The study was based on decisions by companies and governments to relocate employees from one country to another, and on criteria such as consumer goods, economic environment, housing, health services, social and political environment, public transportation, entertainment, schools and education.
Zurich ranks as top preference among expats, a distinction it held also in 2007, followed by Vienna, Geneva, Vancouver, and Auckland. Zurich secured 108 points, while Bucharest has 77.5 points, compared to 76.9 points in 2007. All cities are compared to New York City, for which a base score of 100 points was established.
In terms of personal security, Bucharest ranks 80th, higher than Rome (81), Warsaw (84), and Zagreb (85).
In Central and Eastern Europe, the top city for expats is Prague, ranking 71th in the overall list, followed by Budapest (74), Vilnius (78), Ljubljana (82) and Warsaw (85).
