Best Cities to Live
Top cities ranked by overall livability — safety, healthcare, lifestyle, transport and infrastructure combined.
Composite livability score blending safety, healthcare, education, lifestyle, transport, and climate indicators. Higher scores rank higher.
This utility ranking is kept out of search indexing while the publication prioritizes longer-form editorial reports and city profiles.
Top 10 — Best Cities to Live
Zurich sits at #1 on the back of standout safety (92), standout healthcare (92), a transport network at 96, and a lifestyle score of 88. No single pillar drags the average down, which is what separates truly liveable cities from ones that just look good on paper.
Singapore lands in the top three on the back of class-leading safety (94), class-leading healthcare (92), a transport network at 96, and a lifestyle score of 86. No single pillar drags the average down, which is what separates truly liveable cities from ones that just look good on paper.
Amsterdam lands in the top three on the back of solid safety (82), class-leading healthcare (88), a transport network at 92, and a lifestyle score of 90. No single pillar drags the average down, which is what separates truly liveable cities from ones that just look good on paper.
A top-ten placing for Tokyo on the back of class-leading safety (92), class-leading healthcare (90), a transport network at 98, and a lifestyle score of 88. No single pillar drags the average down, which is what separates truly liveable cities from ones that just look good on paper.
Melbourne makes the top ten on the back of strong safety (78), exceptional healthcare (88), a transport network at 76, and a lifestyle score of 90. No single pillar drags the average down, which is what separates truly liveable cities from ones that just look good on paper.
A top-ten placing for Sydney on the back of solid safety (76), class-leading healthcare (87), a transport network at 78, and a lifestyle score of 88. No single pillar drags the average down, which is what separates truly liveable cities from ones that just look good on paper.
Vancouver makes the top ten on the back of strong safety (78), exceptional healthcare (86), a transport network at 80, and a lifestyle score of 90. No single pillar drags the average down, which is what separates truly liveable cities from ones that just look good on paper.
A top-ten placing for Stockholm on the back of solid safety (78), class-leading healthcare (90), a transport network at 90, and a lifestyle score of 86. No single pillar drags the average down, which is what separates truly liveable cities from ones that just look good on paper.
Brisbane still ranks strongly on the back of reliable safety (75), reliable healthcare (84), a transport network at 70, and a lifestyle score of 84. No single pillar drags the average down, which is what separates truly liveable cities from ones that just look good on paper.
Boston makes the top ten on the back of respectable safety (74), exceptional healthcare (92), a transport network at 80, and a lifestyle score of 84. No single pillar drags the average down, which is what separates truly liveable cities from ones that just look good on paper.
Full Ranking
- 1ZurichSwitzerland92
- 2SingaporeSingapore90
- 3AmsterdamNetherlands88
- 4TokyoJapan88
- 5MelbourneAustralia87
- 6SydneyAustralia86
- 7VancouverCanada86
- 8StockholmSweden86
- 9BrisbaneAustralia84
- 10BostonUnited States84
- 11TorontoCanada84
- 12MontrealCanada84
- 13MadridSpain84
- 14BarcelonaSpain84
- 15BerlinGermany83
- 16AucklandNew Zealand83
- 17PerthAustralia82
- 18LondonUnited Kingdom82
- 19SeattleUnited States82
- 20ParisFrance82
- 21DublinIreland82
- 22Hong KongHong Kong SAR82
- 23AdelaideAustralia80
- 24New YorkUnited States80
- 25AustinUnited States80
- 26DubaiUnited Arab Emirates80
- 27San FranciscoUnited States78
- 28Los AngelesUnited States78
- 29ChicagoUnited States78
- 30MiamiUnited States76
- 31Buenos AiresArgentina76
- 32Kuala LumpurMalaysia74
- 33Mexico CityMexico74
- 34BangkokThailand72
- 35Cape TownSouth Africa72
- 36MumbaiIndia64
What this ranking measures
The Best Cities to Live ranking is built on a single principle: pick the indicator that most directly captures the underlying question, normalise it to a 0-100 scale, and rank consistently. Composite livability score blending safety, healthcare, education, lifestyle, transport, and climate indicators. The ranking is recomputed every time the underlying city dataset changes, so the order you see is always derived from the current numbers — not a cached editorial opinion.
The ranking includes every city we cover, so the leaderboard mixes premium global metros with mid-tier and affordable alternatives. That is deliberate: the goal is not to crown the "richest" city — it is to surface the city that most cleanly satisfies the criterion in the title.
Top three in depth
1. Zurich, Switzerland. Financial centre with the world's highest salaries — and matching costs. On the metrics that drive this ranking, Zurich pairs a livability score of 92 with a job market score of 86 and a safety score of 92. Cost-of-living index 90, 1BR rent $2,700. This is the city to beat in best cities to live.
2. Singapore, Singapore. Hyper-efficient city-state — top transport, low crime, premium housing. Close behind on the ranked dimension while differentiating on affordability (lifestyle 86, cost 85, rent $3,200).
3. Amsterdam, Netherlands. Cyclist's paradise, English-friendly, premium quality of life. Rounds out the podium with a credible scorecard — livability 88, transport 92, climate 64, cost index 78.
How to use this ranking
Rankings are useful for shortlisting, not for deciding. A top-10 finish here means a city clears the bar on this dimension — but the right city for you depends on the basket of dimensions, weighted to your life. Use this list to draw a shortlist of three to five cities, then run each through our cost-of-living calculator, comparison tool, and suburb guide before committing.
Pay particular attention to the trade-offs. The top performers on this dimension sometimes underperform on cost-of-living or housing. The point of cross-checking against our other rankings is to make those trade-offs visible before you sign a lease.
Frequently Asked Questions
How is the best cities to live ranking calculated?
Composite livability score blending safety, healthcare, education, lifestyle, transport, and climate indicators. Cities with higher scores rank higher. Scores are normalised to a 0-100 scale and updated alongside the underlying source data.
Which city ranks #1 for best cities to live?
Zurich, Switzerland currently leads this ranking with a score of 92.
How often is the ranking updated?
Underlying city data is refreshed quarterly. Major changes (significant rent shifts, safety events, new transport infrastructure) trigger off-cycle updates documented in our methodology page.