The Best & Worst Cities for Expat Essentials in 2026 

➡️You’re welcome to use these 2026 Expat Insider results. Please remember to credit InterNations as the source, and where possible, include a link to www.internations.org.

In this article:

• Methodology
• Hassle-Free Housing & Paperwork in Ras Al Khaimah (1st)
• Easy Bureaucracy & Banking in Dubai (2nd)
• Online Admin & Few Language Barriers in Abu Dhabi (3rd)
• Hard-to-Find & Pricey Housing in Munich (33rd)
• Language Barriers & Red Tape in Frankfurt am Main (32nd)
• Digital Lag & Bureaucracy Blues in Berlin (31st)
• Trends in the Top 10
• Trends in the Bottom 10
• Expat Essentials Index 2026: Full City Ranking

Methodology

The Expat Essentials Index is made up of four subcategories: Admin Topics, Digital Life, Housing, and Language. Across these, respondents rated 11 factors — from the availability of government services online to how easy it is for expats to find housing — on a scale of one to seven. The factor results feed into the subcategory rankings, which in turn make up the overall index.

In 2026, the ranking features 33 cities with at least 50 respondents each. Find all details in the [full article on the survey methodology.]( https://www.internations.org/expat-insider/2026/methodology-2026)

Hassle-Free Housing & Paperwork in Ras Al Khaimah (1st)

Ras Al Khaimah ranks 1st out of 33 cities in the 2026 Expat Essentials Index — just as it did in 2023 and 2024 (no city ranking was published in 2025).* It comes out on top in three of the index’s four subcategories: Admin Topics, Housing, and Language.

Red tape is hardly an issue there. Expats rank the city 1st for the ease of getting a visa (86% agree vs. 55% globally), with close to two-thirds (64%) even giving it the best possible rating (vs. 30%). Close to three-quarters (74%) find it easy to deal with the local bureaucracy (vs. 38%), and only Dubai ranks higher for this factor. Hardly anyone (1%) named bureaucracy among their biggest concerns before moving (vs. 14% globally).

Housing is another big plus. Four in five expats (80%) agree it’s easy to find accommodation (vs. 44% globally), and more than two-thirds (69%) rate its affordability positively (vs. 32%). Ras Al Khaimah ranks 1st for both factors. Only 13% have something negative to say about housing costs, compared to almost half of respondents worldwide (49%).

Getting by without the local language isn’t a problem, either. Four in five (80%) say it’s easy to live in Ras Al Khaimah without speaking it (vs. 48% globally), placing the city 2nd for this factor. Fewer than one in ten (9%) worried about the language barrier before moving (vs. 32%).

Digital Life (10th) is the city’s weakest subcategory. Expats appreciate the availability of administrative services online (78% vs. 61% globally), but slightly fewer than average find it easy to get high-speed internet at home (78% vs. 81%). And Ras Al Khaimah ranks just 29th for unrestricted access to online services such as social media (69% positive ratings vs. 83% globally).

Easy Bureaucracy & Banking in Dubai (2nd)

Dubai moves up from 3rd place in 2024 to 2nd in 2026 — its best result since topping the index in 2022. The city makes the top five in three subcategories: Admin Topics (3rd), Language (3rd), and Housing (4th).

No other city does better for dealing with the local bureaucracy. More than seven in ten expats (71%) agree it’s easy (vs. 38% globally), and close to half (48%) even completely agree (vs. 13%). Opening a local bank account (79% vs. 63%) and getting a visa (78% vs. 55%) are straightforward, too, with Dubai ranking 3rd for both.

Many admin tasks can also be handled online: nine in ten (90%) rate the availability of administrative services online positively (vs. 61% globally), and 70% even give it the best possible rating (vs. 25%). Dubai ranks 2nd for paying without cash (94% vs. 86%) and 3rd for high-speed internet at home (89% vs. 81%). The one sore spot in the Digital Life Subcategory (7th) is access to online services such as social media (30th): two-thirds (67%) rate it positively (vs. 83% globally).

