The Best & Worst Cities for Working Abroad 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
• Career Boosts & a Strong Economy in Ras Al Khaimah (1st)
• Flexible Work Culture & Short Hours in Amsterdam (2nd)
• The Best Work-Life Balance in Copenhagen (3rd)
• Economic Woes & a Rigid Work Culture in Istanbul (33rd)
• Job Dissatisfaction & Money Worries in Toronto (32nd)
• Pay Concerns & Few Opportunities in Milan (31st)
• Trends in the Top 10
• Trends in the Bottom 10
• Working Abroad Index 2026: Full City Ranking

Methodology

The Working Abroad Index is made up of four subcategories: Salary & Job Security, Work & Leisure, Career Prospects, and Work Culture & Satisfaction. Across these, respondents rated 13 factors — from personal career opportunities to work-life balance — 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)

Career Boosts & a Strong Economy in Ras Al Khaimah (1st)

After finishing 2nd in both 2023 and 2024, Ras Al Khaimah takes the top spot in the 2026 Working Abroad Index (no city ranking was published in 2025).* It ranks 1st in two subcategories, Salary & Job Security and Career Prospects. Along with Amsterdam, it’s also one of only two cities to land in the top 10 of all four subcategories.

Expats in Ras Al Khaimah are particularly optimistic about their careers. More than four in five (85%) agree that moving there has improved their career prospects (vs. 55% globally), and 64% even agree completely (vs. 30%). The city ranks 1st for both this factor and personal career opportunities (77% positive vs. 52%).

The state of the economy is another highlight: nine in ten (90%) rate it positively (vs. 59% globally), and close to two-thirds (64%) even say it is very good (vs. 22%). Job security (2nd) is a plus as well (71% vs. 54%). Ras Al Khaimah also comes 1st for overall job satisfaction (75% vs. 61%), with 42% — twice the global average — completely satisfied (vs. 21%).

Many expats move there for a specific job: more than a quarter (27%) relocated because they found a job there (vs. 17% globally), and 11% were recruited internationally (vs. 4%). Entrepreneurship is common as well, with more than one in five working expats (22%) running their own business (vs. 8%).

Full-time workers in Ras Al Khaimah work 45.7 hours a week on average (vs. 42.2 hours globally). Even so, the city ranks 7th for working hours (73% positive vs. 63%). Work-life balance only gets a mid-table result (18th), though, and Work & Leisure is the city’s weakest subcategory (10th).

Flexible Work Culture & Short Hours in Amsterdam (2nd)

Amsterdam comes in 2nd in 2026, after placing 5th in 2024 and topping the index in 2023. It also leads the Work Culture & Satisfaction Subcategory (1st).

Expats appreciate the local business culture, which supports flexibility such as remote work or flexible working hours (84% agree vs. 56% globally). Only 3% disagree (vs. 18%), and Amsterdam ranks 2nd for this factor. In fact, two-thirds of working expats (67%) work remotely some of the time (vs. 46% globally).

Work & Leisure (2nd) is another strength. Around four in five expats (81%) are happy with their working hours (vs. 63% globally), putting Amsterdam in 2nd place for this factor. Three-quarters (75%) are satisfied with their work-life balance (vs. 62%). Full-time workers put in 39.3 hours a week on average — close to three hours less than the global average (42.2 hours).

The local job market receives good grades, too (57% positive vs. 38% globally), ranking 3rd among all 33 cities. A quarter of expats (25%) moved to Amsterdam because they found a job there (vs. 17%), and one in ten (10%) were recruited internationally (vs. 4%). Career Prospects is Amsterdam’s lowest-ranked subcategory, but even there, it comes 6th.

The Best Work-Life Balance in Copenhagen (3rd)

Copenhagen topped the Working Abroad Index in both 2022 and 2024. In 2026, it slips to 3rd place but stays in the top three, just like in every edition since 2022.

The Danish capital leads the Work & Leisure Subcategory, ranking 1st for both working hours and work-life balance. More than four in five expats are happy with their working hours (81% vs. 63% globally) and their work-life balance (82% vs. 62%). Over two in five (44%) are even completely satisfied with the latter (vs. 25%). Full-time workers put in 39.4 hours a week on average (vs. 42.2 hours globally).

Copenhagen also ranks 1st for a local business culture that supports flexibility (80% vs. 56%). More than three-quarters of working expats (76%) work remotely some of the time (vs. 46% globally) — the highest share among all 33 cities. Salary & Job Security (4th) is another plus: expats rate the state of the economy positively (87% vs. 59%), and around three-quarters (76%) feel they’re paid fairly for their work (vs. 58%).

The city’s weak spot is Career Prospects (17th). The local job market (19th) receives only slightly above-average ratings (42% vs. 38% globally), and over a quarter of expats (26%) disagree that moving to Copenhagen has improved their career prospects (vs. 22%). Job security gets mixed reviews as well: 61% are satisfied (vs. 54%), but three in ten (30%) are not (vs. 23%). And indeed, many expats moved for their partner rather than a job: close to a quarter (24%) moved for love (vs. 11%), and 14% for their partner’s job (vs. 6%).

