From Asia to the U.S. and Europe, there are hundreds of cities that constantly attract new residents, thanks to low crime rates, quality of life and many other factors. Spending the past few years moving from one city to another, I’ve had my fair share of scouting for new nesting ground. Having picked up a trick or two on where’s best and where’s not, here’s my own list of 10 best cities to live based on my own likings and experiences.
1. Melbourne, Australia
This vibrant city at the Southern end of Australia is a treasure trove of beaches, seaside esplanades and quirky antique shops. Edgy urbanites co-exist with aboriginal culture in a city that grooves with urban culture. Melbourne is just an hour away from the Great Ocean Road, a stretch of coastal cliffs bursting with wildlife and hiking trails. The Grampians mountain range are also just several hours’ drive away. It’s definitely my favorite city in Australia, just be careful, you might never want to leave.
2. Barcelona, Spain
Barcelona: progressive, new-age, explosive and colorful. The hip crowd can hang around the beach at Barceloneta, while the artistic ones can mingle around works of Gaudi. Barcelona, best experienced on a hop on hop off Barcelona bus tour, is a sprawling city with the conveniences that every cosmopolitan city has, yet it has completely come to its own.
Spain might not be ranking tops in the European ranking of infrastructure or GDP, but everyone who’s been there knows about the immeasurable quality of life. The three most important things in life for the Spaniards – cerveza (beer), siesta and fiesta.
3. Singapore
Coming in at number 1 in Mercer’s 2009 Worldwide Infrastructure Ranking, Singapore is definitely one of the best places to live in Asia. There’s not just low crime rate, but also excellent connection with the world, good career opportunities, high standard of living and a cosmopolitan lifestyle. Urbanites who like living in a metropolis will definitely appreciate the vibrant nightlife and entertainment establishments available. Being a bilingual nation also helps a foreigner get by easily.
4. Prague, Czech Republic
One of my favorite cities in Europe- Prague is cheaper than most west European countries, but has equally stunning architecture, historical monuments and rich culture. In terms of security and stability, it is also on par with its neighbors. The weak currency makes cost of living here much lower as well- an important point to consider when relocating. The proximity to neighboring Germany and Austria also make it a good base to explore the area.
5. Dubai, UAE
Ranking as the top Middle Eastern city in the quality of life index, Dubai has been an expatriate-hub in the recent years. Plenty of friends looking to work abroad are seeking out opportunities in Dubai and it looks like they’re doing better than before. Quoted as ‘the fastest growing city in the world’, Dubai is now home to the tallest building, largest man-made marina and the most luxurious hotel in the world. Adventure seekers can also head out to nearby sand dunes to surf in the sand.
6. Buenos Aires, Argentina
Buenos Aires is the most influential city in the whole of South America, despite its economic debacle in 2002. Stretching from old neighborhood like San Telmo to the swanky riverside zone of Puerto Madero. the city holds on to its history and culture like no other. Littered with gorgeous architecture, melancholic tango bars and antique shops, Buenos Aires is reminiscent of Europe, yet completely its own. A unique place to live and smell culture, this is the perfect place to live for art lovers who seek a bohemian lifestyle.
7. Seattle, U.S.
Surrounded by magnificent mountain range, Seattle is said to be one of the best residential cities in the U.S. Being the 13th largest metropolitan area in the States, it’s neither too big nor too small. Temperatures are also milder here, which means comfortable winters and summers. There’s a vibrant music scene and plenty of outdoors options from boating to hiking. For housing costs, check out Seattle property management.
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I totally agree on your number 1, great ciy, great activities, events, nighlife, shopping area, close to the beach etc Melbourne is a great place to live
Awww, no Toronto? Can I convince you to live here? We are the most multicultural city in the world, and everyone brings something from their own culture / country over here. Plus healthcare is great!
Jen wooo I've read so much about Toronto from your site – you've already convinced me. But hey I live in a small city in Spain now – no multiculturalism to speak of, and I'm lovin' it! So honestly, you don't need much to convince me.
Come visit when you can! Have fun with the new baby 
The multiculturalism of Toronto is amazing. I've lived there (downtown) for 10 years, and learned a lot and loved the various ethnic-based festivals. It's a great, safe, easy to live in city (as long as you can afford it). The air pollution is horrible though. As the car traffic has increased over the years, so has my asthma, to the point that I can't see living there much longer (I'm a long distance runner, love Toronto's parks and ravines). I've spent the last year in BC, and hadn't had to use my asthma breather once, something I need daily in Toronto. I've had a good life in Toronto, but it's killing me.