Close to two-thirds of expats (64%) agree it’s easy to find accommodation (vs. 44% globally), but it doesn’t come cheap. Despite an 8th place for the affordability of housing, fewer than three in ten (29%) rate it positively (vs. 32%). Close to two in five (39%) named the high cost of living among their biggest concerns before moving (vs. 21%). The local language, on the other hand, is a minor issue: four in five (80%) agree it’s easy to live in Dubai without speaking it (vs. 48%).

Online Admin & Few Language Barriers in Abu Dhabi (3rd)

Abu Dhabi ranks 3rd in 2026, after placing 2nd in 2024. It’s the only city to make the top three in every edition since 2022 (2nd in 2022 and 3rd in 2023). Many expats move there for work: close to three in five (59%) relocated for job-related reasons (vs. 33% globally).

Abu Dhabi does best in the Admin Topics and Language Subcategories, ranking 2nd for both. Expats rate it 1st for opening a local bank account (81% vs. 63% globally) and 2nd for getting a visa (81% vs. 55%). Close to three-quarters (72%) also find it easy to deal with the local bureaucracy (vs. 38%). And Abu Dhabi tops the ranking for living there without speaking the local language, with more than four in five (83%) saying it’s easy (vs. 48%).

The city also comes 1st for the availability of administrative services online. Over nine in ten (91%) rate it positively (vs. 61% globally), and not a single respondent rates it negatively (0% vs. 19%).

Abu Dhabi ranks 2nd for high-speed internet at home (91% vs. 81%) and 4th for paying without cash (95% vs. 86%). But like Dubai, it falls short on unrestricted access to online services such as social media (32nd). Only 64% rate it positively (vs. 83%).

Housing (6th) is easy to find (54% vs. 44% globally) but less affordable. More than half of expats (53%) rate the affordability of housing negatively (vs. 49%), placing Abu Dhabi 11th for this factor.

Hard-to-Find & Pricey Housing in Munich (33rd)

Munich comes in last in the 2026 Expat Essentials Index. The city has struggled in this index for years: it ranked second to last in both 2022 (49th out of 50) and 2023 (48th out of 49), and 50th out of 53 cities in 2024. In 2026, it lands in the bottom 10 of all four subcategories.

Housing (32nd) is Munich’s biggest problem. Only 14% of expats agree it’s easy to find accommodation (vs. 44% globally), while two-thirds (67%) disagree (vs. 35%). Affordability is just as bad: more than four in five (82%) rate it negatively (vs. 49%), and 44% even give it the worst possible rating (vs. 17%). Close to three in ten (29%) named the housing market among their biggest concerns before moving (vs. 17% globally).

Digital Life (31st) is another weak spot. Munich ranks 32nd for both the availability of administrative services online (39% positive vs. 61% globally) and high-speed internet at home (60% vs. 81%). Paying without cash isn’t always easy, either (31st): 64% agree it is (vs. 86%), while 17% disagree (vs. 6%).

More than three in five expats (63%) don’t find it easy to deal with the local bureaucracy (vs. 39% globally), putting Munich 29th for this factor. Opening a local bank account, on the other hand, is about as easy as elsewhere (62% vs. 63%).

Language is a major hurdle, too (31st). Just 30% find it easy to live in Munich without speaking German (vs. 48% globally), and only one in five (20%) say the language is easy to learn (vs. 39%). It’s no surprise, then, that more than half (56%) worried about the language barrier before moving (vs. 32%).

Language Barriers & Red Tape in Frankfurt am Main (32nd)

Frankfurt am Main ranks second to last in 2026. The city came in last in 2022 (50th out of 50), then ranked 44th out of 49 in 2023 and 49th out of 53 in 2024. It lands in the bottom five of three subcategories: Admin Topics (30th), Digital Life (32nd), and Language (32nd).

Paying without cash is a sore spot (32nd). Only 60% find it easy (vs. 86% globally), and 28% disagree (vs. 6%). High-speed internet at home (65% vs. 81%) and the availability of administrative services online (40% vs. 61%) also receive below-average ratings.

