InterNations, an online global community for people living abroad, has published the fifth edition of its, ranking the best countries and cities according to expats that are currently living in those locations.
More than 18,000 expats from across the globe apparently took part in the survey, which considered criteria including Quality of Urban Living, Getting Settled, Urban Work Life, and Finance & Housing.
The product is a report that ranks 72 cities and 62 countries from best to worst in terms of expat lifestyle, and goes into more granular detail on where might be best for women, men, relationships and career opportunities.
While Australia and the cities of Melbourne (ranking 16th) and Sydney (ranking 21st) do well, Italy and the UK are among the worst ranked destinations globally, with Rome and London among the least favorite destinations for expats. In particular the Rome takes the third spot after two Saudi largest cities Jeddah and Riyadh, as one of tthe worst destinations for expats in the world.
Australian cities land outside the list's top 10, with Melbourne coming in ahead of Sydney.
According to Scott Dann, a Melbourne-based talent acquisition consultant at SEEK Limited - who hires highly specialised and skilled people across technology disciplines - when looking at relocation opportunities there are many factors that candidates are interested in alongside remuneration and the job on offer.
"The factors that candidates are interested in when they make their choice regarding a destination revolve around things like education opportunities for their children, political climate and stability, commute to work and environment, security in general and lifestyle." Dann says.
Age is also a factor as in some countries, such as the US and Australia, where there are barriers to entry in terms of visas for people above a certain age, he says.
And the winner is...
View of world trade center and skyline, Manama, Bahrain. Source: 500px Prime
Kuwait (68th) is in last place, a position it already held from 2014 to 2016, while it came second to last year just before Greece. Saudi Arabia has also been in the bottom 10 since 2014. India has been on a steady downward trend, ranking 66th out of 68 in 2018. It has suffered major losses regarding career prospects and satisfaction.
Looking at specific cities, the ranking reflects that of countries, with some minor differences.
Let's look at the top three and the bottom three cities for expats.
Best Cities
1. Taipei
A new entry in the Expat Insider's list, Taipei received top five results across all indices and even ranks first in the Quality of Urban Living index.
Taipei Source: Pixabay/tingyaoh
2. Singapore
Another newcomer, the runner-up scores highly in most indices but expats in Singapore spend more time at the job (45.5 hours per week) than the global average (40.8 hours per week).
View on Esplanade Theatre and Mandarin Hotel. Singapore. Source: Flickr/glowform CC BY 2.0
3. Manama
The capital of Bahrain tops the ranking for the Getting Settled Index, with expats finding it easy to get used to the local culture and make friends, even without local language skills.
Al Fateh Mosque, Manama. Source: Getty Images/Image Source
Worst cities
1. Riyadh
It features in the bottom of almost all the criteria considered in the survey. Most expats in Riyadh are unhappy with the local leisure options. Local transportation is also considered an issue.
Riyadh Source: Flickr/uwebraunuk
2. Jeddah
Jeddah has similar results to those of Riyadh, with slightly better performances among most indices and a high level of satisfaction for the financial aspect of an expats' life.
3. Rome
Jeddah Source: Flickr/aprabaswara CC BY 2.0
Expats working in the Italian capital are especially dissatisfied with their local career opportunities and the state of the local economy. More than half of the surveyed expats in Rome are dissatisfied with the local transportation. The only positive result is for the city's weather.
Rome Source: Flickr/uwebraunuk
And Australia?
Expats in Australia are happy with the quality of life and work-life balance on offer, but the cost of living is rated poorly.
When families are involved, education opportunities can be a decisive factor in selecting a city to live and work in, alongside political climate, according to Dann. “I can think about two people from the US who simply did not want to raise their children in their native country due to the current political climate in America,” he says.
“In terms of lifestyle, work-life balance and some of the cultural norms around works, places like Australia seem to be more friendly than some places in Asia or Europe and even the US where you get only two weeks holiday per year.”
Three in 10 expats find it very difficult to live in Australia without speaking the local language, compared to the global average of just 16 per cent.
More than half of the respondents, however, find it relatively easy to make friends in Australia.
General View of Melbourne CBD and the Yarra river at night Source: EMPICS Entertainment
In term of cities Melbourne is globally ranked number 16, while Sydney is 21st. However the capital of New South Wales is ahead of the Victorian counterpart in terms of work-life balance, ranking 8th in the world on that particular category.
“When I stared working in recruiting around 15 years ago, the economy was not as global as it is today and Sydney was one of the few Australian places that people knew about," says Dann. "Now Melbourne has lifted its profile as one of the most liveable cities... Once that visibility is in place, candidates research costs of living and they notice that Sydney seems to be more expensive and more 'busy’. They appear less concerned about weather conditions.”
