These U.S. Cities Have Been Named Best for Expats—but Beware Their High Cost of Living

Expats looking to relocate to the top cities in the United States should come prepared—with their wallets.

While Western European cities dominate Mercer’s 2024 Quality of Living City Rankings, eight of the top 10 cities with the highest quality of living are in Western Europe, with Zurich taking the top spot this year. Three other Swiss cities—Bern, Basel, and Geneva—also made the top 10.

Among the U.S. cities on the list, Boston ranked the highest, at 32nd out of 241 cities. Other U.S. cities on the list include San Francisco; Honolulu; New York City; Portland, OR; Los Angeles; and Washington, DC.

Each year, Mercer, a financial services company, evaluates more than 240 cities to determine which places offer the best quality of life for international employees living abroad. Mercer looks at factors including political stability, housing, culture, travel, traffic, air quality, and educational access.

It also looks at how the cost of living intersects with quality of life. Dhaka, Bangladesh, for example, has a low cost of living and a low quality of life, while Montreal has the highest quality of life relative to its cost of living.

But, here’s what expats wanting to swap affordability for a higher quality of life in U.S. cities can expect:

Boston, MA

Ranking: 32
Median home list price: $948,000
Median household income: $130,663

Boston, one of the oldest cities in the U.S., is rich in history and culture. It has more than 60 museums and serves as something of a higher education hub in New England.

With students flocking to the area to attend Harvard, MIT, and UMass, education is one of the major economic drivers in the area, as is health care. Massachusetts General Hospital is the city’s largest employer.

Boston is 46% more expensive than the national average.

San Francisco, CA

Ranking: 36
Median home list price: $1.2 million
Median household income: $136,689

San Francisco’s reputation as a hippie cultural center has, of late, been usurped by its role as a major tech center. In recent years, real estate prices have skyrocketed as major companies like Google and Apple have lured high earners to the area, and many are finding the city prohibitively expensive. The cost of living is 70% higher than the national average.

Residents also love the city’s public transportation and its dining scene. The city has plenty of other draws—for one, its easy access to nature. Residents can quickly escape to Golden Gate Park for a dose of green or go farther afield to Muir Woods for recreation.

Honolulu, HI

Ranking: 39
Median home list price: $618,500
Median household income: $99,816

The sun, the sand, and the tropical vibes—who wouldn’t want to live in Hawaii? Honolulu, on the island of Oahu, is one of the state’s biggest tourist destinations. Visitors love its white-sand beaches and brilliant blue water. Not surprisingly, tourism is the area’s largest industry.

But living in one of the best vacation spots on Earth doesn’t come cheap. The cost of living is 85% higher than the national average.

Los Angeles, CA

Ranking: 44
Median home list price: $1.2 million
Median household income: $79,701

Los Angeles is the entertainment capital of the universe, and it’s easy to see why stars might flock to the city. Besides having utterly perfect weather and ocean access, L.A. is the cultural capital of Southern California. Museums? Check. Shopping? Check. A to-die-for food scene? Check.

But you’ll have to pay a pretty penny to live there. And you’ll also need to gird yourself for the heavy traffic. The cost of living in L.A. is 50% higher than the national average.

New York, NY

Ranking: 45
Median home list price: $850,000
Median household income: $76,607

It’s easy to think of New York City as the center of the universe. It’s the U.S. city that all other U.S. cities are compared with, thanks to its energy, culture, and diversity. With its stellar public transportation system, New Yorkers basically have the world just a subway ride away.

But none of that comes for cheap—New Yorkers know that they’ll likely end up spending at least $50 every time they go out the door. The cost of living is 130% higher than the national average.

Portland, OR

Ranking: 48
Median home list price: $534,500
Median household income: $88,876

Portland’s moody, mercurial weather isn’t for everyone, but if you’re OK with rain one minute and snow the next, it has a lot to offer. The city’s economy is growing faster than the national average,

Locals like to keep Portland “weird” and pride themselves on eco-conscious and progressive politics.

Compared with other spots on this list, the cost of living is relatively affordable. The city is 19% more expensive than the national average.

Washington, DC

Ranking: 49
Median home list price: $608,000
Median household income: $111,000

Sure, DC is a political power center, but it’s also a major culture center. Locals have easy access to the Smithsonian museum system, as well as the National Gallery and the National Air and Space Museum.

But the cost of living in the area is 39% higher than the national average.