How to choose a city to immigrate to - The Winners
Which place ranks first (and last) in each category
In case you missed it:
After writing 3 posts about how to choose a city to immigrate to, I realized that no one ever asks: what should I consider before moving?
Instead, people ask one of two things:
Is Paris a nice place to live in?
Where can I move to that is going to sunny and I can live comfortably with 2000 euros a month?
In the first case, the person already has a destination in mind and they want to know more about it. In the second, they have set their requirements and they want to find a place that fulfills them. The latter is closer to “what should I consider before moving”, that we already covered in the previous posts. There is one important difference though: the inquirer, apart from the factors to consider, wants to also know the outcome of the selection process. They are not only interested in the factors leading to the decision.
They mainly care about where they should move to.
Realizing that, I thought that I should help a bit further with the selection process. That means, pick the places that rank first in each category. In some categories, I might even venture to suggest the places that might not be the best options. This way you will know that if your top priority is for a place to be sunny, then Copenhagen is a good candidate #not.
Please keep in mind that the results are based on my experience, so treat them as suggestions and not as rules. Below I list -once again- the factors you need to consider.
Without further ado, here are your winners.
Proximity to a good airport
Winner(s): Copenhagen, Denmark.
Ranks last: -
No matter how many places I have traveled, I have not found any city with such a convenient airport as Copenhagen. The airport is practically part of the city and you can get there by bus or metro. From a central metro station, you will need about 15 minutes. There is no added fee on those tickets either; you just pay for the zones you cross1.
On top of that, the metro and the buses run all night long. So you can get to the airport 24/7 only by using public transport. Pretty neat.
Language
Winner(s): Spain
Ranks last: Denmark
The winner in this category should be any country, whose language you can speak. Then communicating once you move, should not a problem. That will help making local friends and will make bureaucracy much easier.
Having said that, do I speak Spanish? Nope. Can I at least speak it at a survival level? Nope, that neither. I just like Spanish.
I like the way they sound, I believe it would easy to pick up and I would like to eventually learn it. It also gives access to so many countries, that I consider it a big plus to be able to speak it. So for me, it would actually be an additional motivation to move to a Spanish-speaking country. Hence, even though I cannot speak a word of Spanish, I chose it as the winner of this category.
However, as a I elaborated in the first part of this series, you might not want to bother learning a new language. In that case, you should choose a place whose local language you already speak, even to a limited extend.
Danish is… where do I begin. It is just impossible to learn. Ok not impossible, but nearly2. I have finished all the language levels. I have done Duolingo. I have tried watching series and doing a language exchange3. But because the sounds of the language are so far from what I am used to, I still sound like a 7-year old. The fact that most Danes speak English fluently is also not helping, as they will immediately switch if they see you struggling.
Vibe
Winner(s): TBD4
Ranks last: -
I like the vibe in Copenhagen, but given that it is affected by weather, I cannot rank it high. I like the theaters, the stand-up comedy shows5 and the nice cafés, but I would like more things to be happening outside.
If you know a place that fits that description, let me know in the comments. If you can also prove it, I might consider moving there.
Safety
Winner(s): Copenhagen & Berlin
Ranks last: -
Usually big cities come with the downside of increased criminality. That does not seem to be the case for Copenhagen, nor for Berlin. Both cities are safe, while I can also attest that Copenhagen -and Denmark in general- is a very trust-based society. I would say the most common crime in Copenhagen, is the bike thefts.
If you are not sure about the safety of a city and it is something that ranks high on your priorities, I would say that as a rule of thumb, it is better to prefer smaller places.
Cost of living
Winner(s): The Netherlands & Germany
Ranks last: Greece
This is quite a paradox, but the countries with the stronger economies in EU, are also cheaper to live in. Remember from Part #2 of this series that:
you want a place where the cost of living is low relative to your income.
And indeed the cost of living vs. income ratio, is lower in the northern, financially stronger, countries of the EU. Makes sense, otherwise they would not be financially stronger. What is impressive is that in many cases, goods are cheaper also in absolute values. I was very surprised to see that many basic supermarket products were cheaper to buy in Germany, than in Greece.
That means that, Germany6 not only provides better salaries, but everyday costs are also lower. Hence the cost of living equation tilts heavily in favor of the northern EU countries.
Unfortunately the situation is reversed in Greece -I have noticed the same in Italy. Basic expenses, like groceries, are quite expensive, especially compared to people’s income. I would say that is also one of the reasons why tax evasion, is more common in southern countries. The difference between north and south is also reflected in the average age that people move out of their parents’ home.
