Whatever your reasons for moving to a different country, it’s important to learn the basics of the native language spoken there so you can feel confident communicating with your neighbors, colleagues, lecturers, and anyone else you come into contact with on your new adventure.
As a result, according to Preply’s data, over 26% of those learning a new language online are doing so due to relocating to a new area.
With emigration becoming an increasingly popular choice amongst students, families, and working professionals, this begs the question – which cities around the world are the best for expats to move to?
To find out which cities around the world are the best for expats looking to relocate, Preply has ranked 60 of the most popular destinations on 11 relevant relocation metrics, including:
- Cost of living – the average monthly expenditure as an expat
- Salary – the average monthly salary after tax
- Income tax – the estimated amount of tax paid on $50,000
- Rent – the average monthly rent cost of a 1 bedroom apartment in the city centre
- Connectivity – the average internet speed (Mbps)
- Things to do – the number of top-rated attractions
- Dining out – the average cost of a meal at an inexpensive restaurant
- Saftey – the cities safety score (0-100, 100 being the safest)
- Visitor return rate – the percentage of visitors that came back to the city for a second time
- Co-working costs – the average monthly cost co-working space
- Learning the dominant language – how many hours to learn the dominant language fluently
You can see the fill study and ranking at: https://preply.com/en/blog/expat-cities/
The Global Expat Index: The world’s top 10 cities for expats to live and work in
Rank City Country Most dominant official Language Monthly cost of living as an expat (£) Av. monthly salary (after tax) (£) Estimated tax on £50,000 (£) Average monthly rent cost (1 bed, city centre) (£) Internet speed (Mbps) No. of attractions Cost of a meal (£) Safety city index0-100 Visitor return Rate (%) Av. monthly cost co-working space (£) How many hours to learn the dominant language in the city Expat relocation score 1 Kuala Lumpur Malaysia Malay £903 £1,043 £12,812 £363 11 322 £2.86 36.87 17% £76 900 6.62 2 Tbilisi Georgia Georgian £1,150 £372 £8,541 £580 10 153 £7.38 74.5 18% £77 1100 6.58 3 Lisbon Portugal Portugese £1,367 £959 £20,499 £865 29 476 £8.54 70.87 15% £127 600 6.51 4 Dubai UAE Arabic £2,674 £4,082 £0 £1,411 8 812 £9.30 83.95 16% £246 2200 6.45 5 Bangkok Thailand Thai £1,725 £492 £14,947 £451 19 177 £2.11 59.7 18% £109 1100 6.35 6 Prague Czech Republic Czech £1,866 £1,325 £9,822 £756 23 314 £6.95 75.57 13% £139 1100 6.32 7 Madrid Spain Spanish £1,673 £1,647 £20,071 £856 36 370 £11.06 70.06 13% £128 600 6.27 8 Barcelona Spain Spanish £1,730 £1,582 £20,071 £873 36 578 £11.02 51.05 14% £165 600 6.21 9 Alicante Spain Spanish £1,093 £1,214 £20,071 £521 35 51 £11.11 71.19 14% £128 600 6.18 10 Montreal Canada English £1,717 £2,454 £14,093 £913 16 28 – 68.89 16% £230 1100 6.18
Kuala Lumpur is the best city for expats to live and work in 2022
With an overall expat relocation score of 6.62 out of 10, Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia ranks as the best city in the world for expats. Monthly living costs for relocators in Malaysia’s largest city amount to around £903 and with the average monthly rent for a one bedroom property in the city centre being £363, this leaves plenty of disposable income leftover to enjoy all that Kuala Lumpur has to offer.
When it comes to leisure, there’s plenty to keep you busy in Kuala Lumpur. The city boasts over 322 activities such as theme parks, cave tours, and visits to the famous Petronas Twin Towers. Business professionals and remote workers will also appreciate Kuala Lumpur’s affordable coworking spaces, with the average cost being £76 per month, the lowest out of the top 20 cities.
Tbilisi in Georgia comes in second place for expats, followed by Lisbon, Dubai and Bangkok
Tbilisi in Georgia follows closely behind in second place with an expat relocation score of 6.58.
Tblisi is more expensive for expats compared to Kuala Lumpur, with the average person bringing home a monthly salary of £372 after tax and a 1 bedroom apartment in the city centre costing around £580. However, Tbilisi is one of the safer cities out of all those ranked, with a good city safety index of 74.5 out of 100.
Tbilisi was followed by Lisbon in Portugal, which also ranked well for safety. Dubai and Bangkok came in fourth and fifth, with expat relocation scores of 6.45 and 6.35 respectively.
Language expert reveals how to learn a new language as an expat
Yolanda del Peso, Marketing Specialist at Preply commented:
“Learning a new language can be challenging, but as an expat it will bring a huge amount of value to your life.
Learning the country’s dominant language will help you feel more comfortable in your new home, can improve your career prospects, and will allow you to immerse yourself fully in the local culture.
To get you started, here are some of our tips for learning a new language as an expat.”
- Don’t be afraid to make mistakes
It’s completely normal and expected to make mistakes in the process of learning a new language, but don’t let this discourage you. Use it as motivation for where to improve and you’ll stop making the same mistakes over time.
- Practice in different settings
It might feel daunting to put your lessons into practice in real-life situations for the first time. However, Try not to shy away from the opportunity to push yourself in this way. There are many ways to build your confidence when learning from home or in person. From language exchange meetups, language exchange apps, online tutors, online games and more. You can create language learning environments even when you’re not in the place it’s spoken.
- Have fun with it
If it’s fun, it’ll get done. Think of ways to make language learning align with your interests. For example, if you’re an expat who’s a keen film buff, you might want to try watching foreign language films based in the country you’re emigrating to.
- Find a native language tutor with Preply
Need to improve your confidence in the language quickly, and learn some basics before you emigrate? Whatever city you end up relocating to as an expat, start your language learning journey today with one of our expert tutors.
