Expats living in Rome and Milan were asked to rate the destinations in terms of careers, social life ... [+]
Italy may be the home of la dolce vita, but two of the country’s major cities have been ranked as some of the worst places to live in the world.
Expats living in Rome and Milan were asked to rate the destinations in terms of careers, social life and safety.
It is part of a survey carried out by InterNations, a global community for people who live and work abroad.
For the annual report, the group talked to 11,970 expats to generate a list of the 50 best and worst cities in the world for living abroad.
Which are the best cities for expats in 2022?
This year’s Expat Insider survey has ranked 50 cities around the world as the best and worst expat destinations.
The group asked expats about ease of settling in, quality of life, working abroad and personal finance.
Two cities in Spain made the top ten. Valencia was voted the best city in the world for expats thanks to its affordable public transport and low cost of living.
Madrid also ranked highly. Expats said they like the warm weather and the nightlife.
No Italian cities featured in the top ten.
Which are the worst cities for expats in 2022?
Two major Italian cities ranked in the bottom 10 destinations for expats this year, however.
Both were highly criticized for their career opportunities and working life.
Expats in Milan were particularly unhappy with working hours and work-life balance. Nearly a third of those surveyed also said they are not paid fairly for their work.
Over half of expats in the northern Italian city mentioned the poor air quality although three out of four enjoy the climate and weather.
Expats in Milan were particularly unhappy with working hours and work-life balance.
Overall, however, a third of Milan expats felt that their disposable household income is not enough to lead a comfortable life in the city.
Rome similarly disappoints expats with a poor job market. A quarter of those surveyed said their move to the capital has not improved their career prospects.
Half of expats are also unhappy with the availability of administrative and government services online.
The city only performed well in terms of ease of settling in.
Which are the best Italian cities to live in?
Italian newspaper Il Sole 24 Ore published an annual ranking of Italian cities in terms of quality of life.
The list is divided into age groups: children, young people and the elderly.
Smaller cities occupy the top spots this year. Aosta in the northwest led the rankings for cities for children thanks to high quality school buildings and services.
Piacenza was voted the best for young people. The city in the Emilia Romagna region excelled for its low youth unemployment and nightlife.
Cagliari came in first for the elderly. Residents of the Sardinian city have a stellar life expectancy.
