Top 10 best and worst places to live in the world

[reader]

From The Economist Intelligence Unit

This week, the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) released their Global Liveability Index ranking of the top 10 best and 10 worst places to live in the world in 2022. The index scored 172 cities in five categories: culture, health care, education, infrastructure, and entertainment.

Cities in Scandinavia dominate the list of Most Liveable Cities thanks to the stability and good infrastructure in the region. These cities inhabitants are supported by good healthcare and numerous opportunities for culture and entertainment, according to the index. Year after year, cities in Austria and Switzerland tend to rank high among quality of life lists thanks to their well-developed social market economy.

Although 18 different countries are represented on these lists, you won't find the U.S. ranked in the top 10 on either one. A representative for EIU told CNBC Make It via email that Atlanta, Georgia ranked as the most liveable US city, at number 26 on the list, while Washington D.C. came in close behind at number 30.

Here's the rest of the top 10 best places to live

1. Vienna, Austria
2. Copenhagen, Denmark
3. Zurich, Switzerland
4. Calgary, Canada
5. Vancouver, Canada
6. Geneva, Switzerland
7. Frankfurt, Germany
8. Toronto, Canada
9. Amsterdam, Netherlands
10. Osaka, Japan and Melbourne, Australia (tie)

Here's the rest of the top 10 worst places to live

1. Tehran, Iran
2. Douala, Cameroon
3. Harare, Zimbabwe
4. Dhaka, Bangladesh
5. Port Moresby, PNG
6. Karachi, Pakistan
7. Algiers, Algeria
8. Tripoli, Libya
9. Lagos, Nigeria
10. Damascus, Syria

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/these-are-the-top-10-best-and-worst-places-to-live-in-the-world-e2-80-94and-you-wont-find-the-us-on-either-list/ar-AA10pbJ3

[Olddaddy]

Sydney should be on the list,I'm surprised it's not.😳

Never been to Frankfurt in Germany,any thoughts on that City?

I see Dubai is not in the list either ,I did think it was a great city 

 

[fedssocr]

Melbourne has really slipped. I'm a little shocked at Calgary.

Frankfurt is very nice. I spent several days there a few years ago. It was summertime so the weather was beautiful. Lots of people just hanging out along the river in the evening with friends or family. I really felt like the quality of life in Germany was fantastic.

[alvnv]

It seems to me that this list is based on the quality of life for locals - and not necessarily for foreigners.

[vinapu]

28 minutes ago, alvnv said:

It seems to me that this list is based on the quality of life for locals - and not necessarily for foreigners.

residents rather then tourists I'd say 

[Guest]

the defined categories seem more than a little off.  None of the “best cities” seem world class in Entertainment or Culture (live theatre, performing arts, museums & restaurants) compared to NYC, London or Paris.  Their top 8 are about as boring as it gets.

And no consideration given for weather or cost of living ? 

This is just another “list” used a clickbait.

[vinapu]

55 minutes ago, Slvkguy said:

the defined categories seem more than a little off.  None of the “best cities” seem world class in Entertainment or Culture (live theatre, performing arts, museums & restaurants) compared to NYC, London or Paris.  Their top 8 are about as boring as it gets.

And no consideration given for weather or cost of living ? 

This is just another “list” used a clickbait.

index is more about every day living criteria than vacation or weekend type fireworks, it's why most of cities listed are on the boring side and of modest size.

It's little consolation having British Museum in the doorsteps  for somebody who commutes 1.5 hrs one way  to work or school every day 

Harare has the best weather of those listed, raise your hand who wants to move there

[PeterRS]

12 hours ago, Slvkguy said:

the defined categories seem more than a little off.  None of the “best cities” seem world class in Entertainment or Culture (live theatre, performing arts, museums & restaurants) compared to NYC, London or Paris.  Their top 8 are about as boring as it gets.

I have been to all except Calgary. The nearest I got was Banff!

Cannot agree at all with the comments about lack of entertainment and culture. All, including Calgary, are home to symphony orchestras, some of them absolutely amongst the best in the world with three better than any orchestra in London, Paris or NYC (Vienna Philharmonic, Royal Concertgebouwm Royal Danish and Amsterdam Baroque Orchestras, for example, and to that list can be added more orchestras like the Vienna Symphony, Melbourne Symphony, Osaka Philharmonic); many have international opera companies (the Vienna Staatsoper is one of the world's top four) and most either very fine ballet or contemporary dance companies (The Royal Danish Ballet where the phenomenal Eric Bruhn, Nureyev's lover, was based as first a dancer and later as Artistic Director, and the Dutch National Ballet in Amsterdam, with the excellent Nederlands Dans Theater just 45 minutes away in The Hague). All have several Museums, some superb - Rijksmuseum, Van Gogh Museum, Kunsthistorisches Museum, the Frank Gehry-redesigned Art Gallery of Toronto, and equally a variety of good to excelent restaurants. Many regularly host Broadway musicals. The main problem could be theatre since most theatre performances will be in the local language. Not much good if you don't speak German, for example, but then Frankfurt also has an English language theatre company.

