The Easiest & Hardest Cities to Settle Into 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
• Friendly Locals & a Warm Welcome in Ras Al Khaimah (1st)
• Easy Local Friendships in Mexico City (2nd)
• An Easygoing Culture & Happy Expats in Málaga (3rd)
• Cultural Hurdles & Few Local Friends in Zurich (33rd)
• Feeling Unwelcome in Munich (32nd)
• Social Struggles & Little Support in Hamburg (31st)
• Trends in the Top 10
• Trends in the Bottom 10
• Ease of Settling In Index 2026: Full City Ranking

Methodology

The Ease of Settling In Index is made up of three subcategories: Local Friendliness, Culture Welcome, and Finding Friends. Across these, respondents rated eight factors — from general friendliness of the local residents to how easy it is to get used to the local culture — 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).

Friendly Locals & a Warm Welcome in Ras Al Khaimah (1st)

Ras Al Khaimah comes in 1st in the 2026 Ease of Settling In Index, up from 5th place in 2024 and 9th in 2023 (no city ranking was published in 2025).* The emirate takes the top spot in all three subcategories and ranks 1st for seven of the index’s eight factors. Only for making local friends does it come in 2nd, just behind Mexico City.

Expats enjoy a warm welcome. Close to nine in ten (87%) feel welcome in Ras Al Khaimah (vs. 64% globally), and only 3% don’t (vs. 17%). The locals are seen as friendly both in general (86% vs. 63%) and toward foreign residents (83% vs. 61%), with just 2% giving negative ratings in each case (vs. 18% and 20%, respectively).

Adjusting to life there is easy, too. Even though 17% named culture shock among their biggest concerns before moving (vs. 10% globally), four in five (80%) now find it easy to get used to the local culture (vs. 60%).

Close to three-quarters (74%) are happy with their social life (vs. 54% globally), and 71% have a personal support network (vs. 58%). Close to two-thirds (64%) also agree that making local friends is easy (vs. 39%). Interestingly, this doesn’t translate into mostly local friend circles: more than half (55%) say their friends and acquaintances are mostly other expats (vs. 37%), while just 2% describe them as mostly locals (vs. 17%). Overall, 84% are happy with their life in Ras Al Khaimah (vs. 70% globally).

Easy Local Friendships in Mexico City (2nd)

Mexico City ranks 2nd, just like in 2024, and has placed in the top three of this index in every edition since 2022 — it even took 1st place in 2022. In 2026, the Mexican capital comes 2nd in all three subcategories.

Mexico City ranks 1st for making local friends: almost two-thirds of expats (65%) find it easy (vs. 39% globally), while only 11% disagree (vs. 40%). And they do make local friends. More than a third (35%) describe their friends and acquaintances as mostly locals — more than double the global average (17%) and the highest share among all 33 cities. Only 16% mostly socialize with other expats (vs. 37%).

The welcome is just as warm. More than nine in ten (91%) feel welcome in Mexico City (vs. 64% globally), and 84% feel at home (vs. 61%). Expats also give the local residents great marks for their general friendliness (86% vs. 63%) and their friendliness toward foreign residents (84% vs. 61%).

Language rarely gets in the way: more than two-thirds (68%) speak the local language very or fairly well (vs. 48% globally), and none say they don’t speak it at all (0% vs. 10%). Close to one in five (19%) originally moved there for love or to live in their partner’s home country (vs. 11%). Overall, 82% are happy with their life in Mexico City (vs. 70%).

An Easygoing Culture & Happy Expats in Málaga (3rd)

After topping the index in both 2023 and 2024, Málaga slips to 3rd place in 2026. It also ranks 3rd in all three subcategories.

Expats find it easy to get used to the local culture (83% vs. 60% globally), for which Málaga ranks 2nd. Most also rate the general friendliness of the local residents positively (86% vs. 63%) — only 3% have a negative view (vs. 18%) — and feel welcome in the city (85% vs. 64%).

Social life is a plus as well: 70% are happy with it (vs. 54% globally), and half (50%) find it easy to make local friends (vs. 39%). Even so, 42% say their friends and acquaintances are mostly other expats (vs. 37%), and only 13% have mostly local friends (vs. 17%). Before moving, close to half (49%) worried about the language barrier (vs. 32%), but relatively few feared loneliness or isolation (14% vs. 22%).

Málaga’s expats are also the happiest of all 33 cities: 86% are happy with their life there (vs. 70% globally). Many originally came for a better quality of life (34% vs. 9%), and more than half (51%) want to stay forever (vs. 27%) — the highest share in the ranking.

Cultural Hurdles & Few Local Friends in Zurich (33rd)

Zurich comes in last in the 2026 Ease of Settling In Index, after ranking 49th out of 53 cities in 2024. It lands in the bottom five of all three subcategories: Local Friendliness (30th), Finding Friends (31st), and Culture & Welcome (32nd).