Expats in Frankfurt struggle with red tape as well. Just 22% find it easy to deal with the local bureaucracy (vs. 38% globally), placing the city 31st for this factor. And indeed, more than three in five (63%) disagree (vs. 39%).

Language is the other big hurdle. Fewer than one in five (18%) find German easy to learn (vs. 39% globally), and close to three-quarters (72%) find it difficult (vs. 40%). Many expats in Frankfurt will have found their fears justified, as more than half (57%) worried about the language barrier even before moving (vs. 32%).

Housing (23rd) is Frankfurt’s best subcategory result, though only by comparison. Just one in five expats (20%) find it easy to find accommodation (vs. 44% globally), and only 14% rate the affordability of housing positively (vs. 32%).

Digital Lag & Bureaucracy Blues in Berlin (31st)

After finishing last in both 2023 and 2024, Berlin ranks 31st in 2026. It still lands in the bottom 10 of all four subcategories and comes in last for Digital Life.

In fact, Berlin ranks last for three of the four Digital Life factors. Only 37% rate the availability of administrative services online positively (vs. 61% globally), while 44% rate it negatively (vs. 19%). Just over half (54%) find it easy to pay without cash (vs. 86%), and 57% say the same about getting high-speed internet at home (vs. 81%).

Admin Topics (31st) are another issue. Berlin ranks 32nd for dealing with the local bureaucracy: just 15% find it easy (vs. 38% globally), while two-thirds (67%) disagree (vs. 39%). Getting a visa isn’t easy, either (30th), with only 42% positive ratings (vs. 55%).

The housing search is a struggle, too (28th). Just 14% of expats find it easy to find accommodation (vs. 44% globally), and more than two-thirds (68%) disagree (vs. 35%). In the Language Subcategory, Berlin comes in 27th. It seems that it’s easier to live in the German capital without speaking German (44% vs. 48%) than it is to learn the language (22% vs. 39%).

Trends in the Top 10

1. Ras Al Khaimah
2. Dubai
3. Abu Dhabi
4. Singapore
5. Mexico City
6. Riyadh
7. Kuala Lumpur
8. The Hague
9. Málaga
10. Stockholm

Half of the 2026 top 10 were already in the top 10 in 2024: Ras Al Khaimah, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Mexico City, and Riyadh. The other 2024 top 10 cities (Panama City, Muscat, Jeddah, Alicante, and Doha) aren’t part of the 2026 ranking. Their spots go to Singapore (11th in 2024), Kuala Lumpur (13th), Málaga (16th), The Hague (23rd), and Stockholm (29th).

Language is a common thread at the top: the seven best cities in the index are also the top seven in the Language Subcategory, albeit in a slightly different order. Four of them are in the Gulf region. Ras Al Khaimah (1st), Dubai (2nd), Abu Dhabi (3rd), and Riyadh (6th) all rank in the top 10 for Admin Topics (1st, 3rd, 2nd, and 7th, respectively) and for living there without speaking the local language (2nd, 3rd, 1st, and 9th).* Riyadh also does well for Housing (5th). The downside? All four rank in the bottom five for unrestricted access to online services such as social media, with only Istanbul ranking lower.

Singapore (4th) is back in the top 10 for the first time since 2022, when it ranked 3rd. It comes 3rd for Digital Life and 1st for high-speed internet at home (96% vs. 81% globally), and every single respondent (100%) finds it easy to pay without cash (vs. 86%). Housing costs are a different story (27th): only 8% rate the affordability of housing positively (vs. 32%).

Affordable housing is a strength for Kuala Lumpur (7th) and Mexico City (5th), which rank 2nd and 3rd for the affordability of housing (55% and 44% positive ratings, respectively, vs. 32% globally). Mexico City also ranks 2nd for finding housing (70% vs. 44%) and 4th for learning the local language (75% vs. 39%). Admin tasks can be harder: Kuala Lumpur comes 32nd for opening a local bank account (36% vs. 63%), and in Mexico City, fewer than half (47%) rate the availability of administrative services online positively (vs. 61%).

