Which European cities are among the 10 best to live in the world? (2023)

FAQs

What is the ranking best city to live in Europe? ›

If you're considering moving to a new city for the new year, Europe offers several attractive options. For the third time in the past five years, Vienna captured the first spot in the 2022 Global Liveability Index, the annual report published by The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU).

Sweden. Sweden is the top country in 2022 best quality of life rankings. The country stands out in the ranking of quality of life for health systems and well-developed public education, security, economic stability, and politics.

Globally, Vienna tops the ranking for the 10th year running, closely followed by Zurich, the runner-up. This year, Mercer provides a separate ranking on personal safety. Western Europe dominates the ranking, with Luxembourg named as the safest city in the world.

If you can handle the cold, Germany and the Netherlands are two of the most popular countries for expats, both offering international communities and unique residency options. Switzerland: Although many European countries offer a better quality of life than the U.S., Switzerland takes the cake.

The culture-rich city of Basel boasts the lowest overall crime rate in the entirety of Europe. This is no surprise, with Switzerland standing out as one of the safest countries in the world.

What is Europe's most friendly country? The results are in and, according to the 12,000 people who took the survey, Portugal ranks top of all European countries when it comes to friendliness.

1. Ireland. Countless global reports have continually dubbed the people of Ireland as some of the friendliest and most welcoming to visitors in the world, and our readers feel the same; voting it into the top spot for the friendliest countries in Europe.

Which is the No 1 city to live in the world? ›

The colorful waterfront in Port Saplaya, Valencia, Spain—named the world's top city to live.

The city of love conquers all. Paris, France, has secured the No. 1 spot as the best city in the world, according to Euromonitor International's Top 100 City Destinations ranking.

New Orleans, Louisiana

Settled by the French, turned over to the Spaniards, then passing back through French hands before landing in America's lap, New Orleans might be the most outwardly European city in the nation.

Mexico is the top destination for Americans moving abroad, followed by the U.K., Canada and Australia. So far in 2022, ~75% more Americans have moved to Mexico than Canada. Portugal has seen the biggest percentage increase in Americans moving in (+122% from 2019-2021)

Of the world's top 20 safest countries, 14 are in Europe. And 29 European countries are in the world's top 50. Almost all countries in Europe are safer for students than the United States of America. Europe is generally considered the safest region in the world.

Its capital, Helsinki, is often considered one of the world's safest cities, transportation is easy and reliable, and risk of even petty crime is quite low.

Iceland is still on the top of the list of the most peaceful countries in the world. The country has maintained its position since 2008. In Iceland, perceptions of criminality indicators improved. Iceland's incarceration rate of 33 per 100,000 people is the lowest in Europe.

Political stability - Country rankings

The average for 2021 based on 45 countries was 0.55 points. The highest value was in Liechtenstein: 1.64 points and the lowest value was in Turkey: -1.1 points. The indicator is available from 1996 to 2021.

Which European country is best for citizenship? ›

Portugal

What make Portugal the easiest country in Europe to gain citizenship is that there are no physical presence requirements. Meaning you only need to hold your resident permit in order to qualify for naturalization. You don't need to spend most of the year in the country like most other countries.

Europe's least friendly countries

At the other end of the scale, the worst performing country in terms of friendliness is Austria in 58th place, while Denmark, Sweden, the Czech Republic and Switzerland follow closely behind.

Finland has been ranked happiest country in the world for the fourth year in 2021 as per the World Happiness Report. Finnish people are one of the friendliest, making it to the top position.

Ukraine comes with the most beautiful women in Europe, while Russia and Poland come in second place. Vote for your preferred country and discover who has the most amazing women in Europe!

Canada is certainly a country with friendliest people in the world. Canadians are supposed to be the most polite people on earth, who witnessed very little war. Being proud of their sociability, they always strive for the best.

The list of the “the most American-friendly destinations in Europe” by European Best Destinations also leads with Spain (Madrid, San Sebastian, Malaga) and Portugal (Braga, the Algarve) and includes Germany (Berlin), Greece (Athens), the Netherlands (Rotterdam), France (Alsace), Italy (Tuscany) and Switzerland (Basel).

World's happiest nation is Nordic

For the fifth year in a row, Finland is the world's happiest country, according to World Happiness Report rankings based largely on life evaluations from the Gallup World Poll.

Where should I live if I only speak English in Europe? ›

While we have already discussed that Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and Finland are some of the top English speaking countries, we shouldn't forget that Germany and Belgium are very high up the list, with over 62% of the population in Germany being English speakers and 61% in Belgium!

Florence, Italy. Italy has no shortage of beautiful cities, but Florence remains unrivaled in history, art, and architecture. You'll find traces of Renaissance aesthetics all over town, like the striking Santa Maria del Fiore (The Duomo) and Basilica of Santa Maria Novella.

Vienna, Austria

Scoring top marks in every category bar one, it's easy to see why Vienna is the world's most liveable city.

1. Chicago, Illinois. It's no wonder Chicago is topping this list yet again.

Finland

Its capital, Helsinki, is often considered one of the world's safest cities, transportation is easy and reliable, and risk of even petty crime is quite low.

Portugal consistently tops lists of the best places for expats to live, and in fact, the number of Americans living in Portugal rose 45% in 2021, according to government data.

What is the friendliest country in Europe? ›

1. Ireland. Countless global reports have continually dubbed the people of Ireland as some of the friendliest and most welcoming to visitors in the world, and our readers feel the same; voting it into the top spot for the friendliest countries in Europe.

Europe has long been a popular destination for Americans, and recent years have seen an increase in US residents making a move to relocate permanently across the pond. Although considered a country of endless possibilities, promising the American dream, the reality is often different for so many Americans.

1. London, United Kingdom — 19.6 Million Annual Visitors. What is this? London has been the most visited city in Europe for multiple years — in fact, London is one of the most visited cities in the world.

Global Peace Index score: 1.107

According to the GPI, Iceland is officially the safest country in Europe.