Alicante was named the third best city in the world to live in by the annual Forbes magazine InterNations Expat City Rankings – with Spain dominating the ratings
Alicante, the historic Mediterranean port city, is just a short flight from the UK and has been named one of the world’s best cities to live in by Forbes magazine’s recent InterNations Expat City Rankings.
Spain dominated the study with Alicante ranking third, only surpassed by Valencia and Malaga. In total, five Spanish cities made the top 10. Alicante outshines its Spanish counterparts in housing, with over two-thirds (68 per cent) of those surveyed rating affordability as ‘positive’ – double the global average.
The city also scores well in ‘Digital life’, ranking 16th, and is deemed ‘decent’ for expats seeking good internet access. Madrid ranks seventh in the survey while Barcelona is further down the list at 21.
A total of 62 per cent of participants said it’s ‘easy to find’ housing in Alicante, compared to the global figure of 45 per cent. However, Alicante received negative feedback regarding online government services and issues with ‘bureaucracy and local authorities’.
Career prospects and job security were marked down, although many expats don’t see this as a problem as they are either retired or working part-time. According to the most recent census, Alicante’s population is nearly 350,000, making it the second-largest city in the Valencian Community, reports the Express.
The late 1950s and early 1960s marked the start of a lasting transformation of the city by the tourist industry, with its pleasant climate being the biggest draw for potential buyers. The city enjoys mild winters, hot summers, abundant sunshine and relatively little rainfall.
In recent years, the Port Authority has positioned it as one of Spain’s most significant cruise ports, with a record 86 cruise ship dockings in 2023 bringing around 200,000 passengers. Other top 10 cities include Panama City, Mexico City, Ras Al Khaimah, Bangkok, Abu Dhabi and Dubai, indicating that three Emirati cities have also made a strong impression on expats.
On the flip side, several Canadian cities – Toronto and Vancouver – along with Rome, Berlin, Milan, Istanbul and Munich rank among the 10 worst cities for expats in 2024. “Valencia (1st), Málaga (2nd), and Alicante (3rd) aren’t the only Spanish cities to make it into the top 10 of the 2024 Expat City Ranking,” InterNations wrote.
“Madrid isn’t far behind in 7th place. It similarly offers a great Quality of Life (4th), Ease of Settling In (7th), and satisfying Personal Finances (13th).
“These destinations in Spain are joined by two other Spanish-speaking cities: Panama City in 4th place and Mexico City in 5th. They not only share a language but also great results for Personal Finance (Panama City 2nd; Mexico City 4th) and the Ease of Settling In (8th; 2nd).
“Vancouver, which already placed in the bottom 10 in 2022 and 2023, has fallen further to rank last in the 2024 Expat City Ranking.”