Valencia has reclaimed its No 1 spot worldwide for expats, with two other Spanish cities in second and third place. Eugene Costello reports…
Valencia has reclaimed its No 1 spot worldwide for expats, with two other Spanish cities in second and third place. Forbes reports that Valencia is back on top spot, after being voted number one in 2022. It slipped to third place in 2023, so this is welcome news for those who have already made the move.
The ranking comes from the InterNations’ annual Expat City Ranking, a report on the best places to live in the world. InterNations is the largest global community for people who live and work abroad. Last year, Malaga took the top spot but this year Valencia has pushed its southern rival into second place. And reflecting the appeal of Spain to those wishing to create a new life, Alicante came in third.
Expats living in Valencia cited the city’s affordable public transportation (96% positive). Opportunities for recreational activities also ranked high (95% positive). The city’s safety also stands out, with zero respondents reporting dissatisfaction with their personal safety.
Relaxed vibe
“Valencia has a pretty relaxed lifestyle. I like the friendly people, good food, vibrant culture and pleasant climate,” a Dutch expat said in the report.
It wasn’t a clean sweep across all categories for Valencia, though. The Internations report highlighted difficulties in the “working abroad” category, where Valencia ranked just 31st in the world. Respondents highlighted “limited career prospects” and a “challenging” job market.
However, Valencia scored highly in lifestyle categories, with 27% of respondents saying they had moved here for a better quality of life.
Malaga, second overall, came first in the “ease of settling in” category. And 99% of retirees praised its sunny weather.
In third place, Alicante received praise for “accessible digital infrastructure”. And 70% of respondents described housing as “affordable”.
In the survey, Madrid came in at seventh, while Barcelona dropped to 21st place.
The top 25 – full list
1. Valencia, Spain
2. Málaga, Spain
3. Alicante, Spain
4. Panama City, Panama
5. Mexico City, Mexico
6. Bangkok, Thailand
7. Madrid, Spain
8. Abu Dhabi, UAE
9. Dubai, UAE
10. Vienna, Austria
11. Lisbon, Portugal
12. Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
13. Basel, Switzerland
14. Muscat, Oman
15. Athens, Greece
16. Luxembourg City, Luxembourg
17. Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
18. Amsterdam, Netherlands
19. Copenhagen, Denmark
20. Ras Al Khaimah, UAE
21. Barcelona, Spain
22. Zurich, Switzerland
23. Stockholm, Sweden
24. Taipei, Taiwan
25. Nairobi, Kenya
A word of warning
This is not a scientifically rigorous report, by any stretch of the imagination, and some will argue that the rosy picture it presents adds to the problems of rising prices. Valencia is beginning to see hostility towards incomers. For instance, the organisation says that the cost of a one-bedroom apartment in the city is in the 500€-800€ range. Chance would be a fine thing…