This Iconic City Was Just Named Best in the World to Live, Work, and Visit

While all eyes might be on Paris this summer, it’s London that’s stealing the spotlight. The British capital was just crowned the best city in the world by global consulting firm Resonance, which releases one of the most prestigious and comprehensive rankings of the 100 most popular urban areas to live, work, and visit globally. 

“London still reigns over all global cities. Despite crippling COVID lockdowns and economic devastation. Despite Brexit. Despite a war in Europe. The city is more indomitable and part of the global discourse than ever,” the company’s report states.

Resonance’s methodology examines data from more than 400 cities with a population of more than one million and ranks each in three core categories: livability, lovability, and prosperity. These categories comprise multiple subcategories relating to a city’s ability to “attract talent, visitors and/or businesses.” 

Two of London’s highest marks were in the educational attainment and culture subcategories, but the city also topped the overall livability and lovability categories. After Dubai and Doha, London had the third highest tourist spending in the world — a whopping $16.07 billion. With new metro stations added to The Tube, Resonance points out that public transit in the city has improved, which is great news for visitors.

However, London, just like New York City, which topped the ranking for best cities in America, is also facing challenges. The city’s banking district is currently experiencing a rising office vacancy rate of 17 percent.

Paris is second on Resonance’s list of the best cities in the world. The French capital scored perfect for walkability and landmarks but performed much worse in the prosperity category, ranking 14th, which tracks the poverty rate among its full-time residents. However, Paris remains the most visited city globally, with 44 million travelers passing through it in 2022.

Resonance named New York City the third best place to live, work, and visit in the world. 

Tokyo and Singapore round out the top five, with the Japanese capital highlighted for its excellent shopping and dining scene. Dubai, which Resonance has dubbed the “Vegas of Arabia,” is sixth, and San Francisco is seventh. The company points out that, in recent years, the Golden City has suffered economically, as well as from a lack of affordable housing and rising crime rates. Barcelona, Amsterdam, and Seoul are the last three cities in the top 10 best cities in the world.

You can read the full report on worldsbestcities.com.