Where Expats Find the Best Quality of Life 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
• Sunshine & Affordable Healthcare in Valencia (1st)
• Culture & Cuisine in Madrid (2nd)
• Safe & Stable in Dubai (3rd)
• Costly Healthcare & Political Worries in New York City (33rd)
• Transit Woes & Gray Skies in Dublin (32nd)
• Pricey Transit & Safety Concerns in London (31st)
• Trends in the Top 10
• Trends in the Bottom 10
• Quality of Life Index 2026: Full City Ranking

Methodology

The Quality of Life Index is made up of five subcategories: Travel & Transit, Environment & Climate, Leisure Options, Safety & Security, and Healthcare. Across these, respondents rated 21 factors — from the availability of public transport to the quality of medical care — 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)

Sunshine & Affordable Healthcare in Valencia (1st)

Valencia ranks 1st out of 33 cities in the 2026 Quality of Life Index — just as it did in 2022, 2023, and 2024 (no city ranking was published in 2025). It’s no surprise, then, that many expats move there specifically for a better quality of life (23% vs. 9% globally) or to retire abroad (12% vs. 4%). And more than four in five (81%) are happy with their life in Valencia (vs. 70% globally).

The city ranks 2nd in both the Healthcare and the Environment & Climate Subcategories. Medical care is affordable (85% positive ratings vs. 61% globally) — no other city does better on this factor — as well as easily available and of high quality (84% vs. 71% for each).

Expats also love the climate & weather (94% vs. 58% globally), with only Málaga ranking higher. Similarly large shares appreciate the natural environment (93% vs. 84%) and find it easy and safe to get around on foot or by bike (93% vs. 78%). Plus, Valencia ranks 1st for opportunities for recreational sports (92% vs. 76%).

Valencia’s weakest result is in the Safety & Security Subcategory (13th). The vast majority of expats feel safe (92% vs. 81% globally), but opinions on the political stability are slightly below average (56% positive vs. 58% globally). The city also lands in the bottom 10 when it comes to the government supporting policies to protect the environment (24th).

Culture & Cuisine in Madrid (2nd)

Madrid moves up from 4th place in 2024 to 2nd in 2026. Just like in Valencia, more than four in five expats (81%) are happy with their life there (vs. 70% globally).

Leisure Options are a major highlight (2nd): over nine in ten respondents rate the culture & nightlife (93% vs. 67% globally) and the culinary variety & dining options (94% vs. 75%) positively. Opportunities for recreational sports are plentiful, too (5th).

Healthcare (3rd) is another strength. Expats in Madrid find medical care affordable (84% vs. 61%) and of high quality (84% vs. 71%). Getting around is easy as well, with Madrid ranking 4th for Travel & Transit: public transport is both widely available (93% vs. 72%) and affordable (91% vs. 70%).

Madrid’s lowest subcategory result is for Safety & Security (11th). Even so, four in five expats (80%) say they can openly express themselves and their opinions (vs. 64% globally), putting Madrid in 3rd place for this factor. Political stability, though, only ranks 19th.

Results for the Environment & Climate (10th) are similarly mixed. Expats are happy with the climate & weather (83% vs. 58%), but the air quality (17th) receives slightly fewer positive ratings than the global average (62% vs. 65%).

Safe & Stable in Dubai (3rd)

Dubai climbs from 8th place in 2024 to 3rd in 2026 — its best result in any edition since 2022.* Many expats move there for work: 42% relocated for job-related reasons (vs. 33% globally).

Safety & Security is a huge plus (2nd). Nearly all expats (96%) feel safe in Dubai (vs. 81% globally), and close to nine in ten (88%) rate the political stability positively (vs. 58%). Hardly anyone has a negative view of it (0% vs. 17%). The freedom of expression is a different story, though: only 54% agree they can openly express themselves and their opinions (vs. 64% globally).

Expats also enjoy plenty of Leisure Options (4th), particularly the culinary variety & dining options (90% vs. 75%) and the culture & nightlife (87% vs. 67%). Healthcare (9th) is easily available (88% vs. 71%) and of high quality (85% vs. 71%), but not quite as affordable (55% vs. 61%). And getting around by car is a breeze: Dubai ranks 2nd for the infrastructure for cars (92% vs. 73%).

With a 15th place, the Environment & Climate is Dubai’s weakest subcategory. Over four in five expats (86%) agree that the government supports policies to protect the environment (vs. 62% globally). But the natural environment (30th) and air quality (22nd) disappoint, and the climate & weather receives fewer positive ratings than average (48% vs. 58%). In fact, close to a quarter of expats (24%) named the climate among their biggest concerns before moving (vs. 15% globally).