Check out this article from 2007 – more than 400 car air pollution deaths a year http://www.citytv.com/toronto/citynews/news/local…
Oh seriously? I’d think cities like Beijing, Hongkong and Bangkok would have a serious pollution problem, not Toronto?! I’ve never been to Toronto, only a transit at its airport, would love to visit someday to check out the pollution prob!
i'm sorry but melbourne is the best and melbourne is the most multicultural city in the world so get your facts straight buddy and the best weather all year round i reccomend melbourne plus the healthcare in australia is the number 1 in the world so thank you.
So true. I went there last year for 3 months and can get over it! I have lived all my life in Cancun, and living in a big city like toronto was a great experience.
But my heart belongs to the beach
Can I convince you to live in the Riviera Maya?
Hey Hugo, good to hear that you love living in Toronto. You don\’t need to convince me, I\’m already in love with Riviera Maya! I\’d been along to the Yucatan, and I would definitely love to live in Tulum.
I love Joburg, having been to many cities around the world it still comes top.
I love Seattle, hands down my favorite city in the US. Like you said, not too big, not too small.
Barca is cool but not as cool as the capital Madrid having spent years in both the Catalans are that keen on the British which makes it difficult and you missed out my fav's: Bangkok and London!!
Bangkok is a kip. It was smegged up by English lager louts. London is also a kip. Dublin is still ranked ahead of London in 2010 by 12 places! Noone would live in the UK unless they had no choice in the matter.
DUBLIN!
Great post, but no Chicago
sniff, sniff. Chicago is an absolutely fantastic place to live – lots to do, amazing architecture, beautiful lakefront, shopping, diverse neighborhoods. We're spoiled here! (the only real downside is the winter weather…!)
I agree with you, Katy! I would just add wonderful food to your list, too! It has world class restaurants as well as the best breakfast places — and don't forget the pizza! Chicago is my hometown and I go back to visit as often as possible.
Hey Katy, If one were looking to move to the chicago city area. What neighborhoods would you suggest?
Hi Nellie,
Only been to Seattle and Barcelona and loved both cities. Looking forward to going to all of them! Personally like Portland also.
Great share, Thanks.
Jen beat me to the post about Toronto. I live here (well for the next 8 weeks before a rtw trip) and while I often tell people not to visit here if they can only go to one place in Canada (Vancouver is better to visit), Toronto is an amazing place to live in. We have a unique diversity that is reflected in its culture and attitude.
hi every1
many people say that canada is awesum bt i wanna which is better to live coz' i am migrating
(Toronto or vancouver?)
Toronto is not as great as you say. Maybe you haven't lived in other cities in NA? Well, I have, and although Toronto is not bad, Chicago is way way better version of Toronto. Also, Seattle and San Fran are leaps and bounds better than Toronto, haha.
Yes, used to be a decent city, now with faltering sidewalks, roads,urban sprawl, and worst, an anti-urban mayor for at least the next four years. Good quality of life, but not a city to visit.
native Torontonian.
Thanks guys for sharing – Toronto, Portland and Chicago all sound like awesome places to live in. I've heard so much about Portland as well – the myriad of outdoor activities you could do there etc.
A question I have for everyone – what are the factors that matter most to you when considering a place to live? Conveniences? Multi-cultural? Energy?
One of the reason we like Portland so much is because they are totally environmental friendly. Survey shows that Portland is one at the top of the list for best place to retire. If it is good for the seniors it is good for us. we think so anyway. Yes, it is full of outdoor activities, hiking, beaches, and a road trip along the coast would be ideal. it is our goal to return to Portland when we come back from Asia (that is if we don't hop to another country like South America or Africa) to live in Portland but in an RV.
Great question Nellie! Love your site by the way!
i would love to live in barcelona someday, i think it's just great, so lively, cosmopolitan, a nice size city big but not to big, the people are friendly and you got the seaside just at the doorstep with great weather almost all year round, vamos no?
Wonderful post. I'd sell my soul and all of my belongings to live in Barcelona. Even though my Spanish is abysmal, I think that is one of the best European cities there is. The food is fantastic. I've been twice, and I feel like I've barely touched the city.
Yeh Elaine, Barcelona is ever-changing isn’t it? I recently went there for the fourth time, and it was almost like getting to know a different city altogether. I love discovering something new about it every time I’m there.
Super post, Need to mark it on Digg
Dougles
Melbourne is definitely the city I would pick o live in for a while…along with Singapore…
I can add Munich to this list….a great place to live
Hey..check out Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia..You may surprise..the life is more leisure and relax here
If you want to spend your retirement life to interact with people, then I should say Brazil is the best choice. The people are very friendly and accommodating. The food is perfect and the cost of living is cheaper compared to other countries. Like Brazilians, Costa Rican is also very friendly and hospitable. Spain greatly influenced their culture. Costa Rica counts as one of the most stable country in America because they have high standard of education and life style. For retirees who wants to buy a house in Costa Rica you can save a lot of money because you can buy a house in Costa Rica 70% lower than houses in United States.
