The 10 Most Livable Cities In The World Have The Most Expensive Thing In Common

While raising families, people generally hope to live in a community that’s supportive and affordable. The reality is, however, that not all cities are built the same. If you’re looking for an adventure or are curious about how other people live, the Economist Intelligence Unit’s (EIU) Global Livability Index 2023 report has been released, which ranks the best places to live around the world. And the cities ranked seem to have something in common — they’re expensive.

The annual survey ranks cities based on several metrics of living conditions, and this year’s report looked at 173 cities around the world. The metrics are based on five categories: culture and environment, infrastructure, education, stability, and healthcare. These metrics combined give a good assessment of which places in the world have the best or worst living conditions, according to the report.

This year’s results are better than they were in recent years. “EIU’s Liveability Index has risen significantly in the 2023 survey, reaching a 15-year high as the world moves on from the COVID-19 pandemic and healthcare and education scores improve in many cities in Asia and the Middle East and Africa,” the report indicates. “However, scores for stability have slipped backward since last year, amid several instances of civil unrest around the world.”

Some of the cities in the top 10 this year were seen in last year’s top 10 — including the cities that hold the #1 and #2 spots — but there are a few surprises. Also, like last year, European and Canadian cities dominate the top list, with Canada holding three spots in the top 10.

Several cities in New Zealand have shot up the ranking, with Wellington, New Zealand, moving up 35 spots and Auckland, New Zealand, moving up 25 spots.

Additionally, a few European cities have been knocked out of the top 10. However, cities in the UK and U.S. rank for being the biggest movers down the ranking over the past year. Edinburgh, UK, dropped 23 spots, while Los Angeles and San Diego both dropped 17 spots. Ouch!

Looking at this year’s top 10 most livable cities, there are a few things they all have in common — the biggest being they all ranked near perfect for healthcare (95.8 to 100) and stability (95 to 100), and each of the 10 cities ranked a perfect 100 for education.

The high scores in these categories seem to outweigh the high cost of living in some of the ranked cities, including Copenhagen and Geneva. And although Vienna, which is on the list, is cheaper than Copenhagen, it still ranked as the 25th most expensive city on a list of 227 cities in the Mercer Cost of Living Survey. Meanwhile, Copenhagen ranked #9, Zurich ranked #3, and Geneva ranked #4.

Not every city on the list is as expensive as those, however. When it comes to high cost of living, Melbourne ranked #71, Sydney #56, #Vancouver #116, Calgary #145, Toronto #90, Osaka #93, and Auckland, #111, per the Mercer Cost of Living Survey.

It’s important to note that “livability” is a category that concerns far more than money or cost of living: livable cities have great healthcare, culture, environment, infrastructure, and more.

Here are the 10 most livable cities in the world:

1. Vienna, Austria
2. Copenhagen, Denmark
3. Melbourne, Australia
4. Sydney, Australia
5. Vancouver, Canada
6. Zurich, Switzerland
7. Calgary, Canada
8. Geneva, Switzerland
9. Toronto, Canada
10. Osaka, Japan, and Auckland, New Zealand

You can read the full Global Livability Index 2023 report here.