Broader measures of both cost of living and quality of life are needed. So what makes a city one of the best places to live? Cost of living is key, and house prices are usually the largest component of a household budget, but the housing market cuts both ways: While people want quality affordable homes, soaring real estate prices are a kind of hard proof that a city is attracting residents. In Austria, higher education is largely free.Some cities are great to visit, but you wouldn't want to live there. In a 2021 report by the Commonwealth Fund, a US foundation that campaigns for better healthcare, the US's health system was ranked last of 11 high-income countries.Ĭompared to many European countries, US college graduates enter the world of work with high debts, with annual tuition for 2021 to 2022 year for public four-year colleges being on average $10,740 for state residents and $27,560 for out-of-state residents. The US is also often criticized for its health insurance system that prices many lower-income families out. And some businesses have been shutting their offices and stores in San Francisco, attributing it to rising crime rates. While a full ranking of all these cities isn't provided, the report notes that two California cities – Los Angeles and San Diego – both slipped down 17 places in the ranking from last year and are now outside the top 50.ĭuring the pandemic many Americans have moved out of cities like Los Angeles, San Francisco, and New York City because of their high taxes and rent, as well as for a lifestyle change. In creating the list, the EIU looked at 173 cities across the world. Account icon An icon in the shape of a person's head and shoulders.

How are global cities ranked