Nature
Winner(s): Colorado & Iceland
Ranks last: Copenhagen
Even for a sea-lover like myself, it is difficult to resist to Colorado’s beauty. Living just a short ride from the Rocky Mountain is simply priceless. Combine that with many days of sunshine during the year and the possibilities are endless; you can choose anything from an easy afternoon stroll, to a multi-day hike that requires proper planning. And all that starting from 1.6km in elevation7. Winter can be challenging with low temperatures and a lot of snow, but those mountains only get more beautiful with snow.
Iceland, with its volcanic scenery also claims the top spot in this category. I have not yet visited it, so I am only speaking from what I have seen from friends’ photos or online. Out of all European destinations, it is the place that ranks the highest in my list to visit.
Copenhagen has green spaces and parks, but the country is unfortunately lacking natural beauty, especially compared to its Scandinavian neighbors. The country’s highest natural point is at 170m above sea level and that already rules out big rivers and mountain hiking. Forested areas are sparse. Being a very windy area, I would argue that Denmark’s beauty lies in its rawness; in the most windy areas almost no trees grow, while the ones that do, often grow sideways.
In any case, if I were to rank places I have visited over their natural beauty, Denmark would be at the bottom of that list.
Weather
Winner(s): Not-so-southern locations
Ranks last: Scandinavia & most of UK/Ireland.
This is a tricky one. It might seem obvious to choose sunnier, southern8 countries. However such places might reach extremely high temperatures during the summer months, which makes them intolerable to live in. We tend to think of summer destinations as heavens on earth, but that is because we visit them for vacation. Occasionally working from Greece during some weeks in summer, I can assure you that working while it is 40 degrees outside, is far from heavenly.
Islands can be a good choice because the climate is milder. However, you should be prepared to give away most of the benefits of a city. Otherwise, I think that places like Porto, the Basque country and southern France, might be good choices.
At the bottom of this category I would put places with little sunlight throughout the year, so basically places far from the Equator. I have noticed that surprisingly, bad weather is not such a problem, as long as you get enough sun. So living somewhere very cold, but where the sky is always clear is actually fine. But living in a place with few hours of sunlight can really affect your mood. So Scandinavia, Ireland and most of UK are places to avoid.
Human rights and inclusivity
Winner(s): Berlin
Ranks last: Very religious places
There are a few big cities around the world that are considered melting pots: New York city, Amsterdam, London. But Berliners have taken zero-f*cks-given to a whole new level. In how many cities do you see a middle-aged man biking in full-body vinyl overalls, and no-one blinking an eye9?
Part of it is the diversity that comes with most big cities. The city’s history and the progressive art scene, have probably done the rest.
I don’t know which place I would rank last in this category. Goes without saying that you should avoid authoritarian regimes or even democracies of doubtable reputation.
The involvement of religion in the culture and the state affairs is also a good gauge of inclusivity. Religions, being usually conservative, would oppose any change in the status-quo; think of gay marriage, or the right to abortion. I would give special weight to that as an indicator, especially if you belong to a sexual minority.
Finally, inclusivity is one of the factors that you should examine both on a city- and a country-level. Berlin being a welcoming city for racial, sexual and other minorities, does not imply that Dresden or Cologne10 will be equally inclusive.
Corruption
Winner(s): Denmark
Ranks last: Greece
I ‘ll let the data do the talking for this one.
In Part #2 of this series, I wrote that Greece ranked 108th and 107th in the freedom of press index, issued by RSF. That was in 2022 and 2023 respectively. While the 2024 result is better -it ranks 88th- this is a strong indication that the democratic institutions in Greece are at risk. The Guardian, the NY Times, the Economist and pretty much all major news outlets, have published stories about journalists being murdered or public figures having their phones tapped with the latest surveillance software.
On the contrary, Denmark and Scandinavian countries in general, consistently rank in the top spots of any transparency index. All countries are also highly digitalized, which makes corruption easier to tackle.
Immigration policy
Winner(s): Germany
Ranks last: Denmark
Germany is one of the countries that has welcomed and integrated many immigrants, but also refugees. Having a strong domestic heavy industry that constantly requires fresh employees also helps. It might also be that Germany, wanting to dissociate itself from its WWII history, adopted more open-border policies.