All this is "as boring as it gets"?? Certainly not in my book.

[Guest]

21 hours ago, reader said:

The index scored 172 cities in five categories: culture, health care, education, infrastructure, and entertainment.

This is not the correct methodology or categories used for this “list”.

The main categories are stability, healthcare, culture & environment, education & infrastructure.  Entertainment” is a sub-category among 9 under main category Environment/Culture.

Typical of many “lists” - the author can get to whatever pre-determined outcome they want based on the methodology.  

None of those cities can compare with NYC or London in either Entertainment or Culture once live performing arts enters the mix.  Broadway alone has 41 theaters with typically 8 performances per week. Add in the off-Broadway venues and off off Broadway venues and it’s mind boggling.  Only London can begin to compare with NYC.  And the vibrant arts-focused community that live performing arts creates with performers, creators, staff and patrons is unquantifiable.  Then consider NYC’s Lincoln Center which is the single largest performing arts campus in the world and the dozens of NYC museums. 

The Economist is a euro-centric publication, so of course they want to reassure their readers they live in good places, or close. As with most things - question data that doesn’t make sense vs acceptance of conclusions that don’t hold up under scrutiny.  Covid-19 restrictions or rather lack of restrictions was a major factor in some of these rankings.  All depends on your perspective.

Here’s a link to the actual report 

https://pages.eiu.com/rs/753-RIQ-438/images/liveability-index-2022.pdf

 

 

[reader]

I rise to defense of Calgary. It's well known for the "greatest outdoor show on earth." The annual, 10-day Calgary Stampede.

To paraphrase those great Bangkok lyrics, One night in Calgary and the tough guys tumble.

What's not to love?

 

[alvnv]

The lists we should be looking at are those for LGBTQ+ tourists and expats

[Guest]

12 minutes ago, alvnv said:

The lists we should be looking at are those for LGBTQ+ tourists and expats

then you’d be looking at Spain, Portugal, Mexico and maybe Columbia.  

Spain would be my choice - some of the best infrastructure in Europe, excellent healthcare, and everything else far below US costs.  Priorities are in order - work to live, not live to work.  Almost any city except Barcelona, which although beautiful and seductive - is so over-touristed that it’s not even enjoyable. I’d still visit BCN for Termas  

[PeterRS]

17 hours ago, Slvkguy said:

None of those cities can compare with NYC or London in either Entertainment or Culture once live performing arts enters the mix.

The cities listed, agree with them or not, were not there for their attraction to visitors. They were for those who live in them.

How many orchestras and theatres do you want in the city of your choice? Given the choice I'd rather regularly attend performances of the Vienna Philharmonic or the Royal Concertgebouw than orchestras in other cities. True, musicals and theatre are more difficult outside NYC and London if your only language is English. But to generalise the performing arts in terms of number of venues to visit is, to me, not a valid reason. Quality is more important than quantity. Besides, the cost of living in NYC and London would make it more difficult to attend many performances unless I lived outside the cities and commuted in.

[alvnv]

9 hours ago, PeterRS said:Besides, the cost of living in NYC and London would make it more difficult to attend many performances unless I lived outside the cities and commuted in.

I don’t believe Vienna, Zurich, or Geneva are known for their affordability either

[PeterRS]

To each his own. I could never live in London or New York. Happy to visit but certainly not to live.

[xpaulo]

On 8/9/2022 at 8:56 PM, PeterRS said:

All this is "as boring as it gets"?? Certainly not in my book.

I chuckled when I saw Calgary. To many Canadians it would be hell on earth due to corporate culture and right wing governments, but the Economist might not see those as a negative. Vancouver is beautiful, but the city and suburbs are very expensive. People in Toronto are good people, but southern Ontario retains its deferential attitude to authority which I find frustrating sometimes. I'm a Canadian patriot and love living here, Canadians generally avoid confrontation and prefer that people's private lives remain private which is good. But in terms of the sex I much prefer western Europe, Brazil or other countries because of the more relaxed attitudes and attractiveness of the men although in bed I think Canadians are as probably as much fun as anywhere else in the world. Somebody with more experience with Canadian men can correct me on that. Certainly francophone Canadian men are among the sexiest in the world I think and Quebec would be the most liberal province re sex.

[alvnv]

34 minutes ago, xpaulo said:

Certainly francophone Canadian men are among the sexiest in the world I think and Quebec would be the most liberal province re sex.

