The World's Best Cities to Live and Work in 2026

New York, London, and Paris topped Oxford Economics’ 2026 ranking of the world’s best cities. The index covers 1,000 cities and takes into account not only economic scale but also human capital, quality of life, environmental conditions, and governance effectiveness. The top ten includes five U.S. cities, four European cities, and Tokyo.

In a previous article, we discussed the world’s best cities to live in, according to Generation Z.

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The World’s Best Cities in 2026: Top 10

The top spots in the Global Cities Index 2026 were once again taken by the world’s largest economic and business centers. New York retained the top spot, London remained in second place, and Paris came in third. In total, eight of the top 10 cities held their positions compared to the previous year, demonstrating the remarkable stability of global urban leaders.

The top ten included:

1. New York, United States

2. London, United Kingdom

3. Paris, France

4. Seattle, United States

5. San Francisco, United States

6. Dublin, Ireland

7. Boston, United States

8. San Jose, United States

9. Tokyo, Japan

10. Zurich, Switzerland

The U.S. has the largest representation in the top 10—five cities. Europe is represented by London, Paris, Dublin, and Zurich, while Tokyo is the only Asian city in the top ten. Looking at the broader picture, Europe and North America account for 78 of the top 100 positions: 44 cities are in Europe, 30 in the U.S., and four in Canada.

However, a high ranking does not mean that a city is equally strong across all metrics. New York largely maintains its lead due to the scale of its economy: Oxford Economics ranks it first in the Economics category, and the city’s economy is nearly twice as large as those of its closest competitors—Tokyo and Los Angeles. London, on the other hand, has the highest Human Capital score among all 1,000 cities, while Paris performs particularly well in terms of quality of life.

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How were the world’s best cities determined in 2026?

The Global Cities Index by Oxford Economics covers 1,000 major cities and evaluates them not based on a single indicator, but across five groups of criteria. Each category is scored on a scale of 0 to 100, and these scores are then combined to form the city’s overall score.

The ranking takes into account:

1. Economics – the size and structure of the economy, growth rates, stability, GDP per capita, employment, and economic diversification

2. Human Capital – the concentration of skilled workers, education, skills, and the potential of the local labor market

3. Quality of Life—level of well-being, comfort of the urban environment, and access to services and opportunities

4. Environment—the city’s environmental condition and sustainability

5. Governance—quality of institutions and effectiveness of governance

An important feature of the ranking is that Oxford Economics uses not only historical data but also its own economic forecasts. Therefore, the index reflects not only a city’s current state but also its long-term potential. This is particularly important for those comparing cities for work, relocation, education, starting a business, or investing.

Due to this methodology, the top spots are not necessarily occupied by cities with the highest quality of life. A major economic hub may have expensive housing and services, but it can offset this with a strong labor market, a high concentration of talent, and significant business opportunities. That is why New York, London, and Paris remain global leaders, even though their strengths differ significantly.

We previously wrote about the best cities to live in, according to Gen Z.

Why New York, London, and Paris Remain Leaders

The top three cities in the Global Cities Index have not changed: New York, London, and Paris once again took first, second, and third places. But the reasons for their success vary. New York dominates primarily due to its economic strength, London because of its concentration of talent and strong labor market, and Paris demonstrates one of the best balances between the economy and quality of life.

New York: The World’s Largest Urban Economy

New York received the maximum 100 points in the overall ranking and the same score in the Economics category. It has the world’s largest urban economy: its size is nearly twice that of Tokyo and Los Angeles, which rank next in this category.

The city also scored highly in Human Capital, with 89.5 points. This reflects the size of the local labor market, the concentration of highly skilled professionals, and New York’s ability to attract international business. At the same time, its scores in other categories are more modest: Quality of Life—80.8, Environment—72.8, and Governance—75.7 points. In other words, New York’s first-place ranking is not due to its absolute leadership in quality of life, but primarily to the city’s extraordinary economic clout.

