To make that decision a little easier, Time Out surveyed more than 24,000 people across 150 cities and used their insights to rank cities worldwide by happiness, affordability, and quality of life. They also asked 100 Time Out city experts to weigh in to bolster their results.
The survey questions went beyond recommendations for restaurants and nightlife and also sought to capture the feeling of living in each city.
The result is a comprehensive list of diverse cities, some of which are known for grandiose entertainment like F1 and others that are known for their historic museums and galleries.
No one region — or continent — commands the list, and while there are a few cities you'd expect to see, there are some that may surprise you. Check out which cities made the top 20.
Business Insider included population data from World Population Review, alongside housing and dining data from Numbeo, a crowdsourced comparison website that provides detailed cost-of-living information for major cities worldwide.
20. ValenciaValencia, Spain.
Sergio Formoso/Getty Images
Population: 843,071
Monthly costs for a single person (excluding housing): $825.60
Average monthly rent for a one-bedroom home in the city center: $1,397.99
Cost of a three-course meal for two at a mid-range restaurant (excluding drinks): $70
Cost of a cappuccino: $2.80
19. MadridMadrid.
Eloi_Omella/Getty Images
Population: 6,834,320
Monthly costs for a single person (excluding housing): $954.70
Average monthly rent for a one-bedroom home in the city center: $1,471.23
Cost of a three-course meal for two at a mid-range restaurant (excluding drinks): $70
Cost of a cappuccino: $2.96
18. GuadalajaraGuadalajara, México.
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Population: 5,656,180
Monthly costs for a single person (excluding housing): $698.40
Average monthly rent for a one-bedroom home in the city center: $899.03
Cost of a three-course meal for two at a mid-range restaurant (excluding drinks): $45.90
Cost of a cappuccino: $3.76
17. PortoPorto, Portugal.
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Population: 1,339,000
Monthly costs for a single person (excluding housing): $804.50
Average monthly rent for a one-bedroom home in the city center: $1,282.55
Cost of a three-course meal for two at a mid-range restaurant (excluding drinks): $58.33
Cost of a cappuccino: $2.49
16. KrakówRynek Glowny square in Kraków, Poland.
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Population: 769,354
Monthly costs for a single person (excluding housing): $873.20
Average monthly rent for a one-bedroom home in the city center: $959.88
Cost of a three-course meal for two at a mid-range restaurant (excluding drinks): $54.81
Cost of a cappuccino: $4.37
15. Hong KongHong Kong.
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Population: 7.4 million
Monthly costs for a single person (excluding housing): $1,078.40
Average monthly rent for a one-bedroom home in the city center: $2,175.46
Cost of a three-course meal for two at a mid-range restaurant (excluding drinks): $63.84
Cost of a cappuccino: $4.95
14. São PauloSão Paulo.
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Population: 23,168,700
Monthly costs for a single person (excluding housing): $702.5
Average monthly rent for a one-bedroom home in the city center: $692.18
Cost of a three-course meal for two at a mid-range restaurant (excluding drinks): $47.08
Cost of a cappuccino: $2.19
13. CopenhagenCopenhagen.
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Population: 1,409,680
Monthly costs for a single person (excluding housing): $1,359
Average monthly rent for a one-bedroom home in the city center: $1,955.30
Cost of a three-course meal for two at a mid-range restaurant (excluding drinks): $125.28
Cost of a cappuccino: $7.17
Rio de JaneiroRio de Janeiro.
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Population: 14,023,100
Monthly costs for a single person (excluding housing): $631.50
Average monthly rent for a one-bedroom home in the city center: $646.10
Cost of a three-course meal for two at a mid-range restaurant (excluding drinks): $39.23
Cost of a cappuccino: $2.30
11. ZurichZurich.
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Population: 1,466,850
Monthly costs for a single person (excluding housing): $1,902
Average monthly rent for a one-bedroom home in the city center: 3,014.65
Cost of a three-course meal for two at a mid-range restaurant (excluding drinks): $151.66
Cost of a cappuccino: $7.20
10. TokyoTokyo.
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Population: 36,953,600
Monthly costs for a single person (excluding housing): $940.40
Average monthly rent for a one-bedroom home in the city center: $1,150.92
Cost of a three-course meal for two at a mid-range restaurant (excluding drinks): $44.17
Cost of a cappuccino: $3.41
9. SeoulSeoul, South Korea.
Atakorn/Getty Images
Population: 10,050,200
Monthly costs for a single person (excluding housing): $1,042.90
Average monthly rent for a one-bedroom home in the city center: $868.85
Cost of a three-course meal for two at a mid-range restaurant (excluding drinks): $60.88
Cost of a cappuccino: $3.65
8. BangkokBangkok.
Wat Arun Ratchawararam
Population: 11,543,900
Monthly costs for a single person (excluding housing): $694.70
Average monthly rent for a one-bedroom home in the city center: $704.87
Cost of a three-course meal for two at a mid-range restaurant (excluding drinks): $37.48
Cost of a cappuccino: $2.95
7. Mexico CityMexico City.
Argelis Rebolledo/Getty Images
Population: 23,016,800
Monthly costs for a single person (excluding housing): $799
Average monthly rent for a one-bedroom home in the city center: $1,158.86
Cost of a three-course meal for two at a mid-range restaurant (excluding drinks): $57.26
Cost of a cappuccino: $3.88
6. Cape TownCape Town, South Africa.
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Population: 5,147,500
Monthly costs for a single person (excluding housing): $732
Average monthly rent for a one-bedroom home in the city center: $1,027.98
Cost of a three-course meal for two at a mid-range restaurant (excluding drinks): $48.63
Cost of a cappuccino: $2.40
5. New YorkNew York City.
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Population: 8,346,955
Monthly costs for a single person (excluding housing): $1,661.90
Average monthly rent for a one-bedroom home in the city center: $4,215.09
Cost of a three-course meal for two at a mid-range restaurant (excluding drinks): $140
Cost of a cappuccino: $5.75
4. LondonLondon.
Elena Zolotova/Getty Images
Population: 9,927,020
Monthly costs for a single person (excluding housing): $1,486.30
Average monthly rent for a one-bedroom home in the city center: $2,957.81
Cost of a three-course meal for two at a mid-range restaurant (excluding drinks): $107.40
Cost of a cappuccino: $5.45
3. EdinburghEdinburgh, Scotland.
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Population: 568,163
Monthly costs for a single person (excluding housing): $1,195.2
Average monthly rent for a one-bedroom home in the city center: $1,603.44
Cost of a three-course meal for two at a mid-range restaurant (excluding drinks): $107.40
Cost of a cappuccino: $5.16
2. ShanghaiShanghai.
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Population: 31,049,800
Monthly costs for a single person (excluding housing): $594.40
Average monthly rent for a one-bedroom home in the city center: $884.08
Cost of a three-course meal for two at a mid-range restaurant (excluding drinks): $29.28
Cost of a cappuccino: $3.04
1. MelbourneMelbourne, Australia.
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Population: 5,464,920
Monthly costs for a single person (excluding housing): $1,215.60
Average monthly rent for a one-bedroom home in the city center: $1,728.24
Cost of a three-course meal for two at a mid-range restaurant (excluding drinks): $84.43