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The skyline of Melbourne, Australia.
Melbourne, Australia.

Prasit photo/Getty Images

  • Time Out ranked the best cities in the world based on happiness, affordability, and quality of life.
  • The magazine surveyed of over 24,000 participants across 150 cities, plus over 100 experts.
  • The list is full of popular tourist destinations, with a few surprises.

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
An aerial view of the city of 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, México.

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. Kraków
An aerial view of busyRynek Glowny square in Kraków, Poland, with many people.
Rynek Glowny square in Kraków, 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
An aerial view of Rio de Janeiro.
Rio de Janeiro.

Grafissimo/Getty Images

  • 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

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Source
The 20 best cities in the world in 2026, according to Time Out