Whether you’re looking for a quick getaway or to plant roots overseas, there 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
- 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
- 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
- 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
- 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. Kraków
- 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
- 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
- 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
- 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
- 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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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