To identify the best cities for expats, Global Citizen Solutions assessed each location across seven livable cities indicators: cost of living, safety, air quality, healthcare, ease of settling in, English proficiency, and enhanced mobility. The team used information from publicly available datasets to create a score between 0 and 100.
Under that methodology, Lisbon earned the top spot as the best city for expats in 2026. The Portuguese capital garnered a score of 88.49 in Global Citizen Solutions’ study, earning consistently high rankings across all categories. It’s among the least expensive capitals in the index, one of the cleanest cities when it comes to air quality, and it boasts a higher safety score than other European metropolises like Paris, Rome, and Barcelona.
Additionally, Portugal offers expats several pathways to residency, including its flexible digital nomad visa, which allows participants to renew for up to four years, and its residence-by-investment program, which offers a path to citizenship.
Clocking in at No. 2 on the list is Amsterdam, with a score of 81.97 thanks to strong safety levels, high-quality healthcare, and clean air—perhaps due to the famous cycling culture. The Dutch capital also had the highest level of English proficiency across the index’s European cities, making daily life extraordinarily accessible for American expats.
Melbourne ranks as the highest-performing city outside Europe in third place. The cosmopolitan Australian city scored 81.79 points due to its accessible living environment and remarkably clean air. “High-quality healthcare, stable governance, and well-developed urban systems support a reliable standard of living, particularly for residents relocating from other English-speaking countries,” the report says.
Vienna scooped up fourth place with a score of 81.07 based on its strong performance in healthcare, comparatively manageable cost of living, well-connected public transportation systems, and expansive green spaces.