This year’s celebrations will still be quite different compared to pre-pandemic times, but that doesn’t mean we can’t fully embrace the holiday spirit. From Christmas markets and shows in Europe to holiday parties in Asia, our communities around the globe are brimming with festive fun! Check out the highlights of the most recent celebrations and mark your calendar for the upcoming ones.
The Expat City Ranking 2021 reveals the best and worst cities for expats around the world
The Expat City Ranking 2021 reveals the best and worst cities for expats around the world.
Kuala Lumpur (1st), Málaga, Dubai, Sydney, Singapore, Ho Chi Minh City, Prague, Mexico City, Basel, and Madrid (10th) are the top 10 cities for expats to live in 2021.
On the other hand, expats consider Rome (57th), Milan, Johannesburg, Istanbul, Tokyo, Cairo, Paris, Maastricht, Moscow, and New York (48th) the world’s worst cities to live in.
Munich, 1 December 2021 — Kuala Lumpur (1st), Málaga, and Dubai are the top 3 cities in the Expat City Ranking 2021 by InterNations, the world’s largest expat community with over 4 million members. All of them rank very well in the Getting Settled Index — expats feel at home there and find it easy to make friends. What is more, Dubai and Málaga are appreciated for their high quality of life, while Kuala Lumpur and Málaga outperform Dubai in terms of cost of living, as well as finances and housing.
At the other end of the list, Rome (57th), Milan, and Johannesburg are the worst cities worldwide according to expats. They rank particularly poor in the Urban Work Life Index, but expats are also unhappy with the low quality of life. Johannesburg outperforms the two Italian cities in the Finance & Housing and the Getting Settled Indices.
The Expat City Ranking is based on the annual Expat Insider survey by InterNations, which is one of the most extensive surveys about living and working abroad, with 12,420 respondents in 2021. This year, 57 cities around the globe are analyzed in the survey, which offers in-depth information about five areas of expat life: Quality of Urban Living, Getting Settled, Urban Work Life, Finance & Housing, and Local Cost of Living. Together, the first four topics make up the Expat City Ranking, which reveals the best and worst cities for expats to live in.
As some parts of the world gear up for the upcoming holiday season, November brings out some of the biggest festivities around the world — from Diwali in India to Thanksgiving in the United States. For some, it is all about the simple get-togethers and catching up on all the moments they missed out on. One thing is for sure, no matter the occasion, our communities always find ways to make any holiday special even if they are far from home. Check out some of the most amazing events this month!
Diwali: A Festival of Lights and Indian Flavors
Diwali, the five-day festival of lights is one of the most popular holidays in India; it celebrates not just the victory of light over darkness and the triumph of good over evil, but as well as family and togetherness. Some of our members may not be at home in India to celebrate, but they still had heartwarming celebrations with their communities, complete with vibrant lights and feasts!
On Sunday, 7 November, the Palm Beach Community celebrated Diwali with a feast of authentic Indian flavors! Ambassadors Jon Fay and Nadira S hosted a lunch for our members at Aroma Indian Restaurant where they got to enjoy various dishes from different regions of India.
October is possibly one of the most anticipated months of the year. Fall season starts in the Northern Hemisphere while spring takes over the southern part of the globe — then the month ends with a celebration of all things scary, Halloween! From enjoying spring music and autumn in the valleys to costume competitions, here’s what our communities around the world are up to this month!
Cozy Autumn Walks in the Northern Hemisphere
There’s no experience quite like wrapping yourself up in warm clothes, hot drink in hand, and taking in the unique colors of the surroundings in autumn. No wonder our members chose to mark the beginning of the season outdoors!
On Saturday, 16 October, Consuls Andrea Vid, Maya Co, and Evelyn Zhang took the Milan Weekend Explorers Group on a beautiful hike in Switzerland. Their weekend started aboard a train from Domodossola in Italy to Locarno in Switzerland — a trip famous for crossing several scenic valleys between the countries! Then they went on a hike that offers up-close views of the valleys and stopped for some amazing photos along the trail. Just look at that scenic landscape!
We’re celebrating 14 years of making expat life a great experience at InterNations! Our members are at the heart of what we do, and we couldn’t be prouder seeing our communities celebrate and show their InterNations spirit in unique ways — from lavish affairs to intimate gatherings, in person and online. We’ve rounded up the highlights, as well as upcoming celebrations to look forward to.
