According to a survey of more than 12,000 respondents from InterNations, an online expat community with more than 4 million global members, Malaysia’s Kuala Lumpur has ranked top city for expats to live and work in 2021. Spain’s Malaga comes second, and UAE’s Dubai ranks third.
The survey, conducted in January 2021, asked expats to rate their satisfaction across four main categories, including quality of life (like a healthy environment and robust WiFi infrastructure), ease of settling in (such as language barriers and friendliness of local residents), personal finance (such as access to affordable health care) and working abroad (such as job security and a stable local economy).
Expats in all three top cities say it’s easy to get settled and make friends in each location. Foreign residents in Kuala Lumpur and Málaga are satisfied with the affordable cost of living and the ability to manage their personal finances, while expats in both Málaga and Dubai appreciate the high quality of life there.
Others on the list include Sydney, Singapore, Vietnam, Prague, Mexico, Switzerland, and Madrid.
