While it varies by index, Canberra, Australia, was named #1 for Quality of Life by Oxford Economics in 2025, excelling in income, housing, and life expectancy, while other reports often feature European cities like Copenhagen, Zurich, and Vienna for overall liveability, combining safety, culture, and infrastructure. Singapore also consistently ranks high for living standards.
In the 2024 Global Liveability Index by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), Melbourne is ranked as the 4th most liveable city in the world and the most liveable city in Australia. The EIU assessed 173 cities based on 5 major categories: stability, healthcare, culture and environment, education and infrastructure.
Here are the world's 10 most liveable cities
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1. London. The “Capital of Capitals” claims the throne atop the World's Best Cities ranking in 2026 for an incredible 11th consecutive year. It secures the top position in three of our 34 subcategories (the most of any city), and ranks 1, 2 and 3 in our Prosperity, Lovability and Livability indexes, respectively.
Hobart, Tasmania, is widely recognized as the cheapest major city, but smaller regional towns in Queensland and South Australia can offer even lower living costs.
The 2025 Living in Australia report by . id (informed decisions) ranks the ACT and Greater Sydney as the country's most liveable areas, followed by Perth, Adelaide, Melbourne and South East Queensland. The national Liveability Index has dropped to 59.5 out of 100, down from 63.4 last year.
It's official! Adelaide is the happiest city in Australia, and one of the happiest in the world! 🙌 We ranked #29 globally in the Happy City Index across six categories - environment, economy, mobility, citizen wellbeing, health and governance.
Yes, $100k is generally considered a strong salary in Australia, placing you above the average (which hovers around $90k-$108k for full-time, but median is lower) and allowing for a comfortable life, though its impact depends heavily on location (major city vs. regional) and personal expenses like housing and dependents, as high living costs in cities like Sydney can stretch this income further than in regional areas.
Brisbane has just been named as one of the friendliest cities in the world and we're the only Australian city to be listed in the top twenty. We've always known this about Brisbane but now the world is starting to discover it too.
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Not only did Canberra top the global list, but it also ranked as the highest Australian city across four of the six core quality-of-life indicators: income per person, income equality, housing expenditure and life expectancy. Discover more about what makes Canberra stand out.
Copenhagen is number 1 among the happiest cities in the world, following the scores of the Institute of Quality Life's Happiest City Index! It received an overall happiness score of 1,039. The strong citizen engagement in fun-loving activities (237) and environmental performance (192) broke all records.
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1. Savannah, GA. The locals in Savannah have been known to be gregarious, charismatic, and fun-loving.
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Toorak – The Undisputed Richest Suburb in Melbourne
From multi-million-dollar mansions to elite private schools and exclusive shopping strips, it has long been regarded as the richest area in Melbourne. Toorak is also home to Australia's wealthiest business leaders, celebrities, and international investors.
The average monthly cost of living in Australia for a single person typically ranges from AUD 2,000 to AUD 3,000 (₹1.15L–₹1.74L), including rent.
Califoria cities rank highest for happiness
The study found that Fremont, California emerged as the happiest city in America, largely due to a combination of financial stability, high life satisfaction, and healthy living conditions.
Denmark's capital Copenhagen has topped the list of the world's most liveable cities, edging out Vienna and Zurich in this year's rankings, compiled by the Economist Intelligence Unit's 2025 Global Liveability Index.