Mercer ranked the best cities for expats. Twelve Asian cities, including Singapore, Hong Kong and Tokyo, ranked among the top 100.

Readers favored Asian cities with robust public transportation systems and vibrant culinary scenes in our annual “World’s Best Awards” survey for 2025.

Hong Kong is Asia’s second-most expensive city in which to live, and the fifth worldwide. See how other cities in the region compare in our map below.

The 15 best cities in Asia in our annual "World’s Best Awards" survey for 2025.

Founded in around 700 BCE, Samarkand is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. Here’s what visitors heading to this Uzbekistan city today can expect.