‘Outstanding’ Zurich is the best city for expats: Which other European cities made the cut?
The rating sees Switzerland claiming 4 spots within the high 10.
Transferring to a brand new nation will be daunting, however Mercer’s annual High quality of Residing Report helps ease the decision-making course of.
These with itchy toes can uncover the highest cities that supply expats one of the best way of life – and the best integration into the local people.
This 12 months’s report has seen a change within the high 10. Whereas Vienna topped the checklist in 2023, this 12 months’s successful metropolis is Zurich, Switzerland.
What’s so nice about Zurich for expats?
Selecting Zurichfor the primary spot was ‘fueled by its excellent public companies, low crime charges, and a vigorous cultural scene, all backed by environment friendly infrastructure and a dedication to sustainability,’ the Mercer report mentioned.
It additionally added that town has enhanced its airport connections with extra flights to and from different continents added in summer time 2024. Zurich now boasts routes to Seoul, Shanghai, Washington, and Toronto with SWISS and a restored connection to Tunis and Djerba with Tunisair, amongst others.
“In 2024, Zurich gained flights to Atlanta, Cluj-Napoca, Djerba, Košice, and Tunis, making it simpler than ever for expats to get residence and away.” Dr James Pearson, an airline routes analyst, advised Euronews Journey.
Over 400,000 individuals with a non-Swiss background reside in Zurich, making it the largest expat neighborhood in Switzerland. Nevertheless, it’s additionally an costly metropolis to reside in, significantly for renters, based on Rigby AG, a staffing and undertaking companies firm primarily based in Zurich.
The price of residing in Zurich is 71.8 % greater than in Vienna, the second-place metropolis on the checklist, reveals the price of residing database Numbeo.
Hire costs are 127.6 per cent greater in Zurich than in Vienna, and groceries value round 65 per cent extra. Nonetheless, wages are greater too, so as soon as expats begin incomes, the approach to life turns into extra snug.
Zurich is frequently applauded for its high quality of life. The Institute for High quality of Life ranked it second in its 2024 checklist of the happiest cities on the planet, behind Aarhus, Denmark. Within the international IMD Good Metropolis Index, Zurich secured the highest spot in 2024 for the fifth 12 months in a row, whereas the European Fee ranked it the most livable metropolis in Europe.
Which different European cities are nice for expats?
Eight of the highest 10 cities in Mercer’s high quality of residing index are European, with solely Auckland and Vancouver sneaking into the checklist.
Different extremely ranked cities embrace Vienna, down one place from the highest spot in 2023, and Geneva, additionally in Switzerland, which climbed two locations to take bronze place this 12 months.
Copenhagen retained its fourth place spot, whereas Amsterdam climbed a formidable eight locations to make it to fifth place. Rounding out the highest 10, Frankfurt dropped a spot to tie with Vancouver in seventh, whereas two different Swiss cities, Bern and Basel, took ninth and tenth place, respectively.
Different large positive aspects have been made by Stockholm in Sweden, which rose eight locations to 18th within the checklist, and Lisbon which jumped 12 positions to take twenty seventh.
The most important drop within the checklist was from Stuttgart, Germany, which fell 20 locations within the rating to forty sixth. Though Mercer didn’t specify why, town has been fighting a extremely controversial infrastructure undertaking – Stuttgart 21 – which has been inflicting disruption to every day life for residents.
What are the worst locations on the planet for expats to reside?
241 cities from 5 continents have been included within the Mercer rating, so in fact, there are some losers in addition to winners. Many cities on the backside of the checklist are in Africa and the Center East, with Khartoum in Sudan taking the wood spoon for final place.
Additionally languishing within the decrease ranks are Baghdad in Iraq, Banhui within the Central African Republic, Sanaa in Yemen, and Port-Au-Prince in Haiti.
Apparently, some US cities have clawed their means up the ranks this 12 months, with Los Angeles in California making the largest positive aspects by shifting up 26 locations to forty fourth. Different climbers included Atlanta, Dallas, and Boston.
Mercer evaluates high quality of life by way of ongoing analysis on the practicalities of every day life for worldwide staff and their households, including, “Essentially the most profitable locations in the present day are those who mix versatile governance round cellular expertise with a top quality of life and an inexpensive value of residing.”