The local culture is a major hurdle. Zurich ranks last for this factor: only just over a third (36%) find it easy to get used to the local culture (vs. 60% globally), while 40% disagree (vs. 19%) — the highest share among all 33 cities. Feeling welcome isn’t a given, either (42% vs. 64%).

Making friends is even harder. Only 13% agree that making local friends is easy (vs. 39% globally), and more than seven in ten (71%) disagree (vs. 40%). Just 1% describe their friends and acquaintances as mostly locals (vs. 17%) — the lowest share of all 33 cities — while half (50%) mostly socialize with other expats (vs. 37%). Two in five (40%) are unhappy with their social life (vs. 27%).

The locals get poor marks for their general friendliness (35% positive vs. 63% globally) and their friendliness toward foreign residents (39% vs. 61%). Before moving, close to a third (30%) named loneliness or isolation among their biggest concerns (vs. 22%). Overall, expats in Zurich are slightly less happy with their life there than the global average (67% vs. 70%).

Feeling Unwelcome in Munich (32nd)

After finishing last in 2024 (53rd out of 53 cities), Munich ranks second to last in 2026. It comes in last in the Culture & Welcome Subcategory and lands in the bottom five for Local Friendliness (31st) and Finding Friends (30th).

Munich ranks last for feeling welcome: only 41% of expats feel welcome there (vs. 64% globally), and 30% don’t (vs. 17%). Fewer than half (48%) feel at home (vs. 61%), and only two in five (40%) find it easy to get used to the local culture (vs. 60%). Before moving, 17% named culture shock as one of their biggest concerns (vs. 10%).

Even though seven in ten (70%) have lived in Munich for more than five years (vs. 60% globally), many still struggle to connect. Fewer than one in five (19%) find it easy to make local friends (vs. 39%), while 63% disagree (vs. 40%). More than half (53%) say their friends and acquaintances are mostly other expats (vs. 37%), and just 6% have mostly local friends (vs. 17%).

The local residents don’t leave a great impression, either: 39% rate their general friendliness negatively (vs. 18% globally), and only 38% rate it positively (vs. 63%). About two-thirds of expats (66%) are happy with their life in Munich (vs. 70%), but only 9% are completely happy (vs. 24%).

Social Struggles & Little Support in Hamburg (31st)

Hamburg has landed in the bottom five of this index in every edition since 2022: 49th out of 50 cities in 2022, 46th out of 49 in 2023, and 52nd out of 53 in 2024. In 2026, it ranks 31st, with Finding Friends (32nd) as its weakest subcategory.

Hamburg ranks second to last for having a personal support network: only 42% have people they can ask for practical or emotional support (vs. 58% globally), while 44% don’t (vs. 25%) — the highest share among all 33 cities. Just over a third (36%) are happy with their social life (vs. 54%), and only one in five (20%) find it easy to make local friends (vs. 39%).

The city also ranks second to last for feeling at home. Fewer than half of expats (46%) feel at home in Hamburg (vs. 61% globally), and 38% don’t (vs. 21%) — again the highest share of all 33 cities. Hamburg’s best subcategory result is for Local Friendliness (26th), but even there, only a third (33%) rate the general friendliness of the local residents positively (vs. 63%).

Many expats move to Hamburg for work: close to half (47%) relocated for job-related reasons (vs. 33% globally), and 35% applied for or found a job there (vs. 17%). Before moving, close to half (46%) worried about the language barrier (vs. 32%). Overall, 60% are happy with their life in Hamburg (vs. 70%), and just 7% are completely happy (vs. 24%) — the lowest share in the ranking.

Trends in the Top 10

1. Ras Al Khaimah
2. Mexico City
3. Málaga
4. Dubai
5. Lisbon
6. Madrid
7. Abu Dhabi
8. Dublin
9. Valencia
10. Singapore

With fewer cities in the 2026 ranking (33 vs. 53 in 2024), half of the top 10 are new to this group: Dubai (11th in 2024), Abu Dhabi (14th), Dublin (18th), Lisbon (20th), and Singapore (26th). The other five — Ras Al Khaimah, Mexico City, Málaga, Madrid, and Valencia — were already in the top 10 in 2024. In fact, every city from the 2024 top 10 that’s part of the 2026 ranking makes the top 10 again.

The results at the top are remarkably consistent. The top eight cities in the index also take the top eight spots in both the Local Friendliness and the Culture & Welcome Subcategories — in exactly the same order. And every top 10 city has an above-average share of expats who feel welcome.

