Four Dutch cities have been ranked in Internations’ Best & Worst Cities for Expats 2021 list! The Hague and Rotterdam stood out from the crowd, while Amsterdam and Maastricht performed, well, poorly.
It’s official: some Dutch cities are better for expats, while others failed to make a splash. The survey conducted in Expat Insider 2021 looks at the quality of life, job opportunities, easiness of making friends, etc., according to Internations.
However, zero Dutch cities made the top ten list this year or in 2020. That’s okay, we know the Netherlands is a super place to live. 🤷🏼♀️
Leader of the pack: The Hague (#19)
Coming in in 19th place, and top for the Netherlands is The Hague! The city was well-regarded for its good transportation (ranked #9 for best public transport in the world!), ease of getting around without speaking the language, housing affordability, job opportunities, and work-life balance. 😊
The Hague also takes the 23rd spot in the Getting Settled Index, making it one of the easier spots to put down roots. 🌱
READ MORE | The work-life balance in the Netherlands is the best in the world
Dutch runner-up: Rotterdam (#28)
All work and no play? No way! Rotterdam is the 17th best city in the world for urban work-life balance. The Dutch economy is going strong and career opportunities are plenty!
Rotterdam also ranks #25 for local friendliness. Who said the Dutch were cold?
Middle of the pack: Amsterdam (#31)
Although the Dutch capital came in #31 overall in The Best and Worst Places for Expats, at least it came in 9th place for the best place to have a career, with this Dutch city taking their work-life balance very seriously!
Amsterdam ranked #30 in terms of getting settled, but the housing situation is definitely not the best — as evidenced by its #44 spot in the Finance & Housing Index. 😬
A for effort: Maastricht (#50)
Maastricht, unfortunately, didn’t do so well this year in the rankings, being in the bottom ten for worst cities to live in for expats.
The city takes the #41 spot in the Finance & Housing Index, only doing slightly better than Amsterdam. This means that finding affordable housing and living comfortably is difficult. 💔
Maastricht also took the 42nd spot for the Getting Settled Index. Further their quality of life, and the general happiness level is lower than the other four Dutch cities.
But hey at least we didn’t come in last place, right? Sorry, Rome! You’re still bella! 💘
| Top 10 cities for expats | Bottom 10 cities for expats |
| #1 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia | #48 New York, USA |
| #2 Málaga, Spain | #49 Moscow, Russia |
| #3 Dubai, UAE | #50 Maastricht, The Netherlands |
| #4 Sydney, Australia | #51 Paris, France |
| #5 Singapore | #52 Cairo, Egypt |
| #6 Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam | #53 Tokyo, Japan |
| #7 Prague, The Czech Republic | #54 Istanbul, Turkey |
| #8 Mexico City, Mexico | #55 Johannesburg, South Africa |
| #9 Basel, Switzerland | #56 Milan, Italy |
| #10 Madrid, Spain | #57 Rome, Italy |
What did you think of the best and worst Dutch cities to live in 2021? Do you agree with the rankings? Tell us your thoughts in the comments below!
Feature Image: annanahabed/Depositphotos