The world’s most ‘liveable’ city for expats revealed – 2 hours from UK | World | News

More than 300 million people around the world now live outside the country where they were born, with many choosing to relocate for a better quality of life. From remote workers and retirees to families and digital entrepreneurs, more people are looking for cities that offer good healthcare, safety and a busy social life alongside affordable living.

And now, a new global study has ranked the world’s most “liveable” cities for expats by looking at far more than just salaries and the cost of living. Researchers examined everything from healthcare and air quality to English proficiency, safety and how easy it is for newcomers to settle in socially.

The study also looked at passport mobility rights and long-term quality of life rather than simply focusing on economic strength alone.

According to the new World’s Most Livable Cities for Expats ranking by Global Citizen Solutions, Lisbon came out on top. The Portuguese capital achieved an overall score of 88.49 out of 100.

Amsterdam ranked second with 81.97, while Melbourne came third on 81.79. Vienna and Barcelona completed the top five.

Researchers said Lisbon and Barcelona stood out because they offered what they described as “rare cross-profile versatility”.

The report said both cities combine moderate costs, good healthcare systems and high levels of social accessibility.

Global Citizen Solutions said this helps explain why they remain especially popular with people relocating from countries such as the UK and the United States.

The study ranked 35 cities across six continents and used seven different indicators to calculate the final scores.

These included cost of living, safety, healthcare, air quality, English proficiency, ease of settling in and enhanced mobility rights.

Safety and healthcare were given the highest weighting because researchers said they are among the most important factors for people moving abroad long-term.

The report also found that some cities with excellent infrastructure and healthcare systems can actually be harder for expats to settle into socially.

Vienna and Copenhagen, despite both finishing in the top 10 overall, recorded some of the lowest social integration scores in the study.

Liana Simonyan, researcher for Global Citizen Solutions’ Global Intelligence Unit, said: “Affordability, social integration, and structural quality rarely co-occur within the same city.

“The index renders these competing priorities explicit and measurable, which is precisely what advisors and individuals need when making high-stakes relocation decisions.”

Researchers also highlighted some cities in Southeast Asia and Latin America.

The report said places such as Ho Chi Minh City, Bangkok, Bali and Tbilisi scored particularly highly for affordability and already have well-established expat communities.

As far as Lisbon is concerned, the city is popular with expats because it has a perfect mix of year-round sunshine and a relatively affordable cost of living compared to other Western European capitals.

Once settled, expats can spend their days exploring historic, tile-covered neighbourhoods or head to some gorgeous Atlantic beaches.

For UK travellers, Lisbon is also relatively easy to reach. Direct flights from London and southern England usually take around two-and-a-half hours to under three hours.

Flights are available from several UK airports through airlines including British Airways, TAP Air Portugal, easyJet and Ryanair.

1. Lisbon – 88.49
2. Amsterdam – 81.97
3. Melbourne – 81.79
4. Vienna – 81.07
5. Barcelona – 80.7
6. Singapore – 80.58
7. Auckland – 80.15
8. Tokyo – 79.78
9. Copenhagen – 79.57
10. Seoul – 78.89