These are the best and worst places for expats to live right now

By Alex Millson

After a turbulent year, with headlines dominated by divisive politics, war and trepidation over the future, is it time to make that move you’ve always dreamed about? If so, the question is, where next?

This year your best bet may be somewhere in western Europe, if you take note of global consulting firm Mercer’s latest Quality of Living Report, which ranks cities for their expat appeal. The Swiss city of Zurich takes first spot, followed by Vienna and Geneva, in a top 10 dominated by picturesque European cities.

Zurich was commended for “outstanding public services, low crime rates, lively cultural scene and commitment to sustainability.” However, beware the high cost of living.

If you’re looking for somewhere altogether more remote, Auckland, at number five, may be worth considering, while the sole North American offering in the top 10, Vancouver, comes in at number seven.

In other findings:

1. Singapore was the highest ranked Asian city, dropping one place to number 30. Hong Kong was ranked 76th

2. Los Angeles was the biggest climber, rising 26 places to number 44, thanks to improved crime, air quality and internet access scores

3. Boston was highest ranked US city at number 32, with New York at 45

4. London climbed five places to 40th, while Edinburgh and Glasgow took 50th and 53th spots respectively

5. Sydney fell three places to 12th, ahead of Melbourne at 20 and Canberra in 29th

6. The bottom cities on the list were Khartoum in Sudan and the Iraqi capital of Baghdad

“In an era of digital nomads and flexible working, Mercer’s data shows that the most desirable destinations are those that blend a high quality of life and an affordable cost of living,” said Mercer’s Global Mobility Leader Yvonne Traber. “This presents a challenge for organizations and international assignees as they balance decisions related to relocation, investment and talent management.”

Mercer analyzed living conditions in more than 450 cities worldwide, looking at 39 factors including political and social environment, health, education, recreation and housing.

These are the 10 cities with the best quality of living (cities with the same ranking achieved the same overall score):

1 — Zurich, Switzerland

2 — Vienna, Austria

3 — Geneva, Switzerland

4 — Copenhagen, Denmark

5 — Auckland, New Zealand

6 — Amsterdam, Netherlands

7 — Frankfurt, Germany

7 — Vancouver, Canada

9 — Bern, Switzerland

10 — Basel, Switzerland

And these are the 10 cities at the bottom of the list:

241 — Khartoum, Sudan

240 — Baghdad, Iraq

239 — Bangui — Central African Republic

238 — Sanaa, Yemen

237 — Port-Au-Prince, Haiti

236 — N’djamena, Chad

235 — Damascus, Syria

234 — Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo

233 — Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso

232 — Tripoli, Libya