London remains the world's best city for the 11th year in a row, according to a report published by Resonance Consultancy, in partnership with Ipsos.
The annual World's Best Cities Report for 2026 notes that the "Capital of Capitals" outperformed every other contender, scoring the highest in all three aspects: a second rank for prosperity and lovability, respectively, and third rank for liveability.
The report lists the top 100 best cities in the world to live, work, and visit in 2025-2026. It's dominated by European cities; only two Asian cities made it.
The second position is secured by New York, also known as the "Perpetual heartbeat of America", followed by Paris in the third place. Tokyo ranks fourth, Madrid comes fifth, and Singapore is on the sixth spot.
Rome is seventh on the list, followed by Dubai, which remains the highest-ranked West Asian city. Berlin secured the ninth position, while Barcelona rounded out the top 10.
Which two Asian cities are in the top 10?
Tokyo and Singapore are the two Asian cities to feature in the top 10, ranking fourth and sixth, respectively.
Which Indian city scored the highest?
Bengaluru, the country's tech powerhouse, often called the "Silicon Valley of India," ranked 29th globally. It is followed by Mumbai, the financial capital, at 40th, Delhi, the national capital, at 54th, and Hyderabad at 82nd.
How were the rankings decided?
The report evaluated more than 270 cities around the world, all with populations of over one million people, to understand which cities offer the best overall experience. It studied different aspects of city life such as education, culture, connectivity, nightlife, safety and several other indicators.
After analysing all these factors, each city was given a Place Power Score based on three big pillars - liveability, lovability and prosperity.
Liveability means how comfortable and convenient life is in the city. It includes cost of living, cleanliness and health services.
Lovability defines how happily are people living there and prosperity shows the city's economic growth in terms of job opportunities, education and income levels.
To assess a city's prosperity, the report evaluated the infrastructure that enables economic growth and attracts talent. Apart from that, corporate presence and a thriving start-up ecosystem reflect its ability for innovation, job creation, and global competitiveness.