Unfortunately most of Europe is shifting towards the extreme right side of the political spectrum. Denmark, not having any dark past to try to avoid and bordering only European countries, has adopted very strict policies. In fact, as strict as European laws will allow. Even though the numbers show that the Danish economy cannot survive without immigrants, both skilled and unskilled, populist parties gain more and more voters.
Maybe one of the worst examples is the jewelry law that Denmark passed, when the Syrian refugee crisis was peaking.
Culture
Winner(s): Porto & Southern Spain
Ranks last: -
Like the Spanish girl said in this short story, I also miss the Mediterranean culture. I feel Porto and Southern Spain check that box for me. Socializing revolves around food and takes place outside thanks to the nice weather. People are inviting and get thrilled when you can say the simplest word in their language. It might sound silly, but it does affect one’s motivation when trying to learn a language.
I could also add some places in Greece as winners in this category, but I am still leaning towards not going back home. At least not yet.
Religion
Winner(s): Any place where religion is not a big deal.
This can be a contentious topic and my intention is not to insult anyone’s belief’s. I would choose a place where religion is not affecting my daily life. Simple as that.
You might be thinking, “how can religion affect my daily life?”. If you are, that means that, wherever you live, you are not affected by it. It also means that you have never lived in such a place. Congratulations, keep it up.
Welfare state
Winner(s): -
Ranks last: USA
If you are an expat, you have probably heard horror stories of people in the US not being insured and having to pay huge medical bills. The fact that USA is the frontrunner in capitalism, has also affected healthcare that is treated as any other business.
Even though any country’s healthcare system needs to be sustainable, healthcare cannot be treated as a luxury. Healthcare in Scandinavia is built on that premise. However, the system can often be frustrating with long waiting times and doctors being reluctant to prescribe expensive exams. That is also the reason I am not placing Scandinavian countries high. The truth is however that in serious cases the state will take very good care of its citizens. Also, healthcare is free for everyone, regardless of their employment status.
Until recently, I would rank Greece’s system very high, but the last few years there is a consistent effort to follow the American model. That is great news for whoever can afford paying for good doctors. For the rest… good luck.
Job opportunities
Winner(s): Germany, the Netherlands and Eastern European countries
Ranks last: Southern Europe
My view here is skewed because most of the inputs I get, have to do with the EU. According to Statista, Germany, the Netherlands and some Eastern European countries have the lowest unemployment among people younger than 25 years old11.
The situation unfortunately reverses when moving towards the south. Not only jobs for young people are fewer, but they often pay too little compared to the cost of living.
If you are moving to a new country without having first secured a job, the general level of unemployment is a good thing to check. However, you need to remember that you care about jobs in your field. So even though the general unemployment levels of a country might be low, the situation might be different in your field. It is not uncommon that specific countries become hubs of big companies or specific industries. If you are working in such an industry, there will probably be a constant demand for your skills.
Quality of life
Winner(s): Copenhagen
In Part #3, I said about quality of life that:
Basically, it is all the factors listed in this mini-series, accompanied by a bunch of other, more fluffy ones.
And if there is no definite answer in the other categories, there is definitely not one in the category that includes all of them.
I value the lack of corruption and enjoy the financial freedom that the cost of living in Denmark gives me. Having a good airport close by is also a big plus, so all in all, I end up ranking Copenhagen’s quality of life the highest, even though there are things that I would really like to change.
Do you agree with these selections?
Copenhagen’s metropolitan area is divided in zones; the more zones you cross when using the public transport system, the higher the price of your ticket.
The situation shifts if you speak German. Due to the similarity in the languages -at least in their written form- German speakers have a much easier time learning Danish. So, if you are German, learning Danish should not scare you.
Language exchange requires two people, each knowing a language the other person wants to learn. They meet once in a while and spend half the time speaking in one language and half speaking in the other. This way both can improve their skills in a way that is more fun, than sitting in a classroom.
To be decided.
Kind of a guilty pleasure of mine, even though I have to admit I should spend more time going to live shows and less time watching stand-up comedy videos on my phone.
The same applies for the Netherlands.
1 mile is approximately 1.6km. Denver, that is the capital of Colorado, is also known as the mile-high city.
Northern if you are located in the southern hemisphere.
I swear I am not making this up.
I don’t know whether those cities are or aren’t inclusive. I am just using them as examples.
I reference the unemployment among young people, because that matters most, regardless of how old you are. You can however also check the same statistics over the whole population.