Yes, office choice can matter because it affects the people, staffing market, industries, language expectations and immigration constraints you will actually work with.

The firm brand may be global, but your day-to-day experience is still heavily shaped by the local office and region.

For an advanced-degree candidate, sponsorship and the strength of relevant practices may also matter more than they do for some domestic applicants.

Choose based on where you can realistically work and thrive, not only which office sounds most prestigious. For more detail, see the guide to choosing between consulting offers.

imo The people and local staffing model mattered more to me than the city ranking.

For what it's worth, Office preference felt less like gaming odds and more like explaining where I genuinely had a reason to be. That was my experience.

tbh I would not pick an office assuming you can transfer after a year.