Thanks for the useful info! I'd definitely have to check out Brazil and Costa Rica, I missed these two destinations out during my 6-month trip in South and Central America. They sound like perfect places to live!
Enter text rAmazed to see my hometown of Seattle made the cut. I guess we sometimes take for granted what a great place this is. ight here!
Retire to Sydney and live amidst the largest cosmopolitan city that is New South Wales. Set on one of the most beautiful harbors in the world, Sydney is known for its incredible beaches; shopping; restaurants; culture and history; the famous Sydney Opera House; The Rocks; the white sands of Bondi; and the Harbor Bridge. Nice list!
There are many other reasons to consider living in Spain. For example, the landscape is very beautiful. There is every modern amenity you may be interested in, but you will still find that around the next corner is a perfectly suitable location for tranquility. In terms of cost, when you retire in Spain, the cost of living is more affordable than in the United States.
There are many other reasons to consider living here. For example, the landscape is very beautiful. There is every modern amenity you may be interested in, but you will still find that around the next corner is a perfectly suitable location for tranquility. In terms of cost, when you retire in Spain, the cost of living is more affordable than in the United States, but higher than more rural countries. Compared to other European countries, Spain continues to be affordable.
I don't get it.
I lived in Melbourne for over a year and have to say that I cannot understand at all why it keeps being rated as one of the best cities to live in in the world. Sure, people are nice, as they are almost everywhere. Climate sucks, it is far from everywhere in the world…and the city itself is not nice. I had a good time at the end, but only because I made good friends in school (was studying a masters in uni). ????
cheers,
Federico http://www.maitravelsite.com
Many countries have been on your list for quite a long time, you are about to make your choice. Which one will it be? New Zealand? Australia? Italy? Spain? Or simply you need change, and this country is one place you would like to live out your life. It really doesn’t matter what the reason is; what matters is you have chosen a place in which you have learned the language; made friends; and long to return there for good.
Hi Nellie,
No New York?
This is a great site. I'd love for you to write for Pink Pangea (http://pinkpangea.com), a travel site specifically geared towards women travelers. Submit a photo of yourself in one of the countries you've traveled to and write a post about your experiences, providing some tips for other women travelers.
Looking forward to hearing from you,
Rachel
[email protected]
Thanks Rachel, I’ll definitely be in touch!
where is moscow??
Went to Moscow last summer – I think the prices there might be abit too costly for most people to live there.
cadê nova york nessa lista????????????????
I am pleasantly surprised I mean I love Melbourne, though I really thought one of the more exotic locations even in Australia would have been in the top 7. I guess the measure is based on employment per capital, disposable income, affordability etc. Whereas I look at lifestyle. I would have chosen South East Asia, Phuket and or Bali in Indonesia. There are many island that wow once you are there you cannot leave.
hey you’ve got an interesting way of looking at it. I’d agree – I mean who doesn’t want to live by the beach in a cheap place with so much nature and kind people. But yes, the list is based on the GDP, standard of living etc, basically looking at it in a practical perspective.
Don't agree with most of the cities listed here.
Would love to hear your suggestions!
I love Buenos AiresI already have been there,and it's amazing
Great list–but Stockholm should be added
Nice suggestions.
I can see living in Singapore. Have done a short trip to Seattle and liked what I saw. Haven't seen Dubai outside of the airport.
I would add Chiang Mai, Bangkok, Hong Kong….and my hometown………Halifax, Nova Scotia
My best bud's from Halifax, so I definitely need to go check out the city!
Yay for Singapore!! Nice list by the way, I would love to visit Prague one day!
Never been to Australia but would love to.
I live in Madrid and have also lived in Toronto, Frankfurt and London. I have toured the US for my jobs for many years and I agree Seattle is my favorite city in the US with the Volcanic mountain range the area is very unique and the city is very alive.
boston is the gratest city to live , great education , great work oppratuntey's and great city !
How can people even mention Toronto? Although Toronto is okay, cities like Chicago, Seattle and San Fran, are way way better places to live than Toronto. Toronto does have multiculturalism ,but that's about it. The downtown core and architecture sucks compared to other cities, as well as the metro system/union, pollution (e.g. there was no garbage collection one summer), and the limited amount of outdoor activities and parks around. Toronto is definitely not on the cutting edge.
Cape Town should be tops. Also known as the Mother City and the Tavern of the Seas
Go Australia!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Hyderabad, India all the way!!!!
