For Canadians daydreaming about relocating, a new ranking of the top most livable cities could offer a glimpse of what life abroad might look like.
Global Citizen Solutions released its ranking of the top 35 most livable cities for expats, with a closer look at the top 10. The report notes a shift in the reasons people are choosing to relocate.
While work has traditionally been the main driver, more people are now moving in search of a better quality of life — especially in the post-pandemic years, with more remote workers, digital entrepreneurs, location-independent families, and retirees looking to live elsewhere.
Each city was scored based on seven indicators: cost of living, personal safety, air quality, health-care quality, ease of settling in, English proficiency, and enhanced mobility.
And for Canadians considering an international move, getting there may be easier than they think. The Canadian passport is currently among the seventh most powerful passports in the world, allowing citizens to travel to 192 countries without a visa.
As Canada enters a technical recession for the first time since 2020, the cost of living is at the top of people’s minds. When it comes to the most affordable cities, Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam is a standout, followed by Nairobi in Kenya, Bali in Indonesia, and Tbilisi in Georgia.
But “liveable” comes with some trade-offs.
European cities ranked highly in categories such as English proficiency, health care, environmental quality, infrastructure, and mobility, but they often underperform when it comes to cost and expat friendliness. In comparison, Latin American cities stand out for affordability and social integration, but tend to score lower on safety and health care.
Asian cities offer more of a balance; however, they score lower in mobility and English accessibility compared to Europe, and lower in affordability and ease of integration compared to Latin American cities.
Only one Canadian city made it on the list — Vancouver ranked 11, just shy of the top 10 most livable cities in the world. These are the most livable cities for expats.
1. Lisbon, Portugal
Score: 88.49
The top city on the list performs strongly across all indicators, scoring highly for safety and air quality. It’s also more affordable compared to Vienna, Amsterdam, and Copenhagen.
2. Amsterdam, Netherlands
Score: 81.97
Amsterdam is a standout for its high-quality health care, safety, clean air, high English proficiency, and the ease with which residents can navigate the city without a car. However, it is among the more expensive cities to live in.
3. Melbourne, Australia
Score: 81.79
The city scores highly across all indicators, with strong English proficiency, good air quality, cleanliness, and accessibility, but it scores slightly lower on safety compared to the top cities in Europe.
4. Vienna, Austria
Score: 81.07
Vienna ranks highly for its health care, surpassed only by Seoul. Not only is it known for its stable and well-functioning urban environment, but it’s also more affordable than top-ranking cities like Amsterdam, Copenhagen, and Oslo. The city is also known for its high English proficiency; however, social integration might take longer for new expats.
5. Barcelona, Spain
Score: 80.7
Barcelona performs well across multiple indicators, such as health care, cost of living, air quality, and international mobility, and with a high population of foreign nationals, newcomers will have an easy time settling in. It does, however, score low in safety compared to other European cities in the top 10.
6. Singapore, Singapore
Score: 80.58
Not only is Singapore home to Changi Airport (the World’s Best Airport in 2025 according to Skytrax), it’s also a great place to live, scoring highly across several indicators. The city also scores highly in English proficiency. The downside: it’s the most expensive destination in the top 10 cities.
7. Auckland, New Zealand
Score: 80.15
The city ranks number seven for its strong environmental performance, English proficiency, and welcoming environment for expats. Living costs are lower than in Melbourne, and although health care is the weakest among the top 10, it “still meets everyday needs.”
8. Tokyo, Japan
Score: 79.78
Tokyo scores highly in safety and health care, and a growing foreign resident population makes it easy for newcomers to integrate into the community. For expats, the main challenge is language accessibility, with the city scoring the lowest English proficiency among the top 10.
9. Copenhagen, Denmark
Score: 79.57
Copenhagen nearly has it all: high safety score, great health care, clean air, and a high mobility score. However, living in a great city comes at a cost — it’s the second most expensive city in the top ten, just behind Singapore.
10. Seoul, South Korea
Score: 78.89
Seoul stands out for its exceptional performance in health care, which attracts millions of foreign medical visitors every year. The city also scores high in safety, and the cost of living is moderate compared to the other top 10 cities. Seoul loses points for its air quality and the fact that it may take more time for newcomers to adjust to the city.
Other cities on the list include:
11. Vancouver, Canada. Score: 78.72
12. Buenos Aires, Argentina. Score: 75.67
13. Panama City, Panama. Score: 75.51
14. San José, Costa Rica. Score: 74.73
15. Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Score: 74.22
16. Montevideo, Uruguay. Score: 73.18
17. Tel Aviv, Israel. Score: 72.51
18. Bangkok, Thailand. Score: 72.12
19. Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Score: 71.8
20. Athens, Greece. Score: 70.95
21. Tbilisi, Georgia. Score: 70.43
22. Paris, France. Score: 69.76
23. Stockholm, Sweden. Score: 69.46
24. Berlin, Germany. Score: 69.3
25. Limassol, Cyprus. Score: 69.05
26. Nairobi, Kenya. Score: 68.53
27. Zurich, Switzerland. Score: 67.85
28. Rome, Italy. Score: 67.76
29. Cape Town, South Africa. Score: 67.76
30. Oslo, Norway. Score: 65.23
31. Mexico City, Mexico. Score: 65.06
32. Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Score: 62.36
33. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Score: 61.42
34. Santiago, Chile. Score: 61.04
35. Bali, Indonesia. Score: 60.09
Are you considering moving out of Canada? If so, let us know in the comments or email us at [email protected].
Originally published on Daily Hive.
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