Singapore ranks 9th for best cities in facilitating remote work, closely behind ANZ and European cities

Asian counterparts Chiang Mai, Hong Kong, and Bali are respectively ranked 55^th, 60^th, and 64^th. Dubai, however, is at the other end of the spectrum.

Singapore falls under the top 10 in Workmotion's The Cities Best Facilitating Remote Work survey. Ranked 9^th, it stands with the likes of cities in Australia and New Zealand, as well as in Europe such as Estonia and Croatia. Meanwhile, Chiang Mai, Hong Kong, and Bali are respectively ranked 55^th, 60^th, and 64^th. Dubai, however, is at the other end of the spectrum.

Based on Workmotion's explanation, how each city/country is ranked is calculated through z-score, a statistical formula, which analyses and compares 80 global cities by looking at four specific factors: remote working compliance, cost of living, civic infrastructure, and liveability. And in each factor, there are sub-factors that are further evaluated. On that note, the highest score is 100.

For instance, for cost of living, taxes, housing costs, housing accessibility are some sub-factors looked at. In another instance, for liveability, the survey looks at sub-factors such as, happiness, cultural attractions, and mobility. A point to note, in situations where a lower value is better (i.e cost of living and cost of housing), the score is inverted such that a higher value is better.

Show us the numbers

With that, Melbourne, Australia is ranked the first with an overall index score of 100. It is followed by Montreal (Canada) at 98.2, and Sydney (Australia) at 97.76. Singapore has an index score of 88.63—it is behind two European cities Tallinn (Estonia) (93.27) and Zagreb (Croatia) (89.17).

In the factor of remote working compliance, Singapore achieved a score of 89.5 for ease of compliance, and 95.6 for legal requirements. While in liveability, it has a happiness score of 84.65, and cultural attractions and mobility scores of 75.29 and 88.85 respectively.

One of Singapore's ASEAN neighbours, Thailand, has two cities in the survey: Chiang Mai (55^th) and Bangkok (68^th). Compared on the same factor, Chiang Mai earned a score of 65.1 and 54.90 for sub-factors in remote working compliance, and 79.90, 61.24, 99.39 for sub-factors in liveability. Meanwhile, Bangkok achieved a score of 65.10 and 54.90 in the former factor, and 82.03, 68.22, and 85.11 in the latter.

Looking at Hong Kong (60^th), Singapore's economic counterpart, it has a total index score of 68.33. While scores in factors such as ease of compliance and liveability are fairly similar, more contrast could be seen in both nations' civic infrastructure which looks at political stability, safety & security, minority equality, LGBT+ equality, gender equality, to name a couple.

Singapore has a higher score than Hong Kong in terms of political stability, and safety & security. However, Hong Kong has a higher score in terms of minority equality, and LGBT+ equality. Be that as it may, both nations have similar scores in gender equality.

Ranking and scores

Overall, this is how the other ANZ and Asian cities performed.

• 4^th - Wellington, New Zealand (97.68)
• 13^th - Tokyo, Japan (86.13)
• 26^th - Auckland, New Zealand (80.14)
• 64^th - Bali, Indonesia (66.96)
• 77^th - Bangalore, India (57.57)

ALSO READ: The best places for a workation: Cities in Thailand, India, Indonesia, Vietnam and Malaysia in the top 20

Image / Workmotion

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