Top 10 Best Cities In The World 2024
The world has never been more accessible than it is now in human history. No longer is it about where to move within your own country; rather, it's about which country to choose from and then where to call home.
There are, of course, a lot of things to think about, including whether you are going to travel and experience a new place temporarily or permanently, whether you are going to be single or with family, whether you are going to start a new job or live the digital nomad lifestyle.
As a result, the EIU Global Livability Index 2024 from the Economist Intelligence Unit is a particularly useful tool for providing you with data-based evidence from which to work.
The best places to live in the world The annual EIU report lists 173 cities based on their stability, healthcare, education, and infrastructure, as well as their culture and environment, as well as their infrastructure.
The EIU has a long history of investigating and reporting on the phenomenon of globalization, and the survey quantifies the challenges that might be presented to an individual's lifestyle in 173 cities worldwide and provides a profile for each city.
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After two years dominated by Covid-19 restrictions that saw a drop in the quality of life globally, the Livability Index has seen a sharp rise in 2023.
However, despite the global average score remaining below pre-pandemic levels, scores for culture and environment, healthcare, and education have improved this year as a result of Covid-19 curbs being eased.
The fortunes of various nations have varied, with cities in Australia and New Zealand particularly suffering from late Covid waves and lingering restrictions that have pushed Adelaide, Perth, Brisbane, Auckland, and Wellington way down the list of the top ten most livable cities.
Naturally, the ongoing conflict in Ukraine has had an impact on the fortunes of numerous cities in Eastern Europe, and geopolitical risks have had a significant impact on stability scores throughout the region.
Global Livability Index 2023: Where should you then concentrate your efforts to find a great place to live? The only Asian metropolis in the top ten is Osaka in Japan, and there are no entries from South America or Africa (sadly, cities in Africa and Asia occupy the bottom ten entries in the Index).
From the top ten, it is evident that Western Europe and Canada are the predominant regions. There are no UK or US cities in the top ten.
10. Osaka, Japan
- Overall rating: 95.1
- Stability: 100
- Healthcare: 100
- Culture and environment: 83.1
- Education: 100
- Infrastructure: 96.4
The sole top ten entry from Asia is Japan’s third city – a mega metropolis and one of the most stable and safe places to live anywhere, with full marks in stability, healthcare, and education.
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One of Japan’s most liberal cities that offers a glimpse past the traditional conservatism of Japanese culture, its neon-flooded streets are also home to some of Japan’s best food. ‘Kuidaore!’ as the Japanese say – ‘eat until you drop’!
9. Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Overall rating: 95.3
- Stability: 90
- Healthcare: 100
- Culture and environment: 97.2
- Education: 91.7
- Infrastructure: 96.4
Our first stop in Europe sees us floating down the canals of Amsterdam, past higgledy-piggledy houses and cobbled streets into what has for more than a decade been a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
It’s easy to see why. Mix in a rock-solid healthcare system and an extraordinary array of cultural activities that cross the spectrum from sex museums and weed-infused coffee shops to world-class museums overflowing with Van Goghs and you have yourself the ninth best city to call home in the world.
8. Toronto, Canada
- Overall rating: 95.4
- Stability: 95
- Healthcare: 100
- Culture and environment: 95.4
- Education: 100
- Infrastructure: 89.3
Our first foray into North America finds us in cosmopolitan Toronto, Canada’s biggest city, where education and healthcare are rightly renowned for their well-being. Toronto is of the most expensive cities to stay in the world.
Beyond this, it’s the city’s extraordinarily multicultural population that really makes it shine – foods, languages, events and customs come together to create a heady, cultured and welcoming atmosphere that makes it a logical place to relocate to.
7. Frankfurt, Germany
- Overall rating: 95.7
- Stability: 90
- Healthcare: 100
- Culture and environment: 96.3
- Education: 91.7
- Infrastructure: 100
Germany’s financial hub has jumped a formidable 32 places from last year’s Index, taking seventh spot in 2022.
Frankfurt-am-Main’s excellent healthcare and infrastructure are a given (this is Germany, after all) as is the growing expat population drawn by high paying jobs in the financial sector, dubbed ‘Mainhattan’ for its cluster of steel, concrete and glass skyscrapers.
But its charm lies in the marriage of this modernity to the Old Town and its traditional, regional roots complemented by an outside-living approach to life in the many parks, squares, gardens and paths that follow the river through the heart of the city.
6. Geneva, Switzerland
- Overall rating: 95.9
- Stability: 95
- Healthcare: 100
- Culture & Environment: 94.9
- Education: 91.7
- Infrastructure: 96.4
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A hop across the border to the south takes us to number six and Switzerland’s first entry, Geneva.
