MADRID – Three Spanish cities are praised by expats worldwide for their livability, friendliness and affordability. This is evident from the Expat City Ranking 2023 of the network organisation Internations, which is active in 400 cities worldwide.
The Expat City Ranking is based on InterNations’ annual Expat Insider survey. This survey, which included 12,065 expats in 2023, provides insight into five key aspects of expat life:
- quality of life
- ease of settling down
- working abroad
- personal finances
- essential expat needs
Top three are Spanish
In the 2023 Expat City Ranking, conducted by InterNations, the Spanish cities of Málaga, Alicante, and Valencia rank first, second, and third respectively. Moreover, these cities are praised by exats worldwide for their livability, friendliness, and affordability.
Málaga: Friendly and affordable
Málaga, first and foremost, excels in local friendliness and affordability. The city is praised for its climate, natural environment, and recreational opportunities. Málaga also scores high in the areas of work-life balance and affordable housing.
Alicante: Excellence in hospitality
Alicante, in second place, is especially appreciated for its hospitable culture and excellent social life. The city scores high in the index for ‘easy to settle in’, mainly due to the friendliness of its residents and the affordability of housing.
Valencia: Best in healthcare
Valencia, in third place, is known for its excellent healthcare and recreational options. The city scores high in affordability of healthcare and transportation and is appreciated for its friendly culture and social life.
Last year, the Spanish city of Valencia was at number 1 and Madrid at number 5. However, Malaga and Alicante were not yet in the top 10. Another year earlier, in 2021, Malaga was at number 2 and Madrid at number 10.
Other top cities for expats
Other cities that score well in the Internations ranking are Ras Al Khaimah, Abu Dhabi, Madrid, Mexico City, Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok, and Muscat. These cities are recognised for their quality of life, work opportunities, and community spirit.
Less appreciated cities for expats
At the other end of the spectrum are cities such as Milan, Rome, Vancouver, Hamburg, Berlin, Dublin, Istanbul, London, Paris and Seoul. These cities score less well with expats, mainly due to the lower quality of life and poor working conditions.
Also read: This Spanish city is the second-best destination in the world for digital nomads
