Large metropolises such as London, Paris or Hong Kong are no longer as attractive for expatriate workers to live in. Their preferences have changed, more so now with the coronavirus pandemic, and they now opt for smaller cities where there is a better work-life balance, good health care and easier access to housing. Valencia, Alicante and Lisbon top the list, with Malaga and Madrid in the top 10.
Everyone’s life has changed somewhat with the coronavirus pandemic. And it is even more noticeable in the activity of expatriate workers, those foreigners who live and work abroad. The large metropolises that have always been the preferred places to live because of their history, culture and commerce have this time been relegated to smaller cities now that other work and personal needs take precedence.
According to a study by InterNations, an online platform for expatriates based in Munich and with around 4 million members, the shift to smaller cities was already beginning to be seen before the arrival of the worst of this pandemic
Health, safety, climate, work/life balance and access to housing are now the top priorities for these foreign workers who in this study have redirected their preferences to coastal cities.
In the March survey, more than 15,000 people representing 173 nationalities participated, with Valencia, Alicante and Lisbon in the top three, followed by Panama City and Singapore. Two more Spanish cities join the top 10 best cities to live in, such as Malaga (6) and Madrid (9).
The big European capitals such as London, Paris and Berlin fall to the bottom of the list due to dissatisfaction with their jobs or work-life balance or serious difficulties in gaining access to quality housing. This is now compounded by the fact that they are
exhausted after the confinement measures and restrictions on leisure, culture and catering that detract from the best of urban life.
«Expatriates in big cities like New York, Tokyo, Paris, Hong Kong or London struggle to find affordable housing and are generally dissatisfied with their financial situation,» says Malte Zeeck, founder and co-CEO of InterNations. «Expatriates in these cities are often dissatisfied with their work/life balance as well,» he says.
