With travel rebounding post-pandemic and expats on the move once again, it only begs the age-old question: What are the best places to live abroad? While there’s no objective answer, as it’ll depend on individual preferences and affinity with the local culture, you can find global expat indexes like this one that attempt to rank the most popular destinations based on relocation metrics. In this Pacific Prime article, we’ll tell you what they are. 

The best places to relocate in 2022

Let’s dive straight into it. 

The following table shows the top 20 global cities for expats work and live in based on 11 relocation metrics: 

https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/Dxlkb/2/

Source: Preply 

Relocation metrics to be aware of

It is important to take any ranking or index with a pinch of salt, but it helps if you’re aware of the metrics used. This way, you can gauge whether or not the rankings necessarily apply to you. As one of the metrics used was ‘the ease of learning the local language’, it won’t be relevant if you already speak that language or a related language. Likewise, the ‘cost of eating out at an inexpensive restaurant’ metric won’t be relevant if you mostly cook at home. 

A closer look at the 5 best countries for expats 

Now, we’ll zoom into the countries that had the highest overall scores. 

As you’ll soon find out, 2 Southeast Asian countries, 1 Middle Eastern country, 1 Caucasian country, and 1 Western European country made it to the list. 

Kuala Lumpur (K.L.), Malaysia bagged the number 1 spot

K.L., the capital of Malaysia, received an expat relocation score of 6.62 and bagged the top spot. Monthly living costs and rents are a large factor attracting expats. Compared to salaries in K.L, expats will have plenty of disposable income left to enjoy all that the city has to offer, including theme parks, cave tours, and, of course, the Petronas Twin Towers. Digital nomads and remote workers will also find affordable coworking spaces, though internet speed could do better. 

Tbilisi, Georgia ranked number 2 for being expat-friendly

Elsewhere in the Caucasus, the Georgian city of Tbilisi came in second place with an expat relocation score of 6.58. It’s important to note that the cost of living, including monthly rent and inexpensive meals at restaurants, are higher than K.L. But on the flip side, Tbilisi is one of the safer cities to move to – something that’s particularly important for expats moving with young children. What’s more, the city is also home to a rich cultural heritage and complex history. 

Lisbon, Portugal follows at number 3

Moving on to Western Europe, Portugal’s Lisbon is ranked in third place. If living costs are important to you, then you can cross Lisbon off your list. That said, internet speeds are much faster at 29 Mbps and the city also boasts numerous sites to enjoy such as city tours and river cruises. Safety is also a drawing factor for expats, as the city received a city safety score of 70.87 out of 120. 

Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE) is number 4 for best cities for expats

In the Middle East, UAE’s Dubai takes the fourth spot with an expat relocation score of 6.45. Notorious for its luxurious lifestyle, the Emirate has a high cost of living. However, expats will be glad to know that the average monthly salary after tax is also quite high, which balances things out a little. As a final cherry on top, did you know that Dubai has very attractive laws when it comes to income tax?  

Bangkok, Thailand rounds up the list at number 5

Last but not least, Bangkok, Thailand rounds up the list with an expat relocation score of 6.35. While the cost of living as an expat is also relatively high in Bangkok, did you know that Bangkok has the most affordable monthly rent (after KL) for a 1-bedroom city center apartment and eating out can be fairly inexpensive? Bangkok’s draw is clear as the city also has a visitor return rate of 18%, which is joint highest with Tbilisi, Georgia. 

Relocating abroad as an expat? Get in touch with Pacific Prime today!

No matter where in the world you’re relocating to, it’s important to get to grips with the country and city’s health care system. Ask questions like: What are the overall standards of care? Can expats access the public healthcare system? Is health insurance mandatory/recommended for foreigners? Where do I find suitable plans?  And more. You’re welcome to begin your research by heading to Pacific Prime’s country pages. 

As an expat-focused, global health insurance brokerage, we also have knowledgeable and impartial advisors on hand who are ready to help you. Whether you’re looking to secure international health insurance or any other type of health insurance from vetted insurers, get in touch with us for a tailored plan comparison,  as well as heaps of support and assistance throughout your insurance journey. 

Contact us today!

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Suphanida Thakral

Senior Content Creator at Pacific Prime

Suphanida is a Senior Content Creator at Pacific Prime, an award-winning global health insurance and employee benefits specialist.

With over 5 years of experience in the field, Suphanida spends the majority of her day synthesizing complex pieces of insurance-related information and translating this into easy-to-understand, engaging, and effective content across a variety of media such as articles, infographics, whitepapers, videos, and more.

Suphanida is also responsible for planning and publishing three whitepapers released annually by Pacific Prime: The State of Health Insurance Report, The Cost of Health Insurance Report, and The Global Employee Benefits Trends Report. Additionally, she handles the LinkedIn profiles of Pacific Prime’s Founder and CEO, as well as Global HR Lead.

Suphanida’s strengths lie in her strong research and analytical skills, which she has gained from her BA in Politics from the University of Warwick and Erasmus Mundus Joint MA in Journalism from Aarhus University and City, University of London.

Being of Thai-Indian origin and having lived, studied, and worked in Thailand, the UK, and Denmark, Suphanida also has a unique, multicultural perspective that helps her understand the struggles of expats and globetrotters.

Outside of work, she enjoys traveling to new places and immersing herself in different cultures.

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