The Best & Worst Cities for Housing
The survey’s Housing subcategory focuses on two key factors: the affordability and ease of finding housing according to the experiences of expats in different locations. Respondents were asked to rate these on a scale of one (very bad) to seven (very good).
Here are the top 5 cities where finding accommodation is bliss in 2023:
1. Bangkok
One of the best cities for expats in general in 2023 (9th), is the top location when it comes to Housing (1st). Seven in ten expats (70%) say Bangkok offers affordable accommodation, nearly double the global average of 38%. When it comes to how easy it is to find, an even higher share of 81% find it’s easy (vs. 49% global average). As such, Bangkok is an impressive example, with less than one in ten (9%) finding housing unaffordable (vs. 42% worldwide).“The availability of affordable houses helped me in this city.” -Indian Expat in Bangkok
2. Muscat
Muscat ranks as the 10th-best city for expats in 2023 and reaches the 2nd-best place — after Bangkok — for Housing. Expats especially appreciate the Omani capital for the ease of finding accommodation (1st): 79% agree that it was easy, 30 percentage points above the global average of 49%. Once found, accommodation is also comparatively easy to afford, according to 60% of respondents (vs. 38% globally).
3. Alicante
Alicante ranks as the 2nd best city for expats in 2023 and 3rd when it comes to Housing. Most of the expats (65%) are happy with how easy it is to find accommodation, compared to only 49% globally. More significantly, the city ranks 1st globally for affordable housing according to expats, with more than three in four (79%) rating it favorably.
4. Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur, the 8th best city in the 2023 ranking, only just misses a spot on the podium when it comes to Housing (4th). More than seven in ten expats (72%) find housing in the city easy to afford (vs. 42% globally), leading Kuala Lumpur to rank 3rd for this factor. Likewise, nearly four in five (78%) say finding accommodation is easy (vs. 49% globally).
“Life in Kuala Lumpur is easy and inexpensive in general!” – US American Expat in Kuala Lumpur
5. Ras Al Khaimah
Ras Al Khaimah accomplishes a 4th ranking compared to other expat hubs and comes 5th in the Housing category. Expats say finding accommodation in the city is relatively easy (7th), with 72% giving it a positive rating (vs. 49% globally). Once found, slightly more than two in three (68%) believe housing is affordable (vs. 38% globally).
The bottom 5 cities where finding a new home is not so easy
49. Dublin, the vibrant capital of Ireland, is posing some serious challenges according to expats. Despite its allure when it comes to work (15th), the city lands in the 44th position in the overall ranking (out of 49 cities). The housing situation in Dublin demands urgent attention, with the city ranking at the bottom in terms of affordability and accessibility both. Alarmingly, over nine out of ten expats (92%) find housing unaffordable, a figure more than double the global average of 42%. A similar percentage of expats (88%) believe that finding housing within the city is a difficult task (vs. 31% globally).
“It’s like what I earn goes away in rent or expenses.” – Indian Expat in Dublin
48. Munich, too, doesn’t make it easy to find a home. A staggering 82% of expats express concerns and think negatively about the affordability of housing (vs. 42% globally). Moreover, another 73% believe that finding accommodation in the city is a demanding task (vs. 31% negative answers globally), placing the city in the bottom 3 for this factor (47th).
47. Luxembourg City places distressingly low in the Housing subcategory of the Expat Insider survey. Ranking 47th, expats in the city are especially concerned about the affordability of accommodations. An overwhelming 85% of respondents express the unattainable nature of housing costs (42% globally) — and 61% point out the difficulty of finding housing in the first place (31% globally).
46. Vancouver, the city of stunning natural surroundings, gives expats some hard times with its housing market. The city finds itself at the 47th spot among 49 cities in the overall ranking, indicating significant room for improvement in various aspects. This is specifically true for Housing (46th). Affordability remains a major issue, with nearly nine out of ten expats (86%) expressing concerns about housing costs (vs. 42% globally). Also, nearly two in three (65%) find it challenging to secure accommodation — more than doubling the global average of 31%.
45. Amsterdam finds itself in an impressive 14th position in the overall ranking — despite a difficult housing situation. Expats are concerned mostly about the costs for accommodation, with a notable 81% saying it is unaffordable (vs. 42% globally). Nor is it easy to get: nearly two in three (62%) say it’s challenging for expats to find housing — double the global average of 31%.
“Housing and food are really expensive, it’s a mystery to me how people managed to survive here.”
– Serbian Expat in Amsterdam
Global expat community InterNations[FM1] conducts one of the biggest annual surveys on life abroad, Expat Insider. In 2023, close to 12,000 expats representing 171 nationalities took part. Covering key areas such as working abroad, the ease of settling in, quality of life, personal finances, and expat essentials, the findings are a must-read for anyone interested in living abroad.
Find out more in the Expat City Ranking 2023[FM2] report.