Nothing like good old Hyderabadi biryani and the beautiful Golconda Fort, Charminar and Hitech City…and not to mention the abundance of hospitality and liveliness there.
Buenos Aires is one of my favorite cities! I enjoyed the city so much that I'd actually like to move there someday!
no philippines at all?
I had lived in several cities and States in the USA and travel overseas, and I will no change Denver..the only good thing missing is the ocean, the rest is here or nearby, desert, high mountains, plains, quality air,the largest and modern airport, more sunny than Miami, pristine nature is just few minutes away..lakes, rivers, small towns, casinos, second largest arts center, more urban parks than any city, mild winters, gorgeous four seasons, second most visited National Park..art, fine dining, viable highway system, multicultural..sorry New York, Chicago, Miami, Houston, L.A…Denver is HIGH above all! this IS the city were mostly of Americans wanted to live…if the west coast fall into the ocean, then we will have beautiful beaches also hah?
Incredible to think Barcelona came 2nd. Amazing.
I lived in Barcelona for close to 5years, loved it at first… but then, oh well, I realised what the city is all about.
Living with rude spaniards, working for bunch of cheating bastard brits and americans. Had enough.
Barcelona – great place to visit, a horrible place to live.
I used to live in Seattle and still think it's a great city to live in!! It indeed has a lot of outdoors activities. In the summer time, there are plenty of festivals and street fairs.
Thank God London or Paris is not on the list! I don't agree that cities have a low crime rate. There are higher concentrations of people living in proximity and also greater wealth. All this can lead to higher crime rates. I've heard that there is a lot of crime in Melbourne for e.g. We can't settle this by referring to stats because they are either inaccurate (not all crimes are reported and recorded) or manipulated or both. I guess it's all down to where you feel safe.
But I'm glad to see Prague on the list. I had a lovely time there.
Manchester, New Hampshire, USA is a wonderful place to live too. Easy to get to the sea or big city like Boston. No income tax or sales tax. Perfect weather too. What else do you want?
Tom, Thailand
Singapore Sucks!! Why would anyone want to live there, I grew up in this country & what you see & hear from the media are all lies…..
Don't come here or you'll regret it.
Weird that other people are mentioning Toronto as multicultural but fail to mention Montreal. Montreal is a lot better than Toronto (although, all Canadian cities are great. I'm biased though). I live in Ottawa so I live between both and can enjoy them both easily (I wouldn't say Ottawa is one of the world's great cities… )
Modern city with more than a touch of histroy, heritage and a rich culture. On the coast yet not too far from stunning mountain scenery. It's Cardiff for me – although I am biased
What about San Francisco? I'm from Barcelona and LOVE my city but I found San Francisco a really nice city to live
Barcelona is the best one, is the perfect city
Hey, I live in Seattle and I'd say it was a fine place to live as long as you have a vacation home to fly off to for nine months of the year. Have you not heard that it rains in Seattle all winter? Yep. Cold, miserable, depression-inducing rain that keeps everyone housebound throughout the winter months and beyond. Yeah, OK, I exaggerate…we do get out like once a month just to let each other know we're still alive.
Personally, I like San Francisco much better. It's actually tolerable in the winter. And much hipper. Prettier. And people there won't shoot you just because they've missed a dose of their favorite anti-depressant. Too many meth heads in Portland. Another, better alternative to Seattle is Vancouver, BC. If one could live six months of the year in Baja, Mexico (during the winter), and six months in Vancouver (during the summer), one would have the best of all worlds. But then being rich just about anywhere is much better than being poor in a really great spot. Just ask your local Mexican.
Singapore? Seriously?
Over crowsed and too expensive to live in. No social security and no minimum wages. Large, and still growing, rich /poor divide, expression is frowned upon and did I mention how expensive the place is?
I'm currently deciding where in Australia to move to – Melbourne or Sydney. Now, the problem with Melbourne (a city I have not yet visited) is it's too far from the beach, whereas Sydney has heaps of beaches relatively nearby. Am I right? Plus Aussie Rules is huge in Melbourne and I have no idea what that's all about! Haha
Okay maybe i'm biased but really, no London? That's crazy!
Barcelona and Singapour are very nice place to live and they are not that expensive as other big city in the world! The weather are very nice too that a advantage!
dubai??!! its a shit-hole!
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hey Thanks Andy! Yeh every time I'm in Melbourne, I can barely get on that plane and leave, it's just so full of life! I haven't told u how impressed I am with your site, cool stuff you have there man, esp with your neon lights post.
hey Martha, I'm in Seattle right now and I can see why you're so in love with it!