Unfortunately, Montreal did not make the Economist’s Top 10.

[vinapu]

4 hours ago, alvnv said:

I don’t believe Vienna, Zurich, or Geneva are known for their affordability either

they may affordable be to those who live and earn money there.

That was answer I got from somebody living in Tokyo several years ago when I asked her if Japan is really that expensive as people say.

[Guest]

13 hours ago, PeterRS said:

Besides, the cost of living in NYC and London would make it more difficult to attend many performances unless I lived outside the cities

I live in Manhattan - West Village to be specific.  Expensive - depends on circumstances and your housing. And your expectations in life I suppose.  I wouldn’t want to live somewhere where I didn’t have abundant choices & options - for everything and anything.

Once the housing issue is satisfied - Manhattan becomes very doable & affordable.  I doubt you’d find more open access arts programs & facilities  anywhere in the world. If you choose to visit as a tourist and pay those prices - that’s on you. 

[Guest]

15 hours ago, PeterRS said:

The cities listed, agree with them or not, were not there for their attraction to visitors. They were for those who live in them.

not really - those cities were were chosen based on select methodology by a Euro-centric magazine to get to a pre-determined outcome.  

Meaning, show Northern Europe//Canada as “good” and US/South America and Southern Europe as not as good.

“Stability” as a weighted category w Vienna on top ?   How quickly we forget the realpolitik/ geography of the region.  Vienna is less than 250 miles from a hot warzone (Ukraine) and next door to the EUs dictator (Orban) but sure, I’m sure it’s much more “stable” than New York City.

It’s helpful to examine the methodology behind whatever “list” is being discussed, before committing to an opinion that has no basis. Just a thought 

[tassojunior]

All 10 top spots are white (with Osaka tied onto 10 to make it not 100% racist) (but then Japanese are honorary whites). 

I'd say

Best :   New York City (if you're a multi-millionaire) 

Worst: New York City (if you're not a multi-millionaire)

[vinapu]

2 hours ago, tassojunior said:

All 10 top spots are white (with Osaka tied onto 10 to make it not 100% racist) (but then Japanese are honorary whites). 

 

what alternatives you have in mind ?

Mumbay, Beirut, Cairo or Mexico City ?

Ok, on serious note Singapore would be contender

[tassojunior]

5 hours ago, vinapu said:

what alternatives you have in mind ?

Mumbay, Beirut, Cairo or Mexico City ?

Ok, on serious note Singapore would be contender

There are many. I have (white) neighbors who are famous labor economists who visit a city in Iran every year for 3 weeks they say is the most beautiful in the world. I have a (white) tenant who grew up with Diplomatic parents in Africa who would go back to a couple cities there to live if he could. Velvety, the famous Prague escort, loves Ho Chi Minh city best of any place. Another Czech escort moved to Bali. Latin America has a slew of cities that are some people's dreams. (Including a few gay clients who are happiest in Rio). Others like Bangkok best. 

This elitist "liberal" white supremacy thing is really new this year but it's surprising how quickly it's become a given.  There's no reason to limit the selection of "best" cities to ones populated by whites (who are a rather small % of world population). The white race may indeed be supreme, but the other 85-90% of the world's people have some really nice livable cities, even if that would shock most whites.  

[PeterRS]

6 hours ago, vinapu said:

Ok, on serious note Singapore would be contender

Certainly a beautiful city with a wonderful display of eye candy almost everywhere. But you'll need a lot of cash. It's an expensive city.

30 minutes ago, tassojunior said:

I have (white) neighbors who are famous labor economists who visit a city in Iran every year for 3 weeks they say is the most beautiful in the world.

I spent two weeks in Iran almost 4 years ago. I had decided to go only because I was returning to the UK on Qatar and wanted to have a stopover to explore another part of that part of the world. Also, friends in Shanghai had been to Iran twice and absolutely loved it. To say I loved it would be an understatement. I expect the city to which @tassojunior's friends refer is Esfahan, truly one of the world's great cities. Apart from a few sights, I'd give Tehran a miss due to its horrendous traffic, but Shiraz, Esfahan, Yazd and Kashan were quite stunning. I found everyone I met warm-hearted, courteous and friendly. I found this odd given that I am from a country which has placed considerable sanctions on Iran. On talking to some, it was clear to a man/woman they loathe the regime they live under. My guides even openly talked about the extensive corruption of the regime. But while I would happily return regularly, especially to Esfahan, it is not a city I would not consider living in full-time. 

 

[TMax]

6 hours ago, vinapu said:

Ok, on serious note Singapore would be contender

This would be my choice as a desirable city to live in, if only they had a long term visa (not a work permit) but from searching it doesn't look easy (going to keep checking on ways though).