Costly Healthcare & Political Worries in New York City (33rd)

New York City comes in last in the 2026 Quality of Life Index. It’s a new low for the city, which ranked 36th out of 50 cities in 2022, 40th out of 49 in 2023, and 45th out of 53 in 2024. New York City is in last place in three of the index’s five subcategories: Environment & Climate, Safety & Security, and Healthcare.

Healthcare costs are a major pain point: 71% of expats rate the affordability of healthcare negatively (vs. 21% globally), and only 14% have something positive to say about it (vs. 61%). Fewer than half (45%) find it easy to get equal access to all kinds of healthcare services (vs. 63%). Before moving, close to one in five (18%) already worried about insufficient healthcare standards (vs. 6% globally).

Political stability gets the worst result among all 33 cities: just 14% rate it positively (vs. 58% globally), while close to half (47%) view it negatively (vs. 17%). In addition, only around half of expats (54%) feel safe in New York City (vs. 81%), and fewer than half (48%) agree they can openly express themselves and their opinions (vs. 64%).

Expats aren’t impressed with their surroundings, either. Only one in five (20%) agree that the government supports policies to protect the environment (vs. 62% globally). The urban environment (42% vs. 69%) and air quality (36% vs. 65%) also receive few positive ratings. Travel & Transit (31st) is another weak spot, with public transport that’s comparatively expensive (59% positive vs. 70% globally).

Still, the Big Apple has its upsides: it ranks 8th for Leisure Options. Expats love the culinary variety & dining options (90% vs. 75%), for which New York City ranks 2nd, and the culture & nightlife (86% vs. 67%).

Transit Woes & Gray Skies in Dublin (32nd)

After finishing last in both 2023 and 2024, Dublin moves up one spot to 32nd place in 2026. Still, it ranks last in two subcategories: Travel & Transit and Leisure Options.

Expats give Dublin the worst grades of all 33 cities for the availability of public transport. Only 40% rate it positively (vs. 72% globally), and just as many (40%) rate it negatively (vs. 17%). Dublin also ranks last for how easy and safe it is to get around on foot or by bike (66% vs. 78%), and second to last for the infrastructure for cars (53% vs. 73%).

Leisure Options (33rd) are another weak point. Only around half (53%) are happy with the opportunities for recreational sports (vs. 76%), and the culinary variety & dining options don’t impress, either (64% vs. 75%).

Healthcare (32nd) doesn’t fare much better. Dublin ranks last for the availability of healthcare (44% positive vs. 71% globally) and second to last for the quality of medical care (46% vs. 71%). Plus, only about a third (32%) rate the affordability positively (vs. 61%).

The weather is another sore spot: more than half of expats (57%) rate the climate & weather negatively (vs. 21% globally), and 38% named it among their biggest concerns before moving (vs. 15%). Even so, Dublin lands mid-table in the Environment & Climate Subcategory (16th). It ranks 5th for air quality (84% positive vs. 65% globally), and the natural environment gets great reviews (88% vs. 84%). Expats also rate the political stability (72% vs. 58%) and their freedom to openly express themselves (76% vs. 64%) above average.

Pricey Transit & Safety Concerns in London (31st)

London ranks 31st in the 2026 Quality of Life Index and lands in the bottom five of three subcategories: Safety & Security (29th), Travel & Transit (30th), and Healthcare (30th). Many expats there have lived in London for a long time: 60% for more than ten years (vs. 39% globally). And one in five (20%) originally moved there to go to school or university (vs. 4%).

London ranks last for the quality of medical care, which only 49% rate positively (vs. 71% globally). More than a third (35%) rate it negatively (vs. 15%). The availability of healthcare doesn’t fare much better (57% vs. 71%).

Personal safety is another concern. Only around half of expats (53%) feel safe in London (vs. 81% globally), and the political stability receives below-average ratings as well (44% positive vs. 58%).

Public transport is widely available (83% vs. 72%), but expats rate its affordability the worst among all 33 cities: just 51% have something positive to say about it (vs. 70%), and more than a third (36%) rate it negatively (vs. 16%).

Like Dublin, London struggles with the weather. More than half (52%) rate the climate & weather negatively (vs. 21% globally), and a third (33%) named it among their biggest concerns before moving (vs. 15%). Air quality isn’t great, either (39% positive vs. 65%).

On the bright side, London does better in the Leisure Options Subcategory (16th), thanks to its culinary variety & dining options (83% vs. 75%) and the culture & nightlife (79% vs. 67%).

Trends in the Top 10

1. Valencia
2. Madrid
3. Dubai
4. Abu Dhabi
5. Málaga
6. Tokyo
7. Vienna
8. Singapore
9. Copenhagen
10. Lisbon

Even though fewer cities are part of the 2026 ranking (33 vs. 53 in 2024), the top 10 look familiar: Singapore (13th in 2024) and Lisbon (17th) are the only newcomers. Zurich, meanwhile, drops out of the top 10 (9th to 16th).

