5 Cities With The Best Expat Communities

Moving abroad can be extremely daunting, leaving your home, family, friends and colleagues to start a new life in a different country can be difficult in many ways.

But what makes the process more bearable for many is the thriving expat communities in cities across the world.

Knowing that the city you’re moving to has a flourishing expat community can make all of the difference. It provides you with the reassurance that you will have a community to lean on when settling into your new home.

So, if you’re planning on moving abroad and want to know which cities have the best expat communities, here’s your guide.

Taipei, Taiwan

A total of 3.5 million expats vote Taipei as the best city to settle in Asia, why. Year after year, Taipei is considered to be one of the best cities for expats according to the annual Expat Insider Survey published by InterNations.

Taipei came out on top of the survey; due to the overall quality of life in the capital and the relatively low-cost living in comparison to its neighbouring countries. With a large range of international corporations now having offices in the city, Taipei is becoming one of the global hubs for industries, providing expats with a range of fantastic job and financial opportunities. The survey also rates the locals as some of the friendliest and most accommodating in the world.

There are plenty of exciting expatriate events and activities that you can attend to get to know like-minded expatriates in real life. This can be a huge benefit as one of the main challenges of living in Taipei is the language barrier, although English is widely spoken, Chinese is the main language in the country.

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

The capital of Malaysia is quickly becoming one of the most attractive cities for expats to live in. With its vibrant way of life, incredible food and rich culture, Kuala Lumpur has so much going for it. With a relatively cheap cost of living and the easy access to the rest of Asia, it’s understandably alluring.

It follows Taipei closely as the second easiest city to settle into as an expat in Asia and this could have something to do with the abundance of social forums that connect you with other expats living in Kuala Lumpur, who can give you tips and advice from their own experiences. With groups like this you’ll never feel alone.

Ottawa, Canada

Canada already has a large expat community and continually draws in thousands of expats every year. If you choose to make Ottawa your new home you’ll be joining a multicultural hub with a diverse population and over 132, 417 other expatriates.

This is a popular expat destination and is the fourth most populated in Canada not only because it’s one of the sunniest cities in the country but because of its many academic and employment opportunities.

The nation’s capital is an impressive city that has the highest educated workforce in the country and most of the resident’s work in the service industry.

Lisbon, Portugal

One of Europe’s best cities, Lisbon is an incredibly fashionable and attractive city to live in, especially for younger expats. Thanks to its economic revival and its growing creative and startup scene the city is getting a lot of attention.

The quality of life in Lisbon has been classed as amazing with a fantastic climate, low cost of living and plenty of beaches just a short drive away.

Lisbon has one of the fastest-growing British and international expat communities in Portugal and expats that already live in the capital rave about the city, claiming they felt right at home.

Sydney, Australia

Sydney is notorious for its expat community. The city, or should we say the country, in general, captivates thousands.

The Eastern Suburbs of Sydney, in particular (i.e. Bondi and Coogee) attract a large expat population as it gives ready access to the famous beaches and a relatively short commute to the city.

The city draws in expats of all ages thanks to the wide range of things on offer and with such a large community there will be no problem settling in. There are hundreds of expats already established in Sydney that are ready and waiting to welcome you to your new home.

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