The 20 best cities in the world

April 13, 2026 adminsr

Whether you’re looking for a quick getaway or to plant roots overseasthere are plenty of places to choose from.

To make that decision a little easier, Time Out surveyed more than 24,000 people across 150 cities and used their insights to rank cities worldwide by happiness, affordability, and quality of life. They also asked 100 Time Out city experts to weigh in to bolster their results.

The survey questions went beyond recommendations for restaurants and nightlife and also sought to capture the feeling of living in each city.

The result is a comprehensive list of diverse cities, some of which are known for grandiose entertainment like F1 and others that are known for their historic museums and galleries.

No one region — or continent — commands the list, and while there are a few cities you’d expect to see, there are some that may surprise you. Check out which cities made the top 20.

Business Insider included population data from World Population Review, alongside housing and dining data from Numbeo, a crowdsourced comparison website that provides detailed cost-of-living information for major cities worldwide.

20. Valencia

Valencia, Spain.

Sergio Formoso/Getty Images

Population: 843,071
Monthly costs for a single person (excluding housing): $825.60
Average monthly rent for a one-bedroom home in the city center: $1,397.99
Cost of a three-course meal for two at a mid-range restaurant (excluding drinks): $70
Cost of a cappuccino: $2.80

19. Madrid

Aerial view of Madrid. — Madrid.

Eloi_Omella/Getty Images

Population: 6,834,320
Monthly costs for a single person (excluding housing): $954.70
Average monthly rent for a one-bedroom home in the city center: $1,471.23
Cost of a three-course meal for two at a mid-range restaurant (excluding drinks): $70
Cost of a cappuccino: $2.96

18. Guadalajara

An aerial view of Guadalajara. — Guadalajara, Mexico.

Jia Liu/Getty Images

Population: 5,656,180
Monthly costs for a single person (excluding housing): $698.40
Average monthly rent for a one-bedroom home in the city center: $899.03
Cost of a three-course meal for two at a mid-range restaurant (excluding drinks): $45.90
Cost of a cappuccino: $3.76

17. Porto

A city view of Porto, Portugal. — Porto, Portugal.

Alexander Spatari/Getty Images

Population: 1,339,000
Monthly costs for a single person (excluding housing): $804.50
Average monthly rent for a one-bedroom home in the city center: $1,282.55
Cost of a three-course meal for two at a mid-range restaurant (excluding drinks): $58.33
Cost of a cappuccino: $2.49

16. Krakow

An aerial view of busyRynek Glowny square in Kraków, Poland, with many people. — Rynek Glowny square in Krakow, Poland.

Alexander Spatari/Getty Images

Population: 769,354
Monthly costs for a single person (excluding housing): $873.20
Average monthly rent for a one-bedroom home in the city center: $959.88
Cost of a three-course meal for two at a mid-range restaurant (excluding drinks): $54.81
Cost of a cappuccino: $4.37

15. Hong Kong

An aerial view of Hong Kong. — Hong Kong.

barleyman/Getty Images

Population: 7.4 million
Monthly costs for a single person (excluding housing): $1,078.40
Average monthly rent for a one-bedroom home in the city center: $2,175.46
Cost of a three-course meal for two at a mid-range restaurant (excluding drinks): $63.84
Cost of a cappuccino: $4.95

14. São Paulo

An aerial view of São Paulo. — São Paulo.

stocklapse/Getty Images

Population: 23,168,700
Monthly costs for a single person (excluding housing): $702.5
Average monthly rent for a one-bedroom home in the city center: $692.18
Cost of a three-course meal for two at a mid-range restaurant (excluding drinks): $47.08
Cost of a cappuccino: $2.19

13. Copenhagen

An aerial view of Copenhagen. — Copenhagen.

SW Photography/Getty Images

Population: 1,409,680
Monthly costs for a single person (excluding housing): $1,359
Average monthly rent for a one-bedroom home in the city center: $1,955.30
Cost of a three-course meal for two at a mid-range restaurant (excluding drinks): $125.28
Cost of a cappuccino: $7.17

Rio de Janeiro

Population: 14,023,100
Monthly costs for a single person (excluding housing): $631.50
Average monthly rent for a one-bedroom home in the city center: $646.10
Cost of a three-course meal for two at a mid-range restaurant (excluding drinks): $39.23
Cost of a cappuccino: $2.30

11. Zurich

An aerial view of Zurich — Zurich.

