The 32 most fun, friendly, and affordable cities in the world
32. Istanbul (87.1) — Istanbul residents are proud of their unique city and its history, but somehow they're still not content — just half said they'd felt happy in the past 24 hours.
31. Singapore (98.7) — Those from Singapore may not rate its culture scene highly, but they do value the city's safety, and are perfectly comfortable walking around at night.
30. Boston (103.7) — Boston may be one of the least affordable cities surveyed, with a poorly ranking nightlife scene, but its residents still posted high happiness scores — and over half know their neighbours by name.
29. Dubai (105.3) — Despite its wide appeal, Dubai has the longest working hours on the list (46 a week on average), and the average night out costs $167.
28. Sydney (106.1) — While they may think the city is lacking in things to do and good restaurants, Sydney residents live a healthy life, with 66% having exercised in the last week and 38% never having taken drugs. They know how to party, though, and are the world’s number one vodka drinkers.
27. Miami (107.9) — Miami has one of the world’s buzziest restaurant scenes — but the public transit is poor, according to residents, with 52% claiming to hate it, the highest of any city.
26. Hong Kong (109.6) — 75% of residents said the public transport in Hong Kong is great, contributing to the city's overall score. They're also among the biggest restaurant-goers in the world.
25. Moscow (110.2) — Its residents may not consider it to be a friendly place, but they make the most of what it has to offer late into the night, with a third of residents going to bed long after midnight. It was also the city where people have the most workplace romances.
24. Bangkok (111.0) — The survey revealed Bangkok as the world's street food capital, with more people eating on their feet than anywhere else — 42 times a year, on average. They're also the biggest restaurant-goers, with 94% of respondents having visited a restaurant in the past week.
23. Washington, D.C. (111.3) — D.C. — the dating capital — has the most singles looking to mingle or using dating apps. However, they're also the most likely to "ghost" a potential love interest — which perhaps contributes to D.C. tieing with New York to be the most stressed city on the list.
22. Beijing (113.0) — The city may be exciting, but the commute is long, with 6% of Beijing residents even commuting for two to three hours a day.
21. Zürich (115.3) — The city's residents are super active, and, tied with Melbourne, they exercise more than any other city.
20. Los Angeles (116.8) — It has a booming culture scene with taco-filled restaurants, but it remained in 20th place as its residents said it's one of the hardest cities to make friends in — and also tough for dating.
19. Tokyo (117.7) — Tokyo residents love their food — they visit restaurants more than most other cities on the list.
18. Berlin (119.2) — 83% of Berlin residents know their next door neighbour’s name — a massive number compared to 55% global average, which helps explain why they're also the least lonely. They like to spend time at home, though, with people in Berlin eating in restaurants the least frequently in the world.
17. San Francisco (119.4) — With a buzzing restaurant scene packed with brunches and 88% of residents saying they "feel free to be themselves," San Fran came in 17th because it ranked poorly for safety and affordability.
16. Shanghai (119.5) — It may not come cheap, but there's plenty to do in Shanghai, where residents say that while it's tough to find love, 79% believe it's easy to find a more... casual... encounter.
15. Mexico City (121.2) — The people of Mexico City take in more culture than anywhere else, taking trips to the theatre, cinema, art galleries, museums, or to gigs 76 times a year.
14. Paris (124.9) — Parisians have the most sex in the world, according to the survey, with four in five people saying they had sex in the past month. The city is also one of the best for culture. However, the fun comes at a price, and Paris is also the world’s hangover capital, with an average of almost a month spent suffering a year.
13. Austin (125.3) — The number one city for live music and the second best for bars, Austin is the perfect spot to take in a great gig. Residents also have a very short commute, with an average of just 22 minutes.
12. Tel Aviv (125.8) — You'll find the best eats and a relaxed vibe in Tel Aviv, which also comes out on top for one-night stands and number of working hours — an average of just 27 per week.
11. Edinburgh (128.2) — Residents of Edinburgh know how to have fun — they're big drinkers, with 24 hungover days a year.
10. Barcelona (128.4) — Barcelona residents take in culture an average of 71 times a year — second only to Mexico City. The city is also home to some of the most frequent restaurant-goers in the world.
9. Philadelphia (129.2) — Overall, Philadelphia residents crowned their city the most affordable in the world, as well as one of the most enjoyable to live in. Residents also have one of the quickest commutes at just 24 minutes.
8. Lisbon (130.2) — Lisboans eat out a lot, spend time with their families, and also say it's easy to make friends and find love. The average night out also costs just $46.
7. Manchester (130.9) — Mancunians might be big drinkers, but they also socialise around a cup of tea — they came out on top for not being able to last 24 hours without a cuppa.
6. Madrid (131.1) — One of the best cities for culture, Madrid's restaurants are also full, as its residents eat out more than most cities.
5. London (131.4) — Whether it's theatre, restaurants, or bars, 86% of London residents say there is always something to do or see in the city, with most going out eight times a month. However, the city didn't come out on top because Londoners also find it hard to make friends, feel stressed, and find the city unaffordable.
4. Melbourne (132.3) — This Australian city came out above all others in terms of happiness, with nine in 10 residents saying they felt happy within the last 24 hours. They also find it easy to make friends, and think the food and drink scene is one of the city's best features.
3. New York (134.6) — Coming in third place, the city has the world's best nightlife and comes in second for culture, according to the survey. It was also the city most people wanted to visit this year — although visitors might have trouble making friends in the city which ties with D.C. as "most stressed."
2. Porto (137.9) — Head to Porto for a friendly spot where residents are proud to live in their city, are "free to be themselves," and experience cheap nights out, at an average of just $37.
1. Chicago (138.2 points) — With the highest overall score, Chicago comes out on top for its food and drink scene, happiness, culture, affordability, and city pride — its only drawback was safety, the only area in which it ranked poorly.
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