Moving anywhere is a challenge – and when you venture to another country it’s a whole different ball game.
You not only have to contend with finding somewhere to live and work – some options will require you to do it all in a different first language too.
Every year InterNations helps people try and make an informed decision about where to locate other than their native country – and polls 12,000 expats about how easy it is to settle into 49 cities around the world
It asks people who have relocated about their work life, leisure, housing and a whole host of other issues that are important when you not only visit a place but live there too.
And the city that ranks to worst – at number 49 – might surprise you – as Milan, in Italy, is such a firm favourite for tourists to spend time.
The study said: “Milan comes 49th out of 49, placing last overall. One reason for the city’s less than desirable rank is its low standing in the Expat Essentials Index (46th).
“Dealing with bureaucracy (48th), opening a local bank account (44th), and securing a visa (48th) all pose challenges for expats.
“And over three in five expats in Milan say it’s difficult to find housing (63 percent vs. 31 percent globally) or to live there without speaking the local language (61 percent vs. 32 percent globally).”
The city didn’t fare much better when it came to opportunities for working abroad, where it also ranked bottom – and it also ranked poorly for job security and feeling paid fairly for work.
But despite a huge range of poorly ranking aspects, expats did at least think that locals are friendly and that it’s pretty easy to get used to the local culture.
Meanwhile Spain was the gold standard for feeling happy when living abroad according to expats – Málaga being their favourite city, Alicante coming in second and Valencia rounding off the Spanish treble.
The study said of Málaga: “According to the respondents, Málaga is the best-rated city worldwide for Local Friendliness (1st): 89 percent say that the locals are particularly friendly towards foreign residents (vs. 65 percent globally). It’s maybe not surprising, then, that the city also ranks 2nd for Finding Friends.
“The Quality of Life Index (2nd) is another highlight for Málaga. It claims first place for its well-known and highly popular climate and weather (1st), and its natural environment (8th) also makes it into the top 10.”
It added: “Luckily, there seem to be a lot of opportunities to enjoy this, as the city ranks 2nd for its Leisure Options. Additionally, Málaga features among the top 10 in the Travel & Transit (8th) and Healthcare (10th) Subcategories.”