All three Emirati cities in the ranking make the top 10: Ras Al Khaimah (1st), Dubai (4th), and Abu Dhabi (7th).* For Dubai, it’s the best result in any edition since 2022 (8th in 2022, 14th in 2023, 11th in 2024). Expats in all three cities find the locals friendly toward foreign residents (Ras Al Khaimah 83%, Dubai 74%, Abu Dhabi 66% vs. 61% globally). Yet in each of them, more than half say their friends and acquaintances are mostly other expats (Ras Al Khaimah 55%, Dubai 61%, Abu Dhabi 51% vs. 37%), and hardly anyone has mostly local friends (2% in Ras Al Khaimah and 3% in both Dubai and Abu Dhabi vs. 17%). Abu Dhabi’s weak spot is the personal support network (17th): only 53% have one (vs. 58%).

The Iberian Peninsula is well represented, too, with Málaga (3rd), Lisbon (5th), Madrid (6th), and Valencia (9th) in the top 10, while Barcelona just misses out (11th). Expats in all five cities are more likely than average to want to stay forever (Málaga 51%, Valencia 39%, Lisbon 33%, Barcelona 33%, Madrid 31% vs. 27% globally). Madrid ranks 6th in all three subcategories, while Valencia slips from 4th place in 2024 to 9th, with average results for feeling at home (61% vs. 61%) and making local friends (38% vs. 39%). Lisbon returns to 5th place, where it also ranked in 2022, after placing 20th in 2024. Two-thirds of expats there (67%) speak the local language only a little or not at all (vs. 43%) — the highest share among all 33 cities — but that doesn’t stop them from feeling at home (76% vs. 61%).

Dublin (8th) is one of the biggest surprises. Second to last in the 2026 Quality of Life Index, it makes the top 10 of the Ease of Settling In Index after placing 15th, 17th, and 18th in 2022, 2023, and 2024, respectively. It ranks 8th in all three subcategories, and close to three-quarters of expats (74%) find the local residents generally friendly (vs. 63% globally).

Singapore (10th) completes the top 10. It ranks 4th for having a personal support network (71% vs. 58%) and 6th for finding it easy to get used to the local culture (76% vs. 60%). About two-thirds (66%) describe their friends and acquaintances as a fairly mixed group (vs. 47%) — the highest share among all 33 cities.

Trends in the Bottom 10

24. Paris
25. Geneva
26. Prague
27. Frankfurt am Main
28. Berlin
29. Vienna
30. Stockholm
31. Hamburg
32. Munich
33. Zurich

The bottom 10 are all European cities. Six of them were already in the bottom 10 in 2024: Stockholm, Frankfurt am Main, Berlin, Hamburg, Munich, and Zurich. In fact, every city from the 2024 bottom 10 that’s part of the 2026 ranking lands there again. Paris (40th in 2024), Geneva (35th), Prague (43rd), and Vienna (42nd) are new to this group. In all ten cities, fewer than half of expats find the local residents generally friendly (vs. 63% globally), and no more than 30% say it’s easy to make local friends (vs. 39%). None of them reach the global average for the share of expats whose friends are mostly locals (17%).

Six of the bottom 10 are German-speaking cities: Frankfurt am Main (27th), Berlin (28th), Vienna (29th), Hamburg (31st), Munich (32nd), and Zurich (33rd). They also take the bottom six spots in the Culture & Welcome Subcategory, with Frankfurt ranking last for feeling at home (43% vs. 61% globally). In 2024, Frankfurt, Berlin, Hamburg, and Munich even took the last four places in the index. Language skills don’t seem to be the main issue: in all six cities, the share of expats who speak the local language very or fairly well is above the global average (from 53% in Vienna to 65% in Munich vs. 48% globally). Still, many worried about the language barrier before moving (Frankfurt 57%, Berlin 56%, Munich 56% vs. 32%).

Vienna (29th) and Prague (26th) take the last two spots in the Local Friendliness Subcategory (33rd and 32nd, respectively). Vienna comes in last for both factors in this subcategory: only 30% agree that people are generally friendly toward foreign residents (vs. 61% globally), while half (50%) disagree (vs. 20%). In Prague, just a third (33%) agree (vs. 61%). Both cities do better when it comes to having a personal support network (Vienna 12th, Prague 19th). Vienna came in last in both 2022 and 2023.

Stockholm (30th) ranks last in the Finding Friends Subcategory and comes in last for two of its three factors. Only 15% find it easy to make local friends (vs. 39% globally), while close to three-quarters (73%) disagree (vs. 40%). And fewer than three in ten (29%) are happy with their social life (vs. 54%). Fellow Nordic capital Copenhagen (22nd) stays out of the bottom 10 but shares this struggle: only 19% find it easy to make local friends there.

Paris (24th) and Geneva (25th) round out the bottom 10. In Paris, only half of expats (50%) feel welcome (vs. 64% globally), and a third (33%) say people aren’t friendly toward foreign residents (vs. 20%). Before moving, 42% worried about the language barrier (vs. 32%). In Geneva, only 41% rate the general friendliness of the local residents positively (vs. 63%), and 43% find it easy to get used to the local culture (vs. 60%). More than half of expats there (57%) say their friends are mostly other expats (vs. 37%).

*) 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.