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London: A Global Hub for Talent and International Business

London took second place with an overall score of 98.8 points and became the undisputed leader in the ranking for Human Capital, scoring 100 points. It is the strong labor market, universities, international mobility of professionals, and concentration of global business that remain among the British capital’s main advantages.

In terms of economic performance, London scored 86.5 points. Oxford Economics calls it Europe’s largest economic center and the world’s fourth-largest urban economy. At the same time, London outperforms New York in the Environment and Governance categories—scoring 83.2 and 80.5 points, respectively—although its Quality of Life score is lower at 77 points.

Paris: A Strong Economy and High Quality of Life

Paris rounded out the top three with a score of 93.4. Unlike New York and London, the French capital particularly stands out in Quality of Life—88.1 points, one of the strongest scores among the top ten cities.

At the same time, Paris remains a major economic and human capital hub: 81 points for Economics and 84 points for Human Capital. Environment is rated at 81.6 points, and Governance at 73.2. This balance explains why the city consistently ranks among the global leaders, even in the face of fierce competition from American megacities and the rapid growth of Asian centers.

It is telling that eight of the top ten cities have not changed their rankings over the past year. Oxford Economics attributes this to the resilience of the world’s largest global hubs: accumulated capital, developed labor markets, universities, infrastructure, and international business create an effect that competitors find difficult to replicate quickly.

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Europe’s Top Cities in 2026

Europe remains one of the strongest regions in the Global Cities Index 2026. Of the world’s top 100 cities, 44 are located in Europe—that is, nearly half of the top 100. Four European cities made it into the global top 10: London, Paris, Dublin, and Zurich.

The highest-ranked European cities are:

- London, United Kingdom – 2nd in the world

- Paris, France – 3rd

- Dublin, Ireland – 6th

- Zurich, Switzerland – 10th

Europe’s strong showing is not solely due to the size of its economies. In many European cities, high rankings are driven by quality of life, environmental sustainability, transportation accessibility, education, institutional stability, and governance effectiveness. It is precisely on these criteria that European cities often outperform U.S. cities, which, in turn, hold an advantage in economic power and human capital.

Zurich is a particularly telling example. It lags behind New York, London, or Paris in terms of economic scale, but compensates for this with very high scores in categories related to the quality of the urban environment, stability, and living conditions. A similar model is characteristic of other cities in Northern and Western Europe.

Dublin has a different profile. Its high ranking is largely due to its strong economy, international business, technology sector, and concentration of skilled workers. The city has become one of Europe’s leading hubs for global technology and financial companies, which directly influences its position in the ranking.

Within the broader European group, Oslo, Stockholm, Copenhagen, Amsterdam, Munich, and other major urban centers also rank highly. Many of them share the same balance: a relatively smaller economy compared to U.S. megacities, but strong performance in quality of life, environmental sustainability, infrastructure, and governance.

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Which European cities are worth considering for living and working?

Oxford Economics has singled out five European “Cities to Watch”—cities whose potential could grow significantly in the coming years. The list includes Warsaw, Tallinn, Eindhoven, Manchester, and Toulouse. They are united by rapid economic growth, the development of technology and professional services, the creation of new jobs, and the ability to compete with larger European centers.

Warsaw, Poland: Central Europe’s New Business Hub

Warsaw has already become the largest hub for finance, technology, and business services in Central and Eastern Europe. Oxford Economics forecasts that its economy will grow by approximately 3% annually over the next five years—nearly twice as fast as the average for European cities.

Income trends are particularly telling. By 2026, according to Oxford Economics, Warsaw will surpass Paris in terms of average per capita income adjusted for purchasing power. This makes the Polish capital increasingly attractive to professionals seeking a combination of career opportunities and lower living costs compared to the major capitals of Western Europe.

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Tallinn, Estonia: one of the EU’s most promising technology hubs

Tallinn is projected to post the highest GDP growth rates among major EU cities over the next decade. IT, professional services, and the digital sector play a significant role in the local economy.

Estonia also has a relatively high level of artificial intelligence adoption compared to other countries in Central and Eastern Europe. For Tallinn, this creates additional potential in the fields of software development, fintech, AI, and digital services.

