Valencia and Alicante are recognized as the best cities in the world for foreigners to live.

Research by the online expat platform InterNations on city preferences for foreigners shows that large metropolitan areas are being replaced by smaller Spanish cities. London, Paris and Rome, famous for their history, culture and commerce, fell in the ranking of their favorite cities, being replaced by Valencia, Alicante and Lisbon. 

Concerns about health, safety, work-life balance and housing affordability influenced their ratings. Foreigners in the survey gave Valencia, Spain's third-largest city, the highest score in the world based on climate, housing affordability and health care. Second on the list was Alicante, a city on the Mediterranean coast with a population of 330,000. Alicante is also considered a retirement paradise. Lisbon, which took third place, is loved by foreigners for the fact that the city is easy to settle and housing prices are quite affordable, it has an excellent quality of life and fantastic weather. 

Malaga and Madrid took 6th and 9th places. Here is a summary of the rating. 

Favorite and Least Favorite Cities of Expats InterNations Expat City Rankings 2020