The best places to live in 2023

Cities change all of the time. And so do people. A few years ago I would’ve cared more about living in a city that had a fabulous nightlife, now, all I want is a good night's sleep. Just the one. Please.

There’s a lot to consider when moving and it all depends on what you’re looking for. Culture, food, greenery, skyscrapers full of fancy job opportunities or even how expat-friendly your potential new home is .

Thankfully, there are organisations out there who are far more capable than I am and have ranked cities around the world using actual data, and other important… stuff.

We’re always looking for the next best thing, be that upgrading from your boring, expensive payment provider to Wise (shady) or moving to a new city. So here’s something to help you in your decision making.

🏠 Move your money first 🏠

The best places to live in the UK

Let’s start on home turf. The U of K. Old Blighty. Etc. Etc.

“The Sunday Times Best Places to Live” guide comes out every year. We love consistency.

It’s a list of the top 72 locations in the UK chosen by their team taking things like attractive surroundings, good neighbours, comfortable homes and general 10/10 vibes into account.

You can go for a more in-depth look at their guide but I’ve decided to go simple and shine a light on their top 10 regional winners. .

London:

Crouch End

The Midlands:

Leamington Spa, Warwickshire

Northern Ireland

Donaghadee, Co Down

The North and Northeast:

Whitley Bay, Tyne and Wear

The Northwest:

Liverpool

Scotland:

Dunkeld, Perthshire

The Southeast:

Chichester, West Sussex

The Southwest:

Cirencester, Gloucestershire

Wales:

Ruthin, Denbighshire

The best places to live in the world

Now to go global.

Resonance Consultancy does this fabulous thing called “Best Cities” which is conveniently relevant for my article.

Best Cities is an exclusive ranking of the world’s top urban destinations and their goal is to be “the world’s most credible source of city performance.”

They rank cities on the following:

Place: the quality of the city’s natural and built environment. Looking at things like weather, safety, neighbourhoods, landmarks and green space.
Product: institutions, infrastructure, attractions, travel and airport connectivity, museum, universities, sports team and even convention centres.
Programming: this category focuses on the arts, entertainment and culture scene. Also looking at general culture, nightlife, shopping and restaurants.
People: how diverse a city is and the immigration rate.
Prosperity: the wellbeing of the city’s employment rate, corporate head offices, fortune 500 companies, average household income and income equality.
Promotion: a very 2023 category that looks at how many stories, recommendations, online-shares, trends, hashtags, reference the city online.

London 🇬🇧

Right.

As a Londoner I both gasped and understood why London came in first place. Is it super expensive? Yes. Does having friends in another borough feel like you’re in a long-distance relationship? Also yes. But, there’s a reason we all live here despite the above. London scored 1 for People and 1 for Promotion. It’s an incredibly diverse city that’s come to life thanks to its immigration rate. And if you’re wondering what to do in this neck of the woods, just look to social media, because it’s plastered all over it. Which is nice but is also the reason I have to queue at brunch places. Which is not nice.

Paris 🇫🇷

Bonjour, baby. Paris is second place with a 3 for Product and a 2 for Promotion. We all know and love Paris for its architecture, culture, croissants, and general classy energy. But post-pandemic, Paris has seen a lot of change and is looking to go greener with a lower speed limit and bike paths galore. A huge range of attractions, shopping, restaurants and things to do is pretty much a given.

Oh, and if you’re feeling silly, I wrote an article on “Moving to Paris as an American. As told by Emily in Paris.” Why? I have no idea.

New York 🇺🇸

OMG hey Big Apple, you naughty little thing. Of course you’re in the top three. New York has a 3 for Programming and a 2 for Promotion. It is guaranteed you will never get bored, there’s always somewhere new to eat, shop or visit and it’s an incredibly expat-friendly city.

Tokyo 🇯🇵

It’s futuristic, it’s one of the safests cities in the world and consistently top of the leaderboard. Tokyo takes a 3 for Product and a 2 for Programming, with its famous infrastructures, attractions, rich culture, culinary and nightlife scene and its easy travel connectivity. Good for you Tokyo.

Dubai 🇦🇪

When you think of Dubai you think of luxury, shopping, holiday vibes (this is the second time I’ve said vibes, is that bad? I just love vibes) and Instagram influencers who got in trouble over lockdown. The city is famous for its towering architecture, once in a lifetime experiences, fabulous weather and rich Arabic heritage. Which is why it scored 1 in Place and 4 in Promotion.

Barcelona 🇪🇸

Hot, by the sea, urban space, greenery, history, am I selling this enough? It doesn’t really need selling to be honest. Silly me. Coming in at sixth place to live, Barcelona scores 6 for Place and 5 for Product, thanks to all of the things I mentioned above and its easy travel links.

Rome 🇮🇹

History, pasta, and the chance to pretend you’re Audrey Hepburn in Roman Holiday. What a treat. Rome scored 3 for Place and 3 for Programming. Why? The sights to see, the timeless architecture and its popularity with tourists and locals make a consistent splash on social media. Big fan of your work Rome, keep it up.

Madrid 🇪🇸

I LOVE Madrid. ME ENCANTA MADRID. You get it. Well, it turns out other people love it too. It scored 14 for Place. Which is all because of the city’s beautiful natural and built environment, the weather that means you can give your sweater the cold shoulder, green space and landmarks. Basically it’s gorgeous. It also took home 6 for Programming; arts, culture, nightlife, shopping, FOOD. I can back this up with personal research. You will eat well, it is the home of ZARA. What more could you possibly want?

Singapore 🇸🇬

The big brains behind Big Cities have been gracing us with their rankings for seven years now, and Singapore has always made the Top 10. This is down to its employment rate, global 500 companies cluster, average household income and its growing popularity both with new residents and tourists. Plus the food scene is killer. 10 for prosperity. 11 for promotion. Good stuff.

Amsterdam 🇳🇱

It’s the smallest city on the list in terms of population, but it ranked 8 for Product and 10 for People. So expect a diverse, immigration-friendly city with easy travel, heaps of attractions and museums. There’s even a museum of cheese. Which is what I did instead of going to their world famous art galleries. They have samples.

Cast your eyes on other guides 👀

If you’re looking for more “best places to live” guides, spend a few more minutes procrastinating in the office by giving these a read:

• The best places to live as a Freelancer
• The best places to live as a Student
• The best places to live as a Teacher
• The best places to live as a parent
• Aspire to retire: the best countries for kicking off the good life

The best place for your money to live