Globally, Ho Chi Minh City ranked 19th out of 66 ranked cities, while Singapore ranked 5th, Kuala Lumpur 8, Shanghai (21), Bangkok (30), Tokyo (53) and Beijing ( 55). Notably, Hong Kong - once ranked as one of Asia's top cities to live in - now ranks 57, just above Seoul (64th).
Besides Singapore, which often appears in the top cities to live in, Kuala Lumpur and Ho Chi Minh City are the two Southeast Asian cities that are increasingly popular with foreigners.
Ho Chi Minh City is highly appreciated for the friendliness of indigenous people with 70% of respondents saying that they easily make friends and integrate into life here in a short time. Ho Chi Minh City is also among the top 10 cities with the cheapest cost of living globally. Besides, more than 50% of foreigners surveyed said that they are satisfied with the quality of work in Ho Chi Minh City.
Kuala Lumpur is considered to be the easiest city to settle in with 70% of respondents commenting that housing prices here are affordable. More than 70% consider the city to have cheap general costs of living, compared with the global average of 46%.
Bangkok, ranked 5th in Asia and 30 globally, is considered the city with the worst environment in the world. However, most foreigners here feel satisfied with the cost of living.
Expats in Shanghai and Beijing are satisfied with their finances. Meanwhile, expats in Tokyo rated it as the safest city.
The biggest drop is Hong Kong. 6 years ago, Hong Kong was in the top 10 global best cities. However, last year, the city fell to 52nd (out of 82 cities) due to political instability after a series of anti-government protests. Besides, many expats in Hong Kong also complain about the cost of living and housing in this city is constantly increasing.
Meanwhile, expats in Seoul - a city with a lower rating than Hong Kong - reported difficulty making friends and having difficulty adapting to the local culture. However, the Korean capital is highly regarded for the urban quality of life index with its advanced transportation and health care system.
InterNations' rating is based on a survey with 4 main groups of criteria, including urban quality of life (recreation & climate, transportation, safety & politics, health & environment); the ability to settle down (indigenous friendliness, a sense of welcome, friends and social exchanges, the native language); quality of work (job & career, guarantee, life-work balance); finance and housing (finance, housing, living expenses).
Ngoc Trang
VnEconomy
