Survey shows London still best all round expat experience

In spite of the British capital’s slide down the rankings of a number of expat surveys, it’s still a favourite for work and play.

In a recent survey with around half a million expat respondents, London is still the most attractive city for a varied lifestyle. It seems the British capital is still the preferred international location for expatriate professionals looking to balance work with leisure activities, whether it’s a night at the pub or club, a West-End show, a great meal or a musical or theatrical experience. The city’s unique attractions combined with its historic ambience are still attracting major expat talent from across the world, all helping it to retain its lustre, at least for a while longer.

According to the authors of the survey, cities can be romanticised by expats who tend to ignore perceptions of the countries in which they’re situated as these are based on issues including politics and infrastructure. Even so, with Brexit looming and the UK’s future uncertain as a result, Britain’s appeal as a country is slipping fast, particularly with expats from other European states. Whilst London is still a magnet for expat talent, other major world cities including Berlin, New York, Barcelona and new kid on the block Amsterdam are looking to overtake it before long.

For Brit expats looking for a total change of scenery, Hong Kong is rising in popularity again, along with Tokyo, Abu Dhabi and Dubai, whilst Sydney is now considered overrated by many expatriates from the Western hemisphere and Paris is being seen as too touristy and commercialised. One expat couple in Hong Kong love its vibrancy and chaos even although they admit to its perception as a concrete jungle. For them, its quality of life is perfect, even although the islands have changed a lot since they arrived eight years ago.