The 10 Best Cities to Live in

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Are you ready for a change of pace? If you’re contemplating a move to enhance your quality of life, this list of the most livable cities can help you decide where to call home. But what exactly makes a city livable? The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) aims to answer this question in its newly released annual Global Liveability Index. This comprehensive study evaluates 173 cities across the globe, ranking them on 30 key metrics that determine relative comfort for residents.

These metrics are broken down into five broad categories:

• Stability
• Healthcare
• Culture and environment
• Education
• Infrastructure

For the third consecutive year, Vienna, Austria, has claimed the title of the world’s most livable city. The Austrian capital excelled with perfect scores in stability, healthcare, education, and infrastructure. It’s only downfall? A lack of major sporting events which costs it points in the entertainment category. 

Overall, Western Europe is the best region in the world for livability, with four cities ranking in the top ten. 

The Most Livable Cities in the World

1. Vienna, Austria
2. Copenhagen, Denmark
3. Zurich, Switzerland
4. Melbourne, Australia
5. Calgary, Canada (tied with Geneva)
6. Geneva, Switzerland (tie)
7. Sydney, Australia (tied with Vancouver)
8. Vancouver, Canada (tie)
9. Osaka, Japan (tied with Aukland)
10. Auckland, New Zealand (tie)

Honolulu, Hawaii, stands out as the top choice for those seeking the highest quality of life within the United States. Ranking 23rd globally, it’s the highest-rated American city on the livability index. 

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Even if you’re not planning a permanent relocation, this list can help you plan your next vacation destination. “Travelers can use the livability index to help them select destinations for city breaks, taking into account factors such as the availability of cultural activities, relative safety and security, and access to healthcare, as well as the quality of local infrastructure and transport,” says Ana Nicholls, Industry Director at the Economist Intelligence Unit.

The World’s Worst Cities to Live in

At the other end of the spectrum, these cities were deemed the worst destinations to live in, mainly due to a lack of stability and poor healthcare. 

1. Caracas, Venezuela
2. Kyiv, Ukraine
3. Port Moresby, PNG
4. Harare, Zimbabwe
5. Dhaka, Bangladesh
6. Karachi, Pakistan
7. Lagos, Nigeria
8. Algiers, Algeria
9. Tripoli, Libya
10. Damascus, Syria

Wondering why cities in the United States didn’t crack the top ten best cities to live in? “US cities face a few well-established structural problems that affect their scores in our index, compared with developed countries in Western Europe and Australasia (as well as Canada),” Nicholls told SmarterTravel. “They tend to score lower on stability owing to a greater incidence of social unrest, while weak gun-control laws mean that crime is often violent and fatal and undermines social cohesion.”

If you’ve ever enjoyed the high-speed trains in Japan or the well-run subways in Europe, you’ll understand why American cities fall short. Cities in the US “underperform on infrastructure, owing to gaps in public transport and other public facilities,” says Nicholls. “However, they do score extremely well, on average, in terms of education.” 

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