates in 390 cities around the world, has just released the complete list of top ten destinations that have won the hearts of expatriates worldwide this year.
These cities have been picked out of the 35 places reviewed and they excel in a number of categories, such as quality of life, personal finance, working abroad and settling in.
Melbourne, Australia takes the cake overall. Dubai hasn't made it to the top ten but it's ranked above London, Paris and Rome. Here’s a closer look at the top three:
Melbourne, Australia
Foreigners working in Australia’s second-most populous city are particularly pleased with their work-life balance. About 8 in 10 people (79 per cent) rated this category positively, which is notably higher than the global average of 60 per cent.
Many immigrants in the city down under are also pleased with what they do for a living, with 71 per cent of expats in Melbourne rating their overall job satisfaction positively.
The city also excels when it comes to the availability of leisure activities: an astounding 91 per cent rate this positively, higher than the global average of 72 per cent.
Houston, Texas
One of the most populous cities in the United States, Houston takes the second spot overall and for general satisfaction among expats. The cost of living and state of personal finances of foreigners living there are rated highly by expats, ranking fifth and seventh, respectively, in both of these categories.
But what Houston does best is letting expats adjust to their new environment very easily, as it wins the first place in the Ease of Settling In Index.
Madrid, Spain
The Spanish capital secures the third spot in the rankings mainly due to expats feeling welcome there and finding it easy to make friends. Madrid wins the most votes in both of the categories. Madrid is also a top choice for many expats because of its “comparatively” low cost of living, with 72 of the respondents rating this factor positively, much higher than the global average of 48 per cent.
Dusseldorf, Germany; Singapore; Vienna; Munich; Sydney; Mexico City and Toronto round out the top ten best cities for living abroad.
The top 10 best cities for expats in 2016:
1.Melbourne
2. Houston
3. Madrid
4. Dusseldorf
5. Singapore
6. Vienna
7. Munich
8. Sydney
9. Mexico City
10. Toronto
How the rest of the cities fare:
11. Barcelona
12. Basel
13. Frankfurt
14. Geneva
15. Berlin
16. Zurich
17. New York
18. Amsterdam
19. Hamburg
20. Abu Dhabi
21. The Hague
22. Dubai
23. Hong Kong
24. Kuala Lumpur
25. Brussels
26. Beijing
27. London
28. Paris
29. Istanbul
30. Doha
31. Shanghai
32. Jeddah
33.Milan
34.Rome
35. Riyadh
