June 25, 2025, 6:10 am | Read time: 3 minutes
How comfortable one feels in a different city largely depends on how friendly the locals are. The organization Internations surveyed thousands of expatriates, asking them, among other things, how welcome they feel in their new home. A city in Europe takes the top spot.
Internations is an international expat portal. It serves as a network for people around the world, some of whom are looking for a new home country, while others share experiences from their own relocations. For the 2024 report, the organization surveyed more than 12,500 so-called expats worldwide about their experiences. Among other things, it addressed where locals are most welcoming to newcomers and how easy or difficult it is to settle in. This resulted in a ranking of the friendliest and unfriendliest cities in the world from the perspective of expats.
The respondents specifically indicated whether they found a personal support network in their new home, whether they are satisfied with their social life, and how easy it is to make friends with locals.
Overview
The Best City in the World for Expats in 2024 Is in Europe
This Is the Best Country in the World for Expats
Surprising! This Is the Best City in the World, According to Time Out
The Friendliest City in the World
The Spanish city of Málaga ranks first in the list. According to the report, locals are perceived as welcoming to newcomers, and many expats agree that they have a personal support network and are satisfied with their social life–Málaga ranks high in both aspects. Additionally, adapting to the local culture is easy (78 percent compared to 59 percent worldwide). About four out of five expats feel at home in Málaga (84 percent compared to 28 percent worldwide). “What do I enjoy about living here? The weather and climate, travel opportunities, and the friendly people,” one expat said.
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Second place in the ranking goes to Mexico City, followed by Lisbon. Notably, four Spanish cities made it to the top ten.
The Unfriendliest City in the World is in Germany
According to Internations, Germany does not shine when it comes to friendliness–in fact, quite the opposite. Four German cities–Munich, Hamburg, Berlin, and Frankfurt–are among the least friendly. For Munich, the last place in the 2024 index is “a new low point,” according to Internations. Nearly half of the respondents rated the friendliness of locals negatively.
The Friendliest and Unfriendliest Cities for Expats at a Glance
- Málaga, Spain
- Valencia, Spain
- Lisbon, Portugal
- Dubai, UAE
- Mexico City, Mexico
- Bangkok, Thailand
- Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
- Abu Dhabi, UAE
- Singapore, Singapore
- Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
- Hanoi, Vietnam
- Prague, Czech Republic
- Mexico City, Mexico
- Budapest, Hungary
- Warsaw, Poland
- Rome, Italy
- Bangkok, Thailand
- Barcelona, Spain
- Madrid, Spain
- Panama City, Panama
- Budapest, Hungary
- Singapore, Singapore
- Toronto, Canada
- Vienna, Austria
- Zurich, Switzerland
- Barcelona, Spain
- Paris, France
- Brussels, Belgium
- London, UK
- New York City, USA
- Hong Kong, Hong Kong
- Los Angeles, USA
- Shanghai, China
- Paris, France
- Tokyo, Japan
- Brussels, Belgium
- Hong Kong, Hong Kong
- Paris, France
- Rome, Italy
- Seoul, South Korea
- Tokyo, Japan
- Paris, France
- Luxembourg City, Luxembourg
- Zurich, Switzerland
- Geneva, Switzerland
- Stockholm, Sweden
- Hong Kong, Hong Kong
- Hamburg, Germany
- Tokyo, Japan
- Paris, France
- Hong Kong, Hong Kong
- Hamburg, Germany
- Frankfurt, Germany
- Berlin, Germany
- Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
- Munich, Germany