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The top 10 cities to live and work abroad this year

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Workers looking for an outstanding quality of life and low cost of living are flocking to Valencia, Spain, which has been ranked the No. 1 city for ex-pats to live and work abroad in 2022. That’s according to a survey of more than 12,000 respondents from InterNations, an online expat community with more than 4.5 million global members.

Valencia earns the top spot for being “a safe place with an excellent climate, a vibrant nightlife and culture, a pleasant urban environment and great travel opportunities” while still being “fairly affordable,” says InterNations founder Malte Zeeck.

It’s pretty easy for remote workers from other European Union countries to move to Spain without applying for a visa or work permit, Zeeck adds. And it could become the next big hotspot among non-European remote workers, too: The Spanish parliament recently passed the so-called Startups Act, which includes creating a new type of visa for digital nomads expected to be available by January 2023.

2022 was an Excellent, Productive Year, AIHS Specially Thanks Stakeholders, Wishes Them Happy Holidays
2022 was an Excellent, Productive Year, AIHS Specially Thanks Stakeholders, Wishes Them Happy Holidays

Expats in second-place Dubai, meanwhile, enjoy a thriving social scene as well as good job prospects and a creative business culture. And newcomers to Mexico City rank it high as far as settling in and feeling at home, but low on environmental, climate and safety measures.

Here are the top 10 cities for expats living and working abroad, and how residents feel about their home away from home.

Here are the top 10 cities for expats living and working abroad, and how residents feel about their home away from home.

1. Valencia, Spain

Iglesia de los Santos Juanes and the Central Market of Valencia.

Iglesia de los Santos Juanes and the Central Market of Valencia.

Abrill_ | Istock | Getty Images

  • 85% are happy with life in general
  • 83% are happy with the cost of living
  • 55% say making new friends is easy
  • 56% are happy with their job
  • 76% are happy with their work-life balance
  • 80% are happy with the quality of medical care

2. Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Laszlo Szirtesi | Getty Images News | Getty Images

  • 73% are happy with life in general
  • 38% are happy with the cost of living
  • 43% say making new friends is easy
  • 70% are happy with their job
  • 61% are happy with their work-life balance
  • 84% are happy with the quality of medical care

3. Mexico City, Mexico

How we saved to quit our jobs and leave the U.S.
  • 84% are happy with life in general
  • 67% are happy with the cost of living
  • 69% say making new friends is easy
  • 73% are happy with their job
  • 71% are happy with their work-life balance
  • 70% are happy with the quality of medical care

4. Lisbon, Portugal

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  • 86% are happy with life in general
  • 69% are happy with the cost of living
  • 49% say making new friends is easy
  • 71% are happy with their job
  • 72% are happy with their work-life balance
  • 68% are happy with the quality of medical care

5. Madrid, Spain

Office skyscrapers stand on the city skyline beyond rooftops in Madrid, on Monday, April 29, 2019.

Office skyscrapers stand on the city skyline beyond rooftops in Madrid, on Monday, April 29, 2019.

Angel Navarrete | Bloomberg | Getty Images

  • 77% are happy with life in general
  • 69% are happy with the cost of living
  • 53% say making new friends is easy
  • 63% are happy with their job
  • 70% are happy with their work-life balance
  • 80% are happy with the quality of medical care

6. Bangkok, Thailand

I live better in Thailand than I did in the U.S. — here's how much it costs

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I live better in Thailand than I did in the U.S. — here’s how much it costs

  • 79% are happy with life in general
  • 69% are happy with the cost of living
  • 54% say making new friends is easy
  • 66% are happy with their job
  • 68% are happy with their work-life balance
  • 82% are happy with the quality of medical care

7. Basel, Switzerland

Museimage | Moment | Getty Images

  • 82% are happy with life in general
  • 22% are happy with the cost of living
  • 18% say making new friends is easy
  • 86% are happy with their job
  • 67% are happy with their work-life balance
  • 85% are happy with the quality of medical care

8. Melbourne, Australia

People sitting by the water in downtown Melbourne, Australia.

The hardest part about going to Australia is the preparation, not the travel itself, several travelers told CNBC.

James O’Neil | The Image Bank | Getty Images

  • 69% are happy with life in general
  • 36% are happy with the cost of living
  • 46% say making new friends is easy
  • 77% are happy with their job
  • 72% are happy with their work-life balance
  • 78% are happy with the quality of medical care

9. Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

Photo taken in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

Mohammed Al Janabi | EyeEm | Getty Images

  • 68% are happy with life in general
  • 36% are happy with the cost of living
  • 41% say making new friends is easy
  • 64% are happy with their job
  • 51% are happy with their work-life balance
  • 88% are happy with the quality of medical care

10. Singapore

People picnic on the green roof of Marina Barrage in Singapore on Oct. 10, 2022.

People picnic on the green roof of Marina Barrage in Singapore on Oct. 10, 2022.

Roslan Rahman | AFP | Getty Images

  • 73% are happy with life in general
  • 24% are happy with the cost of living
  • 48% say making new friends is easy
  • 77% are happy with their job
  • 58% are happy with their work-life balance
  • 84% are happy with the quality of medical care

Global ex-pats on average

  • 71% are happy with life in general
  • 45% are happy with the cost of living
  • 42% say making new friends is easy
  • 64% are happy with their job
  • 62% are happy with their work-life balance
  • 72% are happy with the quality of medical care

The survey, conducted in February 2022 and released this week, asked ex-pats to rate their satisfaction across five main categories, including quality of life (like a healthy environment and robust public transit), ease of settling in (such as friendliness of local residents), personal finance (such as access to affordable health care), working abroad (such as job security and a stable local economy), and “ex-pat essentials,” which covers digital life, housing options, language barriers, and dealing with local government and administrative tasks.

Of the 50 cities included in the analysis, some of the least desirable relocation spots include Johannesburg, South Africa; Frankfurt, Germany; and Paris, France thanks to demanding work cultures and high costs of living.

Sourcecnbc

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