Spanish cities lead the way: Valencia (1st), Madrid (2nd), and Málaga (5th) all make the top five, and Barcelona only just misses the top 10 (12th). All four rank among the six best cities for the climate & weather as well as for opportunities for recreational sports. But they also share a weak point: political stability, for which none of them makes it into the top 15 (Valencia 20th, Madrid 19th, Málaga 24th, Barcelona 25th).

The two Emirati cities, Dubai (3rd) and Abu Dhabi (4th), share a similar profile.* Both land in the top 10 for Travel & Transit (8th and 3rd, respectively), Safety & Security (2nd, 6th), and Healthcare (9th, 4th). They also take the top two spots for the infrastructure for cars and for government support of environmental policies, with Abu Dhabi ranking 1st and Dubai 2nd in both cases. However, expats are less impressed with the natural environment (Dubai 30th, Abu Dhabi 32nd) and the freedom to express themselves (25th, 27th).

Tokyo (6th) and Singapore (8th) represent Asia in the top 10. Both are among the safest cities for expats: Singapore ranks 1st and Tokyo 2nd for personal safety, with 98% of respondents in each city feeling safe (vs. 81% globally). Tokyo leads the Healthcare Subcategory (1st), while Singapore comes out on top for Travel & Transit (1st), placing in the top three for all five factors in this subcategory. Healthcare in Singapore is far less affordable, though (32nd). And in both cities, relatively few expats agree they can openly express themselves and their opinions (41% in Tokyo and 44% in Singapore vs. 64% globally).

The remaining European cities in the top 10 each have their own strengths. Vienna (7th) ranks 2nd for Travel & Transit — almost all expats (98%) rate the availability of public transport positively (vs. 72% globally) — and 4th for the Environment & Climate. Copenhagen (9th) comes 1st for Safety & Security, with every single respondent (100%) feeling safe (vs. 81%). All expats there (100%) also agree that it’s easy and safe to get around on foot or by bike (vs. 78%). The weather, however, is a downside (27th). Finally, Lisbon (10th) ranks 1st for the freedom to openly express oneself (80% vs. 64%), but only 29th for the infrastructure for cars.

Trends in the Bottom 10

24. Berlin
25. Kuala Lumpur
26. Amsterdam
27. Toronto
28. Frankfurt am Main
29. Brussels
30. Istanbul
31. London
32. Dublin
33. New York City

Half of the bottom 10 are familiar faces: New York City, Toronto, Kuala Lumpur, Istanbul, and Dublin were already among the bottom 10 in 2024. Milan, on the other hand, makes a big leap from 51st place in 2024 to 20th in 2026.

Four of the bottom 10 are located in Northwestern Europe: Amsterdam (26th), Brussels (29th), London (31st), and Dublin (32nd). They share one obvious problem — the weather. All four rank in the bottom five for the climate & weather, with Brussels coming in last: only 17% of expats there rate it positively (vs. 58% globally). Amsterdam, London, and Dublin also land in the bottom five for Healthcare (31st, 30th, and 32nd, respectively). Brussels is the exception (6th) and even ranks 2nd for equal access to all kinds of healthcare services (75% vs. 63%). Instead, the Belgian capital struggles with Safety & Security (30th) and ranks last for personal safety (44% vs. 81%).

Berlin (24th) and Frankfurt am Main (28th) represent Germany in the bottom 10, while Munich (15th) and Hamburg (22nd) end up mid-table. Healthcare is a weak spot for all four German cities, none of which makes it into the top half of this subcategory (Munich 20th, Frankfurt 25th, Hamburg 27th, Berlin 28th). Frankfurt even lands in the bottom 10 of all five subcategories. Berlin, on the other hand, can at least shine with its culture & nightlife, ranking 3rd for this factor (92% vs. 67% globally).

In North America, Toronto (27th) joins last-placed New York City (33rd). Toronto’s biggest issue is Travel & Transit (32nd): it ranks last for the opportunity to travel (65% vs. 84% globally), and public transport is comparatively expensive (58% positive vs. 70%). The urban environment (88% vs. 69%) and the natural environment (88% vs. 84%), on the other hand, receive great reviews.

Istanbul (30th) and Kuala Lumpur (25th) round out the bottom 10. Both offer a pleasant climate & weather (7th and 8th, respectively), but they struggle in the Safety & Security Subcategory (32nd, 28th). Fewer than half of expats in Istanbul (44%) and Kuala Lumpur (45%) agree they can openly express themselves and their opinions (vs. 64% globally). Istanbul also lands in the bottom five for political stability (32nd) and last for the availability of green goods and services. Expats in Kuala Lumpur, meanwhile, don’t find it particularly easy and safe to get around on foot or by bike (61% vs. 78%).

*) 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.

Quality of Life Index 2026: Full City Ranking

Overall index rank and subcategory ranks out of 33 cities.