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It’s official: these are the cities people want to move to most

The number of searches on Google was researched, but the top city might surprise you

Liv Kelly
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Liv Kelly
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Living overseas is something many of us say we want to do at least once in our lives. And some of us actually do – apparently 281 million people live in a different country to the one in which they were born. And that's just as of 2020 – the figure is likely much higher thanks to the surge in popularity of the digital nomad lifestyle

But where are people gravitating to the most? Recently, it was revealed that Tokyo is the fastest-growing destination specifically among nomads – and now financial services provider Remitly has discovered the cities aroud the world that people are dreaming about moving to (according to Google searches, at least).

By investigating the volume of searches of the phrase ‘move to (city)’ on Google, Remitly has compiled a list and dubbed one city as the most popular for those looking to relocate. 

The city in question? It’s Dubai. The expat-friendly UAE capital is the country’s largest city, and is famed mostly for its shopping, ultra-modern buildings, and year-round sun. 

The coastal city of Miami is in second place, a go-to holiday destination in Florida which is best known for its combo of skyline and beach – and, of course, thriving nightlife. In third, it was Paris, a city of village-like neighbourhoods and world-class cheese and wine. 

Interestingly, the ‘top 10’ actually contains a whole lot more than 10 cities, with three cities tied for number four and nine tied for number 10. Clearly, there’s a fair few places across the world that are intriguing those of us considering upping sticks. 

Here are the cities that people want to move to the most. 

1. Dubai
2. Miami
3. Paris
4. New York City, Madrid, Singapore
7. London, Brussels
9. Toronto
10. Washington DC, Buenos Aires, Christchurch, Quebec City, Bogota, Portland, Vienna, Pheonix, Chicago

If you’re keen to know more about living abroad, becoming a digital nomad is one of the most accessible ways to do so. You can read our take on life as a digital nomad here, and have a look at our list of all the countries that offer digital nomad visas

Did you see that Japan just gained a brand-new island?

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