Perched on the fringes of Central Europe’s largest lake (and one of its most spectacular), Geneva is as international as a city gets – home as it is to among many others the World Trade Organization, World Health Organization, International Committee of the Red Cross, and the second-largest branches of the United Nations and World Bank. This country is also part of the most visited countries in the world.
Scoring in the nineties across the board, even Switzerland’s eye-watering prices don’t deter international visitors flocking to its streets – there’s even a thriving counterculture to balance all the big business, if you know who to ask.
5. Vancouver
- Overall rating: 96.1
- Stability: 90
- Healthcare: 100
- Culture & Environment: 100
- Education: 100
- Infrastructure: 92.9
Our second stop in Canada takes us this time to the west coast and Vancouver, a city not short of beauty, style, culture or natural wonders.
Famous for the liberal, laid back yet active approach to life of its multinational citizens, Vancouver is Canada’s dine-out capital, squeezing the best foods of the world into its surprisingly compact urban sprawl.
As in Toronto, it scores top marks for healthcare and education but also adds culture and environment thanks to its mountainous and oceanic neighbors and bounty of fantastic attractions and events.
3.Calgary, Canada
- Overall rating: 96.3
- Stability: 95
- Healthcare: 100
- Culture & Environment: 90
- Education: 100
- Infrastructure: 100
In third equal position is yet another Canadian hotspot. Calgary in Alberta sits so close to the Rockies you can smell the snow amid the slow-roast coffees drifting from its hipster coffee shops and bars.
Another heady mix of city and nature (Banff National Park and the unbelievable Lake Louise are nearby), indoor and outdoor living, Calgary is also a notoriously easy place to exist thanks to its excellent infrastructure.
While not necessarily the first place that springs to mind as a city to move to, its global status is reflected as previous host of the Winter Olympics and current host of the famed Calgary Stampede, and through its election of North America’s first Muslim mayor.
3. Zürich, Switzerland
- Overall rating: 96.3
- Stability: 95
- Healthcare: 100
- Culture & Environment: 96.3
- Education: 91.7
- Infrastructure: 96.4
Often mistaken as Switzerland’s capital (that’s actually Bern), Zürich is its largest and wealthiest city, meaning it attracts people from all over the world looking to live a better life.
Once they arrive, most quickly discover the city’s true appeal – yes, it’s efficient, clean and well run but scratch a little below the surface and you’ll discover a post-industrial cauldron of young and old creatives treading its winding streets.
venturing into the surrounding mountains and lakes in search of adventure, bringing new ideas to life, and buzzing with the opportunities of what may be thanks to its ‘anything is possible’ atmosphere.
Commuting to work by floating down the Limmat River is also a great way to start each day!
2. Copenhagen, Denmark
- Overall rating: 98
- Stability: 100
- Healthcare: 95.8
- Culture & Environment: 95.4
- Education: 100
- Infrastructure: 100
Firmly rooted as we now are in Europe, runner-up spot goes to beautiful Copenhagen in Denmark, famed for its world-leading restaurants (currently number one rated is Geranium), the warmth of its residents and its ultra bike-friendly
culture that sees streets teeming with two rather than four-wheeled rides.
Although rightly renowned for being expensive, it also offers plenty to do for all budgets, whether it's taking in the vintage attractions of Tivoli Gardens or dropping off the grid in Christiania, a bohemian community that lives by its own laws within the city limits.
The benefits of Denmark’s historically great education, healthcare, and political stability only add to its appeal.
1. Vienna, Austria
- Overall rating: 99.1
- Stability: 100
- Healthcare: 100
- Culture & Environment: 96.3
- Education: 100
- Infrastructure: 100
A previous winner as the world’s most liveable city in 2018 and 2019, historic and gorgeous Vienna has returned to number one after a brief hiatus out of the top ten thanks to its Covid-related restrictions during the pandemic.
Scoring top marks in every category bar one, it’s easy to see why Vienna is the world’s most liveable city.
Among its Baroque streets and deeply historic and atmospheric palaces and parks, it is a leading light on the global cultural scene – artists and musicians modern and classical pour from galleries, theaters and opera houses.
Equally, its culinary scene is as vibrant as any, fusing the best foods from around the world with its own unique delicacies.
But what sets it apart from its European neighbors on this list is the governmental approach to living with great infrastructure and housing that makes it far.
far cheaper to live in than Zürich or Copenhagen (or indeed anywhere else on this Index) with no drop in living standards. The perfect city then – or as good as it gets for 2023 at least.
