The 20 global cities with the best quality of life
Oxford Economics' 2026 Global Cities Index rated quality of life in cities around the world. Only one US city made the top 20 by that metric.
According to a new 2026 Global Cities Index report by economic advisory firm Oxford Economics, European cities rank highly in quality of life. The rankings were based on five categories, including economics, human capital, environment, and quality of life. While US cities perform well in terms of economics, they struggle to keep up in the quality of life category.
New York City topped the list, followed by six other US cities making the top 20. However, only one US city, San Jose, made it to the top 20 specifically for quality of life. Quality of life accounts for 25% of a city's overall score, and US cities had room for improvement in this area.
European cities dominated the quality of life list, with Zurich, San Jose, Linz, Basel, Paris, Ghent, Dresden, Luxembourg, Oslo, Bern, and Singapore ranking in the top 10. In particular, Zurich and Singapore stood out, with quality of life scores of 87.7 and 89 respectively, placing them among the top 10 cities worldwide.
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