The world’s best places to live in 2026: Is your city on the list? Top 7 ranked

Score: 100/100

Canberra, Australia's capital, ranks first globally for quality of life in 2026, earning a perfect score of 100 in the ranking published by Visual Capitalist. The assessment draws on Oxford Economics' 2026 Global Cities Index, which evaluates 1,000 cities worldwide. Its quality-of-life category considers income per person, income inequality, housing expenditure, life expectancy, crime and access to recreation and cultural sites. Canberra's strong performance reflects high salaries, relatively low income inequality and access to recreational and cultural amenities. Despite leading this category, the city ranks 45th in the overall Global Cities Index.

Score: 94.3/100

Bergen, Norway, ranks second among the world's best cities for quality of life in 2026, with a score of 94.3. The Norwegian city is the highest-ranked European destination in the list, ahead of Grenoble in France and Bern in Switzerland. Its position puts it 5.7 points behind Canberra, the global leader. Bergen's performance also highlights the strong showing of European cities in the ranking. The wider top 30 includes several cities from Norway, Germany and Switzerland, underlining Europe's substantial presence among the highest-scoring locations for quality of life.

Score: 91.6/100

Singapore ranks third globally for quality of life in 2026, scoring 91.6 and finishing behind Canberra and Bergen. It is the highest-ranked Asian city in the top seven. Its score places it 8.4 points below Canberra, which achieved the maximum score of 100. Singapore is also the only Asian city in the top 10 of this particular ranking, while other Asian locations, including Hsinchu and Taipei, feature further down the top 30. The ranking evaluates quality of life using indicators that include income, housing expenditure, life expectancy, crime and access to recreation and cultural sites

Score: 90.8/100

Grenoble, in southeastern France, ranks fourth globally with a quality-of-life score of 90.8. The city sits just below Singapore, separated by 0.8 points, and is one of two French cities in the top 10, alongside Paris at No. 10. Grenoble's position contributes to Europe's dominant representation in the rankings. The wider list features cities across France, Germany, Switzerland, Norway and other European countries. Visual Capitalist's analysis uses Oxford Economics' 2026 Global Cities Index, which assesses 1,000 cities and considers factors ranging from income and housing expenditure to life expectancy, crime and access to cultural and recreational facilities.

Score: 89.8/100

Bern, Switzerland's capital, ranks fifth worldwide for quality of life in 2026, with a score of 89.8. It is the second Swiss city featured in the top 15, alongside Basel at No. 11 and Zurich at No. 14. Bern's score is 10.2 points below Canberra's perfect 100, but it remains among the five highest-ranked cities in the world. Switzerland's presence in the ranking is particularly notable, with three cities appearing in the top 14. The assessment looks beyond economic output, incorporating measures such as income inequality, housing expenditure, life expectancy, crime and access to recreation and cultural sites.

Score: 89.3/100

Oslo, the Norwegian capital, takes sixth place globally, scoring 89.3 in the 2026 quality-of-life ranking. It is the second Norwegian city in the top six, after Bergen, which ranks second with 94.3. The two cities help underline Norway's strong presence among the world's highest-ranked locations for quality of life. Oslo's score is 10.7 points below Canberra's perfect score. The ranking considers several aspects of everyday living, including income per person, income inequality, housing expenditure, life expectancy, crime and access to recreation and cultural sites. Oslo also appears among the leading European cities in Visual Capitalist's analysis.

Score: 89.0/100

Luxembourg City ranks seventh among the world's best cities for quality of life in 2026, with a score of 89.0. The city is the final entry in this gallery's top seven and continues Europe's strong showing in the ranking. It sits just 0.3 points behind Oslo and 11 points below Canberra, the overall leader in the quality-of-life category. The index assesses more than financial prosperity alone, taking into account income inequality, housing expenditure, life expectancy, crime and access to recreation and cultural amenities. Luxembourg City's position places it ahead of Dresden, Ghent and Paris, which rank eighth, ninth and tenth, respectively.