Malaga leads the list of the top 20 cities in the world to live in

Topping this year's global ranking as the best city for living and working is Malaga, Spain. Renowned for its ancient charm, Mediterranean climate, and vibrant arts scene (including being Picasso's birthplace), Malaga secured the top spot, excelling in categories such as local friendliness, climate, work and leisure balance, and overall safety. However, it faced a challenge with the local job market, ranking 41st.

Spain dominated the list with five cities in the top 20, including Alicante and Valencia in second and third place, respectively. These cities share attributes like ease of settling in, a high quality of life, and strong personal finance rankings, creating welcoming environments for expats.

In contrast, the United States saw a decline in expat satisfaction, with no cities making the top 20. New York City, which was 16th last year, fell to 39th due to challenges like a high cost of living impacting work-life balance. However, it still garnered praise for leisure options and culinary variety.

Milan, Italy, came in last on the global scale (49th), followed by Rome and Vancouver. Expats in Italian cities faced challenges in quality of life and work conditions, while Vancouver struggled with overall happiness and personal finance.

Explore the lists below for the world's 20 best places to live and the 10 lowest-ranked cities in 2023.

The World’s 20 Best Cities to Live:

1. Malaga, Spain

2. Alicante, Spain

3. Valencia, Spain

4. Ras Al Khaimah

5. Abu Dhabi, UAE

6. Madrid, Spain

7. Mexico City, Mexico

8. Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

9. Bangkok, Thailand

10. Muscat, Oman

11. Dubai, UAE

12. Lisbon, Portugal

13. Barcelona, Spain

14. Amsterdam, the Netherlands

15. Nairobi, Kenya

16. Zurich, Switzerland

17. Athens, Greece

18. Stockholm, Sweden

19. Luxembourg City, Luxembourg

20. The Hague, the Netherlands

The World’s 10 Lowest-Ranked Cities to Live in 2023:

1. Milan, Italy (49th overall)

2. Rome, Italy (48th overall)

3. Vancouver, Canada (47th overall)

4. Hamburg, Germany (46th overall)

5. Berlin, Germany (45th overall)

6. Dublin, Ireland (44th overall)

7. Istanbul, Turkey (43rd overall)

8. London, U.K. (42nd overall)

9. Paris, France (41st overall)

10. Seoul, South Korea (40th overall)

Seoul, South Korea (40th overall)Topping this year's global ranking as the best city for living and working is Malaga, Spain. Renowned for its ancient charm, Mediterranean climate, and vibrant arts scene (including being Picasso's birthplace), Malaga secured the top spot, excelling in categories such as local friendliness, climate, work and leisure balance, and overall safety. However, it faced a challenge with the local job market, ranking 41st.

Spain dominated the list with five cities in the top 20, including Alicante and Valencia in second and third place, respectively. These cities share attributes like ease of settling in, a high quality of life, and strong personal finance rankings, creating welcoming environments for expats.

In contrast, the United States saw a decline in expat satisfaction, with no cities making the top 20. New York City, which was 16th last year, fell to 39th due to challenges like a high cost of living impacting work-life balance. However, it still garnered praise for leisure options and culinary variety.

Milan, Italy, came in last on the global scale (49th), followed by Rome, and Vancouver. Expats in Italian cities faced challenges in quality of life and work conditions, while Vancouver struggled with overall happiness and personal finance.

The complete list can be found on the Inter Nations website here