According to global mobility specialist ECA International in its annual location rating report, Singapore has maintained its position as the most liveable city in Asia for foreigners. Japan’s Tokyo and Osaka ranked second and fifth respectively.

Mark Harrison, ECA general manager for Asia, said that with excellent infrastructure and facilities, low crime rates and little exposure to socio-political tensions, Singapore remains a very attractive location for expatriates. However, other regional locations have improved, and the gap between Singapore and other locations has fallen.

In Southeast Asia, there have been small but significant improvements in transport infrastructure, health services and recreational facilities in several locations. These cities have become more attractive to expats, for examples, Jakarta (Indonesia) moving up from 213th to 196th spot, Phnom Penh (Cambodia) from 200th to 184th and Hanoi from 160th to 144th.

The ECA's Location Ratings evaluate cities worldwide to assess the overall quality of living for expats in over 500 locations across the globe. The ranking is based on various liveability factors, including availability of health services, housing and utilities, access to a social network, recreational and leisure facilities, infrastructure, climate, personal safety, socio-political tensions and air quality.