These are the world’s best cities to live and work in

Looking for somewhere to travel or work remotely? These metropolises give great quality of life

Vienna received a near perfect score in almost every category (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Vienna is the best city in the world to live in, according to the Economist Intelligence Unit’s (EIU) Global Liveability Index 2022

The list, published on Wednesday, has revealed its annual ranking of the best urban places to live across the globe.

Vienna has claimed the top spot that it held three years ago, before dropping to 12th place in 2021 due to “pandemic-prompted closures”.

The Austrian capital received a near perfect score in almost every category, thanks to its flourishing arts and culture scene, excellent healthcare, and high quality education.

Copenhagen came in second place, falling slightly behind Vienna in the healthcare, and culture and environment categories.

Switzerland’s Zurich and Canada’s Calgary tied for third place, with Vancouver, on the west coast of Canada, completing the top five.

Three Canadian cities made it into the top 10, with Toronto representing number eight.

To form the list, 172 cities were scored in five categories: stability, healthcare, culture and entertainment, education, and infrastructure.

“For the past two years, EIU’s global liveability rankings have been largely driven by the Covid-19 pandemic, with lockdowns and social distancing measures affecting scores for culture, education and healthcare in cities across the world,” the report notes.

“However, in our most recent survey, the index has normalised, as restrictions have been lifted in many countries.”

While the 2022 reports shows a return to pre-pandemic trends, other global factors, such as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, have caused some cities to fall in the rankings.

At the bottom of the list came Damascus, Syria in last place, Lagos, Nigeria, taking the penultimate spot, and Tripoli, Libya scoring just slightly above.

The only non-European or Canadian cities to claim a spot in the top 10 were Osaka in Japan and Melbourne, Australia, which came in joint 10th place.

The top 10 best places to live in the world:

1. Vienna, Austria 

2. Copenhagen, Denmark 

3. Zurich, Switzerland (tie) 

3.   Calgary, Canada (tie)

5.   Vancouver, Canada

6.   Geneva, Switzerland

7.   Frankfurt, Germany

8.   Toronto, Canada

9.   Amsterdam, Netherlands

10. Osaka, Japan (tie)

10. Melbourne, Australia (tie)