The European cities in the top 10 shine in other areas. The Hague (8th) ranks 2nd for Digital Life and 5th for Admin Topics, and Stockholm (10th) comes 4th for Digital Life. Copenhagen (14th) and Amsterdam (11th) narrowly miss the top 10 but rank 1st and 5th for Digital Life, so four of the top five cities in this subcategory are Dutch or Scandinavian. Housing, however, is harder to come by: only 24% of expats in The Hague (vs. 44% globally) and 30% in Stockholm agree it’s easy to find. Málaga (9th), meanwhile, does well for Housing (also 9th) but ranks just 25th for dealing with the local bureaucracy (21% positive vs. 38%).

Trends in the Bottom 10

24. Barcelona
25. Istanbul
26. Prague
27. Tokyo
28. Milan
29. Paris
30. Hamburg
31. Berlin
32. Frankfurt am Main
33. Munich

There’s little change at the bottom of the index: all seven cities from the 2024 bottom 10 that are part of the 2026 ranking land in the bottom 10 again — Istanbul, Milan, Paris, Hamburg, Berlin, Frankfurt, and Munich. Barcelona (32nd out of 53 in 2024), Tokyo (42nd), and Prague (43rd) complete the list.

All four German cities in the ranking take the bottom four spots: Hamburg (30th), Berlin (31st), Frankfurt am Main (32nd), and Munich (33rd). A German city has come in last in every edition since 2022: Frankfurt in 2022, Berlin in 2023 and 2024, and Munich in 2026. The four cities also occupy the bottom four places in the Digital Life Subcategory as well as for paying without cash. In Hamburg, just 7% agree it’s easy to find housing (vs. 44% globally). Language is another shared hurdle: all four German cities rank in the bottom 10 of the Language Subcategory, and between 46% (Hamburg) and 57% (Frankfurt) of expats worried about the language barrier before moving (vs. 32% globally).

Red tape is a common complaint in Southern Europe. Milan (28th) ranks last for Admin Topics, coming 33rd for dealing with the local bureaucracy (16% positive vs. 38% globally). No other city has a higher share of expats who named bureaucracy among their biggest concerns before moving (38% vs. 14%). Milan is also last for living there without speaking the local language (16% vs. 48%). In Barcelona (24th), only around a quarter (26%) find it easy to deal with the local bureaucracy (vs. 38%). In fact, none of the four Spanish cities in the ranking makes the top 20 for this factor (Barcelona 23rd, Málaga 25th, Madrid 26th, Valencia 28th). Barcelona also struggles with Housing (27th), with only 10% rating the affordability positively (vs. 32%).

Paris (29th) struggles with Admin Topics, too (32nd). Only 40% find it easy to get a visa (vs. 55% globally), and fewer than half (46%) say the same about opening a local bank account (vs. 63%). It’s also hard to get by without speaking French: only about a quarter (26%) find it easy (vs. 48%).

For Tokyo (27th), Prague (26th), and Istanbul (25th), language is a key challenge. Tokyo ranks last in the Language Subcategory, and three in five expats (60%) worried about the language barrier before moving — the highest share among all 33 cities (vs. 32% globally). It also comes last for opening a local bank account (43% vs. 63%), but 4th for the affordability of housing (51% vs. 32%). Prague ranks last for learning the local language (15% vs. 39%), yet 1st for unrestricted access to online services (94% vs. 83%). Istanbul, by contrast, comes last for unrestricted access to online services (55% vs. 83%), and only 27% find it easy to live there without speaking Turkish (vs. 48%).

*) Please note that this year’s Expat Insider survey was conducted by InterNations from 1 February to 31 March 2026. Since data collection took place both before and after the outbreak of the US-Iran war, the findings should be interpreted as only partially reflecting its impact on expats living in the UAE.