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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.

By Jordan Pandy Business Insider 17 Oct 2026 Americas

Colorful Bryggen waterfront buildings and moored boats line a harbor beneath forested mountains in Bergen, Norway. — European cities rank highly in quality-of-life rankings.
MEDITERRANEAN/Getty Images

Oxford Economics' 2026 Global Cities Index ranked cities around the world on their quality of life.
US cities ranked highly for economics, but fell short in the quality of life category.
European cities dominated the quality of life list, while only one US city made the top 20.

Cities in the US rank high globally in terms of economics, but they have some ground to cover in quality of life, according to a new report.

For its 2026 Global Cities Index, economic advisory firm Oxford Economics ranked 1,000 cities across the globe based on five categories: economics, human capital, environment, and quality of life.

Every category is viewed from an economic lens, even quality of life, where indicators include income equality and housing expenditure, among others.

"The Global Cities Index records the progress cities are making across a comprehensive range of metrics," Mark Britton, managing director of city services at Oxford Economics, said in the report. "Sitting alongside our forecasts and scenario models, its ability to highlight how paths change under different conditions and its capacity for comparability shows you not just where cities stand today, but also where they are heading."

The overall list features several US cities in the top 20 — eight, to be exact, with New York taking the No. 1 spot. However, when highlighting quality of life specifically, only one US city made the cut.

Quality of life, which accounts for 25% of a city's overall score, wasn't a bright spot for the US, but plenty of other cities excelled in that category. See which cities ranked highest in quality of life, according to Oxford Economics.

20. Venice, Italy