A lack of affordable housing has led some popular cities to fall in the annual rankings.
According to a ranking compiled by experts, Bern has once again been named the best city to live in Europe.
Clean air and safe streets helped the Swiss capital take first place for the third year in a row.
Analysts at consultancy ECA International reviewed more than 500 locations around the world to find out where emigrants feel most at home.
“With top amenities, minimal air pollution and a low crime rate, Bern is a very attractive city for expats and their families”says Neil Ashman, Principal Analyst at Residential Real Estate Appraisal. “Swiss, Dutch and Scandinavian cities round out 10 most livable cities”.
Bern isn’t just pretty on paper. It’s no surprise that people want to stay in its beautiful old town on the slopes of the Alps.
But the overall ranking saw some interesting moves, with some very popular European cities dropping a few points.
Copenhagen and Dublin lag behind due to housing problems
Former number one Copenhagen has dropped to fifth place in the ECA city rankings for 2023.
The enduring charm of the capital Danish There is no doubt about it, but finding affordable housing is of course an essential part of quality of life in the city.
“Copenhagen is still a great city for expats. It is very pleasant to live here, but recently it has been struggling with a lack of suitable accommodation, which has caused a slight drop in the ranking.”explains Neil Ashman.
Dublin has also been hit by housing problems, pushing it out of the top ten compared to ten years ago. The Irish capital now ranks 11th, up from seventh a decade ago.
To some extent, it is a victim of its own success, as popular expat destinations subsequently suffer from reduced availability of suitable accommodation.
Housing affordability issues also saw Luxembourg and Düsseldorf fall out of the top 10 compared to 2013. In the case of Düsseldorf, the situation was compounded by a higher score “socio-political tension“, explains the ECA due to the increased threat of terrorist attacks in Germany over the last decade.
Edinburgh and London remain strong in the expat rankings
Edinburgh remains the UK’s most liveable destination, ranking 17th overall.
Another Scottish city, Aberdeen, also ranks high (24th), while Glasgow (47th) fares worse due to higher crime rates.
London remains relatively stable in the rankings, at 37th place. “The capital remains a very attractive city for expats with excellent civic amenities, a comprehensive public transport network and leisure opportunities”says Neil Ashman.
The ECA rating is based on a number of quality of life factors, some of which are particularly important to expats, such as access to a social network and recreational and leisure facilities.