Where expats are happiest in 2026: Ras Al Khaimah, Mexico City, Málaga, Dubai, Lisbon, Singapore and Madrid lead InterNations' survey of 7,786 expats, and Berlin comes last.
- Expat Insider 2026 top 10: Ras Al Khaimah, Mexico City, Málaga, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Lisbon, Singapore, Madrid, Valencia, The Hague.
- Bottom of the 33 cities: Berlin, New York City and Frankfurt.
- Lisbon rebounds to 6th after 29th in the 2024 city ranking.
The short answer
Quick answer: in the latest Expat Insider survey (2026), expats are happiest in Ras Al Khaimah, Mexico City, Málaga, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Lisbon, Singapore, Madrid, Valencia and The Hague. Berlin, New York and Frankfurt come last.
This is a ranking of how expats who already live there rate their lives. It isn't a count of where most foreigners live.
About the data
InterNations surveyed 7,786 expats of 162 nationalities from 1 February to 31 March 2026. A city was ranked only if it had at least 50 respondents, which left 33 cities. Scores combine five indices: Quality of Life, Ease of Settling In, Working Abroad, Personal Finance and Expat Essentials.
InterNations notes that the UAE results only partly reflect the US-Iran war, because data collection happened both before and after it began.
The 2026 top 10
Two countries dominate: the UAE and Spain have three cities each.
- 1. Ras Al Khaimah, UAE
- 2. Mexico City
- 3. Málaga, Spain
- 4. Dubai
- 5. Abu Dhabi, UAE
- 6. Lisbon
- 7. Singapore
- 8. Madrid
- 9. Valencia, Spain
- 10. The Hague, Netherlands
The UAE: easy paperwork, strong careers
The three Emirati cities take the top 3 places in the Expat Essentials Index and lead on Career Prospects. In Ras Al Khaimah, 86% say getting a visa was straightforward (55% globally) and 80% say they can get by without the local language. Dubai ranks 4th overall but only 20th for Personal Finance, so high costs are the trade-off.
Mexico City: money and friends
Mexico City is 1st for Personal Finance: 75% of expats are happy with their finances, and 43% of those working do so fully remotely (20% globally). It's also the best city for mixing with locals. Safety and air quality are its weak spots.
Southern Europe: quality of life, weak careers
Málaga, Lisbon, Madrid and Valencia all rank in the top 10 for Quality of Life, with Valencia 1st and Madrid 2nd. All four have weak Career Prospects (29th to 33rd). Málaga has the happiest expats (86%), many of them retired.
Lisbon's comeback is the big story. It fell to 29th of 53 cities in the 2024 ranking, when 58% of expats were unhappy with the job market, and is 6th of 33 in 2026. The two years ranked different numbers of cities, so compare them with care.
Singapore: the transit champion
Singapore ranks 7th and tops the Travel & Transit Subcategory.
The bottom 10
Positions 24 to 33 in 2026:
Berlin and New York: great to visit, hard to settle
Both cities top the charts for going out: 92% of expats rate Berlin's culture and nightlife positively, and 86% say the same of New York's. But only 28% of expats in Berlin find it easy to make local friends, and 82% in New York rate the cost of living negatively.
By country: the 2025 ranking
The most recent country ranking we checked (Expat Insider 2025) puts Panama 1st, followed by Colombia, Mexico, Thailand, Vietnam, China, the UAE, Indonesia, Spain and Malaysia. For cities in those countries, see Bangkok, Bali, Kuala Lumpur and Barcelona.
Just moved? Our guide to making friends in a new city and tonight on whoin.app can help you find your people faster.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is best for expats in 2026?
Ras Al Khaimah in the UAE ranks 1st of 33 cities in InterNations' Expat Insider 2026, followed by Mexico City and Málaga.
Which city is worst for expats in 2026?
Berlin ranks last (33rd), with New York City 32nd and Frankfurt 31st.
Is Lisbon still good for expats?
According to Expat Insider 2026, yes: it ranks 6th, up from 29th in the 2024 city ranking, which covered more cities.
How big is the survey?
7,786 expats of 162 nationalities, surveyed 1 February to 31 March 2026. Only cities with at least 50 respondents were ranked.
Sources and review method
Rankings and percentages were copied from InterNations' published pages and checked on 5 November 2026. Cities without a whoin.app page are not linked.
- InterNations, "The Best & Worst Cities for Expats in 2026" (Expat Insider 2026) — Opened and checked 5 November 2026.
- InterNations, Expat Insider 2026 methodology — Opened and checked 5 November 2026.
- InterNations, "The Best & Worst Cities for Expats in 2024" — Opened and checked 5 November 2026.
- InterNations, "The Best & Worst Countries for Expats in 2025" — Opened and checked 5 November 2026.
Last checked: November 5, 2026. If you spot a mistake, report a correction.