The 7 Worst Cities for Housing

7. Geneva

Switzerland: Famous for good chocolate and cheese. And high costs.

In fact, over four in five expats (83%) rate the affordability of accommodation in Geneva negatively, compared to 47% of respondents worldwide. The city lands in the bottom 10 for cost of living in general, too (47th out of 53).

“I really don’t like the high cost of living and (lack of) access to affordable housing to buy,” a British respondent points out. And buying isn’t even the usual approach: according to federal statistics from 2023, 78% of households in Genea are renting, a much higher share than the national average.

With high demand and limited availability, it’s hardly surprising that around two-thirds of expats (66%) consider housing difficult to find (vs. 34% globally).

6. Toronto

For years, Toronto has been facing a housing crisis. According to The Green Line, a Toronto-based publication, home prices have quadrupled since 1974 and housing was the number one issue in the 2024 mayoral election.

Latest numbers seem to suggest — thanks to increased supply and thereby higher vacancy rates — the strain on Toronto’s rental marketing is slowly easing and rents even decreasing.

Not that expats seem to have benefited much from this so far: in the 2024 Expat Insider survey, close to three in five respondents (57%) disagree that it’s easy to find housing in Toronto (vs. 34% globally).

And nearly nine in ten (88%) rate its affordability negatively, with 47% going so far as to give it the worst possible rating (vs. a respective 47% and 16%, globally).

5. Berlin

Housing costs, while not great, are not all that bad in Berlin. The German capital ranks 34th out of 53 cities for the affordability of accommodation.

Finding housing is where the real struggle is; Berlin ranks second to last for this factor, with 42% of respondents giving it the worst possible rating (vs. 12%). According to a Hungarian expat in Berlin: “Housing is horrible, it’s impossible to move to a new place.” The city continues to experience strong population growth, and supply cannot keep up with demand.

Plus, it can be difficult to communicate with landlords. Close to three in five expats say they dreaded the language barrier prior to their move to Berlin (59% vs. 19% globally). Once arrived, 43% indeed find it difficult to get by without German, 10 percentage points more than the global average of 33%.

4. Luxembourg City

Getting by without local language skills is hardly an issue in Luxembourg City — 72% agree it’s easy, compared to 48% of respondents worldwide.

Still, this doesn’t make finding housing a piece of cake. More than twice the global average say the search for accommodation in Luxembourg City is difficult (71% vs. 34% globally). And what’s worse: over nine in ten (93%) rate the affordability negatively (vs. 47 globally).

As one Belgian respondent points out: “Housing costs, whether for buying or renting, are very high.” In fact, Luxembourg City ranks second to last for this factor, and well over half the respondents (56%) give it the worst possible rating — 40 percentage points more than the global average of 16%.

3. Munich

While expats in Berlin consider accommodation costs manageable (34th out of 53 cities), respondents in the Bavarian capital say housing in Munich is both expensive (50th) and difficult to find (51st).

“It’s a beautiful place, with a high standard of living. But I don’t like the housing shortage and high cost of living,” a US American respondent sums up life in Munich. In fact, over a third (35%) disagree completely that it’s easy for expats to find accommodation (vs. 12% globally).

Compared to other big German cities, Munich regularly ranks as the most expensive when it comes to both renting and purchasing property. Expenses in general are a concern, with Munich landing in the bottom 10 for both the cost of living (45th) and expats’ satisfaction with their financial situation (46th).

2. Vancouver

Expats rank Vancouver dead last when it comes to the cost of living; whether disposable household incomes are enough to lead a comfortable life; and the affordability of housing, too. In fact, 92% of expats there regard the latter factor negatively, with over three in five (62%) giving it the worst possible rating (vs. a respective 47% and 16% globally).

“I feel no matter how hard I work and how much I gain, it is never going to be enough to have my own house,” a Colombian respondent sums up.

Like Toronto, Vancouver has seen a chronic imbalance when it comes to the supply of housing versus the demand and population growth. Consequentially, costs have gone up. According to a report by Chapman University, Vancouver is the least affordable housing market in Canada and is in the bottom 3 among 94 different destinations worldwide.

In our own Expat Insider survey, three in five respondents disagree it’s easy for expats to find accommodation in Vancouver — a result that’s close to double the global average (60% vs. 34% globally).

1. Dublin

For the second year in a row, expats regard Dublin as the worst city worldwide when it comes to housing (53rd out of 53 cities). With rents reaching new highs in recent months, it seems the Irish capital already has a reputation: when asked about their biggest concerns prior to moving to Dublin, more than half the expats (56%) named the housing market (vs. 19% globally).

“It’s very hard to find a house to rent. And you can't afford to buy a house due to high cost of living,” an Indian respondent points out.

Close to three-quarters of respondents (73%) negatively view costs in general (vs. 39% globally), and an even higher share finds housing specifically unaffordable (82% vs. 47% globally).

The ease of finding a home in the first place isn’t any better: 83% say it’s difficult for expats to find accommodation in Dublin (vs. 34% globally). In fact, more than half give this factor the worst possible rating (53% vs. 12% globally), landing Dublin in last place.

Where to head instead?

Luckily, there are cities — and even capitals — where the housing search is not a struggle!

According to the 2024 Expat Insider results, you should head to Panama City (1st), Ras Al Khaimah (2nd), Bangkok (3rd), Muscat (4th), or Alicante (5th) if you’re looking for affordable and easy-to-find accommodation.

For example, an impressive share of 91% of expats in Panama City find it easy to source housing (vs. 45% globally). And expats in Alicante are twice as likely as the global average to rate the affordability of housing favorably (68% vs. 34% globally).