Quartz Names 10 Best Cities for 2026, From Tokyo to Mexico City
In 2026, Quartz has identified ten cities that are appealing for both visitation and relocation, selected based on their strengths in transportation, culinary culture, urban design, and overall livability. The featured cities include Tokyo and Singapore, recognized for their infrastructure and safety; Lisbon and Mexico City, noted for affordability and quality of life; Copenhagen and Vienna, praised for public investment; and Melbourne, Seoul, Barcelona, and Toronto, celebrated for their cultural richness. Each location presents certain drawbacks, such as the high cost of living in Copenhagen and harsh winters in Toronto. Highlights include Tokyo's punctual rail system, Copenhagen's bike-friendly streets, and Singapore's vibrant hawker scene.
Key facts
- Quartz selected 10 cities for 2026 across four continents: Tokyo, Copenhagen, Singapore, Lisbon, Seoul, Melbourne, Toronto, Vienna, Barcelona and Mexico City
- Tokyo's greater metropolitan area holds roughly 37 million people, the largest urban agglomeration on the planet
- UNESCO inscribed Singapore's hawker culture on its Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in December 2020
- Melbourne ranked as the world's most livable city in the Economist Intelligence Unit survey for seven consecutive years, 2011 through 2017
- Statistics Canada reports more than 45% of Toronto residents were born outside Canada
- Roughly 60% of Vienna residents live in municipal or subsidized apartments, and the annual transit pass has cost €365 since 2012
- Construction on Barcelona's Sagrada Família began in 1882 and continues, financed by admission tickets and donations
- Mexico City sits above 7,300 feet, and Teotihuacan is about an hour outside the city
Entities
Artists
- Antoni Gaudí
- Frida Kahlo
- Ildefons Cerdà
Institutions
- Quartz
- JR East
- Tokyo Metro
- Toei
- Michelin
- UNESCO
- Noma
- BIG
- Henning Larsen
- Gardens by the Bay
- Changi Airport
- Maxwell Food Centre
- Tiong Bahru Market
- Lisbon Metro
- Carris
- Pastéis de Belém
- Seoul Metropolitan Subway
- Hongik University
- Gwangjang Market
- Economist Intelligence Unit
- Queen Victoria Market
- Melbourne Cricket Ground
- Australian Open
- Toronto International Film Festival
- Toronto Transit Commission
- Statistics Canada
- Vienna State Opera
- Café Central
- Café Sperl
- Sagrada Família
- Park Güell
- Casa Batlló
- Casa Milà
- La Boqueria
- Pujol
- Quintonil
- Museo Nacional de Antropología
- Casa Azul
Locations
- Tokyo
- Japan
- Copenhagen
- Denmark
- Singapore
- Lisbon
- Portugal
- Seoul
- South Korea
- Melbourne
- Australia
- Toronto
- Canada
- Vienna
- Austria
- Barcelona
- Spain
- Mexico City
- Mexico
- Shinjuku
- Nakameguro
- Shimokitazawa
- Yanaka
- Shibuya
- Nordhavn
- Nyhavn
- Islands Brygge
- Torvehallerne
- Alfama
- Bairro Alto
- Baixa
- Tagus River
- Cascais
- Costa da Caparica
- Hongdae
- Apgujeong
- Gangnam
- Gyeongbokgung
- Changdeokgung
- Bukchon Hanok Village
- Footscray
- Richmond
- Carlton
- Docklands
- Port Phillip Bay
- Kensington Market
- Spadina Avenue
- Little India
- Gerrard Street East
- Danforth
- Scarborough
- North York
- Niagara Falls
- Karl-Marx-Hof
- Ringstrasse
- Schönbrunn Palace
- Hofburg
- Prater
- Stadtpark
- Donauinsel
- Vienna Woods
- Grinzing
- Barceloneta
- Eixample
- Gothic Quarter
- La Rambla
- Roma Norte
- Condesa
- Polanco
- Coyoacán
- Teotihuacan
- Mercado de San Juan
- Europe
- Asia
- North America
Sources
- Quartz —