Amsterdam and The Hague have fallen down the InterNations ranking of the best cities in the world for expats in 2024. While internationals report a strong job market and satisfaction at work, the challenges in housing and the high cost of living make the Dutch cities less favourable.

Expat City Ranking 2024

To determine which cities in the world are the best for internationals, InterNations - a network of expats around the world - asked over 12.500 expats representing a total of 175 nationalities for their opinion on the following five key areas of expat life:

• Quality of life: Travel and transit, environment and climate, leisure options, healthcare, safety and security
• Ease of settling in: Local friendliness, ease in finding friends, culture
• Working abroad: Career prospects, salary and job security, work and leisure balance, work culture and satisfaction
• Personal finance
• Expat essentials: Digital life, administration topics, housing, language

Encompassed within each of these areas were 16 sub-categories, together covering 53 aspects of urban living. Those taking part in the survey were asked to rate their city on a scale of one to seven for each of the different aspects.

In this year’s ranking, Spain was head and shoulders above the other countries with Valencia, Málaga and Alicante claiming the top three spots for best expat cities worldwide. The study added a disclaimer that the ranking was based on data collected earlier in 2024, before the catastrophic floods that hit Spain in October and November.

Dutch cities fall in ranking of expat destinations

Amsterdam and The Hague can be found further down the list in the 2024 ranking of expat cities. The Dutch cities are clearly no longer the favourite among expats, with the Dutch capital dropping 12 spots from 14th place in 2023 to 26th position this year. The Hague also saw a substantial fall in the ranking of 10 places to 30th position. 

The biggest factor contributing to the downfall of the Dutch cities was housing - ranked among the world’s worst in the subcategory. Record-high costs of housing and the limited amount of homes available mean that expats struggle to find a place to get settled in the Netherlands.

Along with the housing crisis, internationals also find the general cost of living in the country too high and consider it difficult to make friends with Dutch citizens. Expats are also not enthusiastic about the weather, the cost of public transport or the limited number of parks and greenery adding to the natural environment. 

On the flip side, expats in the Netherlands are overall very satisfied with working conditions in the country. “I like that there’s job security, especially if you’re on a permanent contract,” a Nigerian expat in Amsterdam told InterNations. The ease with which expats can carry out admin tasks and deal with local authorities adds points for the Dutch cities, and the fact that the Dutch are the best non-native English speakers in the world certainly makes it easier to live in the country without speaking Dutch.

Easily getting around cities safely by cycling or on foot is also a positive for expats. 

Amsterdam vs The Hague: Which Dutch city is best for expats?

While neither of the Dutch cities is featured in the top 10 of the expat city ranking, each city has enough positives to keep it out of the bottom echelons. There were also some differences between Amsterdam and The Hague, with each city shining in different categories.

While both cities performed well, making it into the top 10 in the working abroad category, internationals living in The Hague are more satisfied with their jobs and have better prospects for work after moving to the city. On the other hand, Amsterdam expats are happier when it comes to the local job market, working hours and work-life balance. 

Expats in the Netherlands prefer Amsterdam for leisure options, which is hardly surprising with the large number of museums and events in the Dutch capital, as well as the greater variety of options for cuisine and locations for recreational sports. Amsterdam was also considered safer by internationals than The Hague. 

The best and worst cities for expats in 2024

In all, here are the 10 best expat cities of 2024, according to the Expat Insider Survey:

1. Valencia, Spain
2. Málaga, Spain
3. Alicante, Spain
4. Panama City, Panama
5. Mexico City, Mexico
6. Ras Al Khaimah, United Arab Emirates
7. Madrid, Spain
8. Bangkok, Thailand
9. Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
10. Dubai, United Arab Emirates

By contrast, here are the worst expat cities:

1. Vancouver, Canada
2. Hamburg, Germany
3. Toronto, Canada
4. Munich, Germany
5. Istanbul, Turkey
6. Cologne, Germany
7. Milan, Italy
8. Berlin, Germany
9. Frankfurt, Germany
10. Rome, Italy

For more information, and to see which other cities made the ranking, check out the official InterNations website.