Expat City Index 2019: Glasgow Ranks First in Europe

Comprehensive analysis of 70 cities from around the world reveals those that offer the best environment for expats

• Glasgow ranks first in the United Kingdom as the best city for an expat, and fifth globally.
• Cape Town, South Africa, ranks last as the worst city for expats.
• Ottawa, Canada, tops the ranking, scoring well for Air Pollution, English Proficiency, and House Price to Income Ratio.

German online mortgage broker, LoanLink, has released a study revealing the best cities around the world for an expat. With an estimated 8% of the UK population residing overseas –  and almost 1 million UK citizens in Europe alone – this study aims to highlight the cities that offer the best quality of life and opportunities for new arrivals.

The study analyses 70 cities from around the world for a total of 24 criteria across four categories: Economics, Experience, Environment and Urbanisation, and Family and Society. The criteria within each category define or suggest a high living standard, such as Average Earnings, Healthcare Expenditure, Traffic Congestion, and even Hours of Sunshine. For those fortunate enough to be able to relocate to their country of choice, this index includes a full range of factors to help individuals, couples, and families select the best city to take their next steps.

Home to an impressive number of co-working spaces, investors, and venture funding: London ranks third on the index for Start-Up Ecosystem. The UK capital may be the ideal place to launch a business, but for expats searching for an outdoors lifestyle, London’s minimal Hours of Sunshine and high Traffic Congestion may not appeal. Across the pond, Washington D.C. ranks highest in the United States for expats. The capital also boasts a thriving Start-Up Ecosystem, along with high Healthcare Expenditure, low Air Pollution, and an appealing ratio of House Price to Income 

A sample of the findings from the Expat City Index 2019 are revealed in the tables below. The full results of the study, along with the methodology, are available on the website.

UK Ranking Table 2019

Global Top 10 Ranking Table 2019

The full results of the study and the methodology are available on the website.

Further insights for the UK

• Edinburgh and Glasgow boast high scores for House Price to Income Ratio and Price of Food.
• London ranks first in the UK for Economics, thanks to an excellent score for Start-Up Ecosystem. However, the capital scores poorly for Experience, with high costs of rent and food.
• The UK scores poorly for Average Sunshine Hours, with Glasgow ranking last in the UK for this criteria.
• The UK ranks well on the index for Air Pollution. Edinburgh ranks first in the UK and London ranks last.

Further insights worldwide

• Canberra, Australia, ranks second overall on the index. The Australian capital has an excellent Work-Life Balance, with a 38-hour working week.
• Bern, Switzerland, ranks sixth behind Glasgow. The Swiss capital scores full marks for Average Earnings, but ranks poorly for Friendliness.
• The UK ranks ahead of Australia and New Zealand for Healthcare Expenditure.
• San Francisco and New York, US, both rank ahead of London, boasting better Quality of Life. However, the UK has a higher number of Top 1,000 Universities.

• The UK ranks behind Sweden and Germany for Average Net Earnings. Zurich, Switzerland, ranks first on the index for this factor.
• Cape Town, South Africa, ranks last on the index. While Cape Town has a strong House Price to Income Ratio, the city has poor Safety, Traffic Congestion, and Unemployment.