This is the European seaside city where ex-pats are the happiest, research has found. Emigrating to a new country is a pretty big gamble and when you buy a one-way ticket the destination has to be just right.

However there is one city on the continent that comes out tops with ex-pats taking the plunge so if you dream of moving to Europe read on.

This could be the perfect time as more and more countries launch digital nomad visas and workplaces continue to offer remote contacts.

The study by InterNations—a global networking and advice site for expats— asked over 12,000 people living in 49 cities around the globe to rank everything from ease of making friends to career opportunities. And you might think a European capital would come up tops but that wasn’t the case….

The best city in Europe and in the world for expats was Málaga according to the survey. Respondents voted Málaga the top city in the world for friendliness, with nine out of 10 saying inhabitants are welcoming of foreign residents.

According to the Internations Expat Insider survey Malaga was ranked the happoest European city for expats. They rated the city highly for its friendliness, quality of life, climate, personal finances, and ease of settling in. While the local job market was a weak point, Málaga excelled in work-life balance and the affordability.

Key reasons for Málaga’s top ranking include: Ease of settling in: Expats found it easy to get used to the culture and feel welcome, with high ratings for local friendliness and making new friends.

• Quality of life: The city ranked highly for its quality of life, pleasant climate, and natural environment.
• Personal finances: Expats reported being happy with their finances, with Málaga ranking first for the general cost of living and personal finance index.
• Work-life balance: Despite a lower ranking for the local job market, expats were very satisfied with their work-life balance.
• Housing: Accommodation is considered both easy to find and affordable. 

The coastal Spanish city on the Costa Del Sol was also the top-rated for its temperate climate and good weather, while expats voted it second globally for quality of life. Málaga also comes in the top 10 for healthcare, travel and transit.

The city is slightly let down by its career opportunities, only making 41st place for the local job market but if you can move with your job and are you’re looking for a place to live on a budget, Málaga makes a good choice as it ranked first for the general cost of living and came top in the personal finance index.

Other Spanish seaside cities like Alicante and Valencia also scored well. Over 56,000 British nationals live in the province of Málaga, making it the second-largest British community in Spain after Alicante. Between 20,000 and 30,000 British citizens relocated to Spain annually before Brexit when Britons had the right to live and work in any EU country. After Brexit, these rights were lost for most, leading to a decrease in the number of Britons moving to Spain, but migration continues albeit at a lower rate of around 10,000 a year.

Bringing up the rear of the rankings though was Milan in northern Italy which came in last in 49th place. Expats particularly struggle with bureaucracy, finding it difficult to open a local bank account and obtain a visa. The city also ranked poorly for its housing options, job security and fair pay. About one-third of expats aren’t satisfied with their personal career opportunities in Milan.

In addition, less than half are satisfied with their job in general and they also struggle immensely with their financial situation.  In the quality of life index, Milan ranks among the worst 10 cities worldwide. Although the leisure options are good, especially the chance to travel, expats don’t feel safe and over half say the air quality is poor compared to 17% globally.