These Are the 50 Best Cities in the World Right Now - and 19 of Them Are in Europe

The 50 best cities in the world have been revealed, and 19 of the top destinations on the list are located in Europe.

The annual ranking by Time Out is based on a global survey asking residents to rate their cities on factors such as quality of life, affordability, arts and culture, food, nightlife, green spaces, and more.

This year, more than 24,000 people participated across 150 cities. Their responses were then combined with votes from more than 100 of Time Out’s city experts to create the final ranking.

Taking the top spot this year is Melbourne, Australia, while the best-ranked European city is Edinburgh, which placed third overall.

London followed closely behind Edinburgh in fourth place, according to Zëri i Drenices.

Second place went to Shanghai, while the rest of the top ten includes New York in fifth, Cape Town in sixth, Mexico City in seventh, Bangkok in eighth, Seoul in ninth, and Tokyo in tenth place.

Europe’s Best Cities for 2026

Residents surveyed in Edinburgh praised the city for its walkability, food, green spaces, and cultural life. According to Time Out, the city ranked among the happiest places in the survey for 2026, with 91% of respondents saying they “find joy in their everyday experiences” there.

“Edinburgh takes everything that makes life worth living and turns it up several notches: great food, beautiful green spaces, and a vibrant arts and culture scene,” wrote Chiara Wilkinson, deputy editor of Time Out UK.

“One of the best qualities of the Scottish capital is how easy it is to get around on foot,” she added.

Meanwhile, residents in London gave the city an almost perfect score for its arts and culture scene, with an approval rating of 99%. The UK capital was also praised for its restaurant scene and green spaces.

On mainland Europe, Zurich narrowly missed the top ten, ranking in 11th place. Time Out highlighted the Swiss city’s year-round appeal – from flower-filled streets in spring and swimming in the Limmat River during summer, to the Zurich Film Festival in autumn and its famous Christmas markets in winter.

European cities dominated the rankings between 11th and 20th place, with Copenhagen in 13th, Krakow in 16th, Porto in 17th, Madrid in 19th, and Valencia in 20th.

Surprisingly, Paris—the capital of the world’s most visited country – ranked only 22nd. However, it was the only city to receive a perfect score for its arts and culture scene, and an impressive 97% of respondents approved of its food and drink scene.

Other European cities that made the top 50 include Bath (26th), Bilbao (27th), Berlin (28th), Antwerp (31st), Naples (33rd), Amsterdam (34th), Athens (40th), Vienna (44th), Dublin (45th), and Lisbon (49th).

/Zëri i Drenices/