'Outstanding’ Zurich is the best city for expats: Which other European cities made the cut?
Moving to a new country can be daunting, but Mercer’s annual Quality of Living Report helps ease the decision-making process.
Those with itchy feet can discover the top cities that offer expats the best lifestyle - and the easiest integration into the local community.
This year’s report has seen a change in the top 10. While Vienna topped the list in 2023, this year’s winning city is Zurich, Switzerland.
What’s so great about Zurich for expats?
Choosing Zurich for the number one spot was ‘fueled by its outstanding public services, low crime rates, and a lively cultural scene, all backed by efficient infrastructure and a dedication to sustainability,’ the Mercer report said.
It also added that the city has enhanced its airport connections with more flights to and from other continents added in summer 2024. Zurich now boasts routes to Seoul, Shanghai, Washington, and Toronto with SWISS and a restored connection to Tunis and Djerba with Tunisair, among others.
“In 2024, Zurich gained flights to Atlanta, Cluj-Napoca, Djerba, Košice, and Tunis, making it easier than ever for expats to get home and away.” Dr James Pearson, an airline routes analyst, told Euronews Travel.
Over 400,000 people with a non-Swiss background live in Zurich, making it the biggest expat community in Switzerland. However, it’s also an expensive city to live in, particularly for renters, according to Rigby AG, a staffing and project services company based in Zurich.
The cost of living in Zurich is 71.8 percent higher than in Vienna, the second-place city on the list, reveals the cost of living database Numbeo.
Rent prices are 127.6 per cent higher in Zurich than in Vienna, and groceries cost around 65 per cent more. Nevertheless, wages are higher too, so once expats start earning, the lifestyle becomes more comfortable.
Zurich is regularly applauded for its quality of life. The Institute for Quality of Life ranked it second in its 2024 list of the happiest cities in the world, behind Aarhus, Denmark. In the global IMD Smart City Index, Zurich secured the top spot in 2024 for the 5th year in a row, while the European Commission ranked it the most livable city in Europe.
Which other European cities are great for expats?
Eight of the top 10 cities in Mercer’s quality of living index are European, with only Auckland and Vancouver sneaking into the list.
Other highly ranked cities include Vienna, down one place from the top spot in 2023, and Geneva, also in Switzerland, which climbed two places to take bronze position this year.
Copenhagen retained its fourth place spot, while Amsterdam climbed an impressive eight places to make it to fifth position. Rounding out the top 10, Frankfurt dropped a place to tie with Vancouver in seventh, while two other Swiss cities, Bern and Basel, took ninth and tenth place, respectively.
Other big gains were made by Stockholm in Sweden, which rose eight places to 18th in the list, and Lisbon which jumped 12 positions to take 27th.
The biggest drop in the list was from Stuttgart, Germany, which fell 20 places in the ranking to 46th. Although Mercer didn’t specify why, the city has been struggling with a highly controversial infrastructure project - Stuttgart 21 - which has been causing disruption to daily life for residents.
What are the worst places in the world for expats to live?
241 cities from five continents were included in the Mercer ranking, so of course, there are some losers as well as winners. Many cities at the bottom of the list are in Africa and the Middle East, with Khartoum in Sudan taking the wooden spoon for last place.
Also languishing in the lower ranks are Baghdad in Iraq, Banhui in the Central African Republic, Sanaa in Yemen, and Port-Au-Prince in Haiti.
Interestingly, some US cities have clawed their way up the ranks this year, with Los Angeles in California making the biggest gains by moving up 26 places to 44th. Other climbers included Atlanta, Dallas, and Boston.
Mercer evaluates quality of life through ongoing research on the practicalities of daily life for international employees and their families, adding, "The most successful destinations today are those that blend flexible governance around mobile talent with a high quality of life and an affordable cost of living.”