The Economist just released its list of the world's most — and least — liveable cities in 2026. It has a somewhat similar complexion to Monocle's quality of life survey in that you'll find cities like Copenhagen, Vienna, Sydney, Zurich, and Vancouver on both. But at the same time, there is a core difference.

Basically the way it works is that The Economist's ranking is designed to help HR departments calculate "hardship allowances" when staff are relocating overseas, whereas the Monocle survey places a much greater emphasis on questions like: Can I grab a drink at a cool bar at 2 AM on a Tuesday? It's for this reason that you won't find cities like Lisbon, Paris, and Madrid on The Economist's top 10 list.

The other not-very-surprising fact of this year's ranking is that cities in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) broadly saw the largest declines in liveability. This is due to the Iran war and deteriorating "stability" points.

Perhaps the most interesting takeaway is the rise of Asia, and in particular China. There are now 9 Asian cities in the top 20, compared to 7 cities in Europe. According to The Economist, improvements in healthcare are why Chinese cities are posting the biggest gains. Also on the movers-up list is New York, due to falling crime rates and a reduced perceived terrorism risk.

While this is certainly positive, if you'd like to dive deeper, you can download a full copy of the EIU Global Liveability Index 2026.

Cover photo by Julius Carmine