The global survey by HSBC Bank International showed that expats enjoy an overall better quality of life once they move away from their country of origin. Expats in Canada noted particularly that it was among the easiest places in the world to integrate with the local population while those in Australia and Thailand found the quality of life in their adopted country significantly better to that experienced in their home countries.
At the other end of the scale, the UK was one of the lowest ranking countries for quality of life.

HSCB’s Expat Experience survey, part of the bank’s Expat Explorer series which has surveyed over 3,100 expats from more than 50 countries, looked at expats’ lifestyle experiences while they live and work abroad. Factors considered included ease of organising finances ease of finding accommodation and organising finances, ability to make friends and integrate with the local community.

The report revealed that countries in emerging markets tended to score poorly, with Russia and India propping up the bottom of the league table which gave insights into expats’ priorities, particularly when financial gain is taken out of the equation.

David Norton of HSBC Bank International said, “We have seen that there is a distinct trade-off between income and overall quality of life, as many of the top performers in our first report, which examined the best places to make and save money, have scored towards the bottom of this report’s league table.”

Norton pointed out that in locations “where salaries may not be as high, such as Canada and Australia, are where expats are really enjoying not only an increased quality of life but are also finding it easy to fit in to their new communities.”

Overall, expats reported that the biggest increases in quality of life were in the categories of accommodation and the commute into work—nearly half of expats noted improvements in these areas. The biggest reductions in quality were in the standard of available entertainment and social life, where around a third of expats noticed a decline in each area.

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