Economic Woes & a Rigid Work Culture in Istanbul (33rd)

Istanbul finishes last in the 2026 Working Abroad Index, just like in 2022 and 2024. It also comes in last in two subcategories, Salary & Job Security and Work Culture & Satisfaction, and lands in the bottom 10 of the other two.

The state of the economy is a major concern. Istanbul is the only city where fewer than one in five expats rate it positively (16% vs. 59% globally), while more than half (56%) rate it negatively (vs. 20%). Close to a quarter (23%) even give it the worst possible rating (vs. 4%). Job security (29th) is another worry (42% positive vs. 54%).

Expats also give Istanbul the worst ratings for the local business culture’s flexibility. Fewer than a quarter (24%) agree it supports things like remote work or flexible working hours (vs. 56% globally), and 38% disagree (vs. 18%). Close to half of working expats (49%) don’t work remotely at all (vs. 34%).

Istanbul ranks last for working hours, too. Over a third of expats (35%) are unhappy with them (vs. 16% globally), and only 44% are satisfied (vs. 63%). That’s despite a shorter-than-average working week: full-time workers put in 39.0 hours on average (vs. 42.2 hours globally).

Work isn’t a main motivation for moving to Istanbul in the first place. Only 22% relocated for job-related reasons (vs. 33% globally). Instead, more than one in five (21%) moved there to go to school or university (vs. 4%), and 13% for family reasons (vs. 6%).

Job Dissatisfaction & Money Worries in Toronto (32nd)

Toronto ranks 32nd out of 33 cities. It was already among the bottom 10 in 2024 (47th out of 53), after placing 13th in 2022 and 19th in 2023. In 2026, the city comes second to last in three of the four subcategories: Work & Leisure, Salary & Job Security, and Work Culture & Satisfaction.

Expats in Toronto are the least satisfied with their jobs among all 33 cities. Only two in five (40%) are happy with their job overall (vs. 61% globally), and just one in ten (10%) are completely satisfied (vs. 21%). Their work-life balance (32nd) doesn’t fare much better: only half (50%) rate it positively (vs. 62%), and over a quarter (27%) rate it negatively (vs. 18%).

In the Salary & Job Security Subcategory, Toronto lands in the bottom three for all three factors. Close to a third of expats (32%) don’t feel they’re paid fairly for their work (vs. 21% globally), and 23% don’t agree at all (vs. 7%). The state of the economy (42% positive vs. 59%) and job security (41% vs. 54%) also receive below-average ratings. Money is a concern in general: 44% say their disposable household income isn’t enough to lead a comfortable life (vs. 29%).

Toronto has the lowest share of expats who moved for job-related reasons among all 33 cities (17% vs. 33% globally). Many came looking for an adventure (15% vs. 4%) or for family reasons (13% vs. 6%).

Pay Concerns & Few Opportunities in Milan (31st)

Milan ranks 31st in the 2026 Working Abroad Index and has landed in the bottom five in every edition since 2022. Like Istanbul, it ranks in the bottom 10 of all four subcategories, with Work Culture & Satisfaction (30th) as its weakest.

Pay is a major issue. Fewer than half of expats (44%) feel they’re paid fairly for their work (vs. 58% globally), and only one in ten (10%) completely agree (vs. 21%), placing Milan 31st for this factor. More than three in five (62%) have a gross yearly income of less than 50,000 USD (vs. 47% globally).

Personal career opportunities (30th) don’t impress, either. Over a third (34%) rate them negatively (vs. 26%), and close to one in five (18%) aren’t satisfied at all (vs. 9%). The state of the economy receives below-average ratings as well (45% positive vs. 59%).

Only around half of expats (52%) are satisfied with their job overall (vs. 61% globally), ranking Milan 30th. The same share (52%) are happy with their working hours (vs. 63%), even though full-time workers put in fewer hours than the global average (40.6 vs. 42.2 hours a week).

Close to a third (31%) moved to Milan for job-related reasons (vs. 33% globally). On the plus side, more than two-thirds (69%) work remotely some of the time (vs. 46%), and the local business culture’s flexibility gets about average ratings (57% vs. 56%).

Trends in the Top 10

1. Ras Al Khaimah
2. Amsterdam
3. Copenhagen
4. Dublin
5. Dubai
6. The Hague
7. Brussels
8. Geneva
9. Abu Dhabi
10. Mexico City

Despite the smaller field in 2026 (33 cities vs. 53 in 2024), seven of the top 10 already ranked among the top 10 in 2024. The three newcomers are Mexico City (11th in 2024), Abu Dhabi (12th), and Geneva (23rd). Riyadh (4th in 2024) and New York City (10th), on the other hand, drop out of the top 10.

Six of the top 10 are European cities: Amsterdam (2nd), Copenhagen (3rd), Dublin (4th), The Hague (6th), Brussels (7th), and Geneva(8th). Their biggest shared strength is a flexible work culture. All six rank in the top 10 for a local business culture that supports flexibility, and in each of them, more than half of working expats work remotely some of the time (vs. 46% globally). Full-time workers also work fewer hours than the global average of 42.2 hours a week, from 39.3 hours in Amsterdam to 40.5 hours in Dublin and Geneva.

