New Zealand voted second-worst country to move to amid cost-of-living crisis

Kuwait ranked the worst, report said

New Zealand has been ranked as the second-worst destination to move to, according to a survey, amid the ongoing coast of living crisis due to rising inflation.

The survey conducted by InterNations - the world's largest expatriate networking organisation - ranked the Pacific nation 51st out of 52 countries. The report was based on a survey conducted on 12,000 respondents of 177 different nationalities, living in 181 countries.

Kuwait was given the last spot on the list, while Mexico occupied the top spot for expats.

The respondents were asked about the performance of their new homes on parameters such as cost of living, quality of life, financial outlook, bureaucracy, and ease of settling in.

The report suggested that New Zealand was "too expensive" and people found it hard to get a job upon arrival. Expats struggled with their personal finance and were unhappy with the cost of living, with 75 per cent rating it negatively.

"The cost of living is too high here in comparison to the salaries,” one survey respondent from Botswana said, while an expat from India pointed at the "growing divide between the rich and poor".

New Zealand is grappling with 30-year high inflation of 6.9 per cent, which is expected to rise even further.

The respondents also rued about the high transportation cost and lack of nightlife culture. However, an overall 60 per cent of expats said they were happy with their life in New Zealand, the report stated.

Neighbouring Australia held the ninth position in the list, with people rating the country's economy positively. “You can be whatever you want to be especially with your career,” said one respondent from Nepal.