Methodology

Final scores were calculated by category according to the following proportions:

Startup Ecosystem (20%)

Some cities have innovation in their DNA.

The Startup Ecosystem score was calculated based on the 2thinknow 2016-2017 Innovation Cities Index, Startup Genome’s 2017 Global Startup Ecosystem Report, the number of startups in each city, and on the availability of capital and funding.

Salary (20%)

Compensation is a common motivator for employee relocation. Which cities offer the biggest paychecks?

Salary data was collected from local job boards, live job postings, and salary databases for each city to find average salaries for management, technology, and marketing positions. “Entry level” salaries provide an approximate value for a position requiring 0-3 years of previous experience, while “Experienced” salaries were based on jobs requiring 5-10 years of experience. Of course, even for the same position in the same city, salaries fluctuate due to many factors including negotiation, education background, professional experience, and gender. Thus, these salaries may be higher or lower than your actual salary due to individual variation. All salary values reflect the yearly goss salary of an employee.

Social Security & Benefits (20%)

What percent of your paycheck do you see at the end of the month, and where does the rest of it go? Startup employees may not be keen to see a hefty portion of their salaries withheld for taxes, but in terms of your health and free time, the benefits could outweigh the cost.

Income Tax (~6.7%) - Income taxation is a complex and varied process, with many countries offering progressive taxes based on income, while others levy a flat rate across all income levels. Thus, the Income Tax score was calculated as the middle point between a typical tax rate for a Low-Mid Earner and a typical rate for a Mid-High Earner. In all cases, the selection of these rates was informed by local salary information, and when applicable, the tax rates include employee social security contributions. Health Care Quality (~6.7%) - The Health Care Quality score was calculated based on the World Health Report conducted by the UN, the availability of hospitals per capita, and on the quality of medical facilities in each city. Vacation Days (~6.7%) - The Vacation Days score was calculated according to each city’s minimum number of annual vacation days, including federal holidays.

Affordability (20%)

A high salary is certainly a plus, but it’s all relative to the cost of living in your city.

The Affordability score was calculated by comparing local prices of groceries, street food, restaurants, clothing, public transportation, and monthly rent on a one bedroom apartment in the city center. All data was collected from local price reports, web listings, and online shops. The total Affordability score, which contributes 20% to the final score, was calculated with the following category weightings: 60% Rent, 8% Grocery, 8% Street Food, 8% Restaurant, 8% Public Transport, and 8% Clothing. For more information about the breakdown of the score by category in your city, contact us here.

Quality of Life (20%)

No matter the salary or career, every employee deserves to feel comfortable and safe in the city they call home.

Safety (12.5%) - Each city’s Safety score reflects the reported perception of safety by residents and public data provided by police departments of each city regarding crime rates. Gender Equality (7.5%) - The Gender Equality score was calculated using the 2017 Global Gender Gap Report by the World Economic Forum. At Nestpick, we are committed to offering equal pay to all employees. Professional women around the world should know which cities offer fair compensation, and which cities still lag behind. School Tuition (0%) - Depending on language, education policies, and personal preference, many expatriate employees choose to send their children to international school, while many others enroll their children in public schools for the full, immersive experience. For those cities in which international schooling for children of foreign workers is most common, we researched average yearly tuition fees for a primary school aged child at an international school. Because schooling is ultimately a personal choice and not applicable to all startup employees, tuition data did not affect the rankings. Rather, the figures reported should serve as additional information for those considering relocation.

All prices accurate on 3 July 2017 with up-to-date exchange rates from Bloomberg Markets.