pawel.gaul/Getty Images

Population: 1,466,850
Monthly costs for a single person (excluding housing): $1,902
Average monthly rent for a one-bedroom home in the city center: 3,014.65
Cost of a three-course meal for two at a mid-range restaurant (excluding drinks): $151.66
Cost of a cappuccino: $7.20

10. Tokyo

Aerial view of Tokyo cityscape with Fuji Mountain in Japan. — Tokyo.

tawatchaiprakobkit/Getty Images

Population: 36,953,600

Monthly costs for a single person (excluding housing): $940.40

Average monthly rent for a one-bedroom home in the city center: $1,150.92

Cost of a three-course meal for two at a mid-range restaurant (excluding drinks): $44.17

Cost of a cappuccino: $3.41

9. Seoul

Downtown skyline of Seoul, South Korea. — Seoul, South Korea.

Atakorn/Getty Images

Population: 10,050,200

Monthly costs for a single person (excluding housing): $1,042.90

Average monthly rent for a one-bedroom home in the city center: $868.85

Cost of a three-course meal for two at a mid-range restaurant (excluding drinks): $60.88

Cost of a cappuccino: $3.65

8. Bangkok

Wat Arun Temple at sunset, Bangkok. — Bangkok.

Wat Arun Ratchawararam

Population: 11,543,900

Monthly costs for a single person (excluding housing): $694.70

Average monthly rent for a one-bedroom home in the city center: $704.87

Cost of a three-course meal for two at a mid-range restaurant (excluding drinks): $37.48

Cost of a cappuccino: $2.95

7. Mexico City

The Golden Angel of Independence monument in Mexico City. — Mexico City.

Argelis Rebolledo/Getty Images

Population: 23,016,800

Monthly costs for a single person (excluding housing): $799

Average monthly rent for a one-bedroom home in the city center: $1,158.86

Cost of a three-course meal for two at a mid-range restaurant (excluding drinks): $57.26

Cost of a cappuccino: $3.88

6. Cape Town

Aerial view of Cape Town, South Africa. — Cape Town, South Africa.

fivepointsix/Getty Images

Population: 5,147,500

Monthly costs for a single person (excluding housing): $732

Average monthly rent for a one-bedroom home in the city center: $1,027.98

Cost of a three-course meal for two at a mid-range restaurant (excluding drinks): $48.63

Cost of a cappuccino: $2.40

5. New York

The New York City skyline. — New York City.

Alexander Spatari/Getty Images

Population: 8,346,955

Monthly costs for a single person (excluding housing): $1,661.90

Average monthly rent for a one-bedroom home in the city center: $4,215.09

Cost of a three-course meal for two at a mid-range restaurant (excluding drinks): $140

Cost of a cappuccino: $5.75

4. London

A red telephone box and Big Ben tower, London. — London.

Elena Zolotova/Getty Images

Population: 9,927,020

Monthly costs for a single person (excluding housing): $1,486.30

Average monthly rent for a one-bedroom home in the city center: $2,957.81

Cost of a three-course meal for two at a mid-range restaurant (excluding drinks): $107.40

Cost of a cappuccino: $5.45

3. Edinburgh

Edinburgh Castle, Scotland, at sunset. — Edinburgh, Scotland.

TomasSereda/Getty Images

Population: 568,163

Monthly costs for a single person (excluding housing): $1,195.2

Average monthly rent for a one-bedroom home in the city center: $1,603.44

Cost of a three-course meal for two at a mid-range restaurant (excluding drinks): $107.40

Cost of a cappuccino: $5.16

2. Shanghai

A modern skyscraper cityscape in Shanghai. — Shanghai.

lukyeee1976/Getty Images

Population: 31,049,800

Monthly costs for a single person (excluding housing): $594.40

Average monthly rent for a one-bedroom home in the city center: $884.08

Cost of a three-course meal for two at a mid-range restaurant (excluding drinks): $29.28

Cost of a cappuccino: $3.04

1. Melbourne

The Yarra River and the Melbourne, Australia, skyline. — Melbourne, Australia.

GordonBellPhotography/Getty Images

Population: 5,464,920

Monthly costs for a single person (excluding housing): $1,215.60

Average monthly rent for a one-bedroom home in the city center: $1,728.24

Cost of a three-course meal for two at a mid-range restaurant (excluding drinks): $84.43

Cost of a cappuccino: $3.83