Eindhoven, the Netherlands: a European hub for high technology

Eindhoven, in the Netherlands, has become one of Europe’s key centers for research and high-tech manufacturing. The Brainport Eindhoven cluster is home to over 5,000 technology and knowledge-based companies, particularly in the fields of semiconductors, artificial intelligence, and green tech.

Oxford Economics expects the region’s industrial production to show some of the highest growth rates in Europe by 2030. At the same time, this success is creating a new challenge: by 2040, the population could increase by approximately 28,000 more people, and the housing supply risks failing to keep up with demand.

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Manchester, United Kingdom: Rapid Job Growth

Manchester has outpaced other major British cities in terms of GDP growth and productivity since 2010. Over the next 25 years, it could see the fifth-largest increase in jobs among European cities.

Financial and business services will be the main drivers. According to a forecast by Oxford Economics, Manchester could create more new jobs in these sectors than Paris or Berlin. This makes it particularly attractive to professionals in finance, consulting, technology, and corporate services.

Toulouse, France: jobs in aerospace and a lower cost of living

Toulouse is among the fastest-growing cities in Western Europe. It is home to one of the region’s largest aerospace clusters, where Airbus, Thales, Liebherr, and a large network of suppliers and technology companies operate.

It’s not just the jobs that make the city attractive. The cost of living here is lower than in Paris, the climate is milder, and the quality of life remains high. It is precisely this combination that is already attracting some professionals from the French capital and fueling rapid population growth.

In our previous article, we discussed the cost of living in the best EU countries in 2026.

Asia and AI Are Redrawing the Map of the World’s Best Cities

Europe and North America still dominate the Global Cities Index, but the main hub of future urban growth is gradually shifting to Asia. Oxford Economics expects that by 2050, the share of global urban GDP generated by cities in China and India will exceed that of Europe. Major Asian centers are simultaneously increasing productivity, incomes, high-tech manufacturing, and financial services.

Artificial intelligence has become one of the key drivers of this growth. Demand for AI infrastructure, semiconductors, data centers, and high-performance computing is already influencing individual cities’ rankings.

Taipei, Taiwan: Growth Fueled by Demand for Chips

Taipei climbed 12 spots to rank 48th. Taiwan’s robust semiconductor sector and global demand for AI equipment play a significant role. The region is one of the central hubs of global advanced chip manufacturing, thanks in part to TSMC.

The impact of AI is even more pronounced in Hsinchu, approximately 70 km from Taipei. Oxford Economics ranks it among Asia’s fastest-growing urban economies, citing exports of semiconductors related to the development of artificial intelligence as one of the main drivers.

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia: Focus on Data Centers

Kuala Lumpur climbed 14 spots to 65th place. The city is strengthening its status as one of Southeast Asia’s leading digital hubs thanks to its technology sector, skilled workforce, and rapid development of data center infrastructure.

Approximately half of Malaysia’s data centers are concentrated in the capital region, and the sector has already attracted multi-billion investments from companies such as Google and Amazon Web Services. This is creating new demand for specialists in cloud infrastructure, AI, cybersecurity, and related technology fields.

Shenzhen, China: The tech hub entered the top 100

In 2026, Shenzhen entered the top 100 of the ranking, taking 93rd place. It is one of China’s leading technology hubs, home to Huawei, Tencent, and BYD, as well as a large cluster of companies in the fields of robotics, AI, and electric vehicles.

Oxford Economics believes that cities such as Shenzhen and Bengaluru can experience particularly rapid economic growth provided they make effective use of new technologies. This is an important signal: in future rankings, cities’ positions will increasingly depend not only on the size of their economies but also on their ability to attract investment in AI, advanced manufacturing, and digital infrastructure.

The shift in the global balance is already evident in long-term forecasts. Shanghai’s economy could surpass that of San Francisco as early as 2027, even though in the early 2000s it was only about a quarter of San Francisco’s size. By 2050, Ho Chi Minh City’s economy could be nearly on par with Berlin’s, whereas today it is less than half that size.

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