Dublin impresses with strong Career Prospects (4th), ranking 2nd for both the local job market (56% vs. 38% globally) and personal career opportunities (69% vs. 52%). Brussels ranks 1st for both job security (71% vs. 54%) and being paid fairly (78% vs. 58%), but only 27th for the state of the economy (52% vs. 59%). In Geneva, it’s the other way around: the economy gets great reviews (85% vs. 59%), but job security only ranks 25th (46% vs. 54%).

All three Emirati cities in the ranking make the top 10: Ras Al Khaimah (1st), Dubai (5th), and Abu Dhabi (9th).* They take the top three spots for improved career prospects (Ras Al Khaimah 1st, Abu Dhabi 2nd, Dubai 3rd) and three of the top four for the state of the economy (Dubai 1st, Abu Dhabi 2nd, Ras Al Khaimah 4th). In Abu Dhabi, 59% of expats moved for job-related reasons (vs. 33% globally) — the highest share among all 33 cities.

The downside is long working weeks: full-time workers put in 46.2 hours in Dubai, 45.7 hours in Ras Al Khaimah, and 44.7 hours in Abu Dhabi (vs. 42.2 hours globally). Only the Saudi capital Riyadh (12th) tops Dubai, with 49.3 hours. Dubai and Abu Dhabi also land in the bottom 10 for being paid fairly (24th and 30th, respectively).

Mexico City (10th) is the only city in the Americas to make the top 10. It ranks 2nd for being paid fairly (71% vs. 58% globally) and 3rd for personal career opportunities (64% vs. 52%). Many are their own bosses: 27% of working expats have their own business (vs. 8%) — the highest share among all 33 cities. Remote work is common, too, with 43% working remotely all the time (vs. 20%). Working hours, however, are a weak spot (23rd).

Trends in the Bottom 10

24. Frankfurt am Main
25. Kuala Lumpur
26. Zurich
27. Barcelona
28. Valencia
29. Lisbon
30. New York City
31. Milan
32. Toronto
33. Istanbul

Half of the 2026 bottom 10 already ranked among the bottom 10 in 2024: Kuala Lumpur, Lisbon, Milan, Toronto, and Istanbul. Málaga, on the other hand, leaves the bottom 10 behind (44th in 2024 vs. 21st in 2026). New York City goes the opposite way, from the top 10 in 2024 (10th) to the bottom 10 in 2026 (30th).

Southern Europe is strongly represented, with Barcelona (27th), Valencia (28th), Lisbon (29th), and Milan (31st) all in the bottom 10. Career Prospects are a particular problem on the Iberian Peninsula: the bottom five of this subcategory are Madrid (29th), Barcelona (30th), Málaga (31st), Lisbon (32nd), and Valencia (33rd). Valencia comes in last for all three factors in the subcategory — the local job market (19% positive vs. 38% globally), improved career prospects (29% vs. 55%), and personal career opportunities (36% vs. 52%) — as well as for job security (34% vs. 54%). Interestingly, it ranks 3rd for being paid fairly (78% vs. 58%).

Many expats in these Iberian cities didn’t move for work in the first place: only around one in five relocated for job-related reasons in Valencia (19%), Barcelona (21%), and Lisbon (21%), compared to a third (33%) globally. Remote work is common, too. More than half of working expats in Valencia (58%) and over two in five in Lisbon (43%) work remotely all the time (vs. 20% globally). And despite their career struggles, expats there are happy with their life in general (81% in Valencia and Lisbon and 75% in Barcelona vs. 70% globally).

New York City (30th) and Toronto (32nd) both land in the bottom three for Work & Leisure (33rd and 32nd, respectively) and Salary & Job Security (31st and 32nd). New York City ranks last for work-life balance: only around two in five expats (42%) rate it positively (vs. 62% globally). Job security (33% vs. 54%) and the state of the economy (36% vs. 59%) also receive some of the lowest ratings (32nd and 30th, respectively). Still, the Big Apple ranks 10th for the local job market (52% vs. 38%).

Zurich (26th) falls from the top half in 2024 (17th) to the bottom 10 in 2026, even though expats rate the state of the economy highly (85% vs. 59% globally). They’re far less impressed with their working hours (50% vs. 63%) and work-life balance (48% vs. 62%), ranking Zurich 30th and 31st, respectively. Frankfurt am Main (24th) is the only German city in the bottom 10. Expats there tend to feel paid fairly (66% vs. 58%), but fewer than half (48%) agree that moving there has improved their career prospects (vs. 55%), and over a third (34%) disagree (vs. 22%).

Kuala Lumpur (25th) was also part of the bottom 10 in 2022 and 2024 (46th and 48th, respectively). Its weakest subcategory is Work Culture & Satisfaction (31st): fewer than half of expats (49%) agree that the local business culture supports flexibility (vs. 56% globally), and three in ten (30%) disagree (vs. 18%). Tokyo (32nd) and Singapore (25th) also land in the bottom half for this factor.

*) 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.

Working Abroad Index 2026: Full City Ranking