If you had to choose just one city to live, work, and play in, which would it be? Here's some help – you wouldn't go too wrong with any of the Asian cities just named in Resonance Consultancy's World's Best Cities Report.
Now in its 10th edition, the World's Best Cities Report is one of the more thorough annual city rankings. Developed by global place branding advisor Resonance Consultancy in partnership with market research specialist Ipsos, it takes a look at the cities with a metro population of 1 million or more, analysing perceptions of each based on a survey of more than 22,000 respondents across 31 countries and combining that with an analysis of factors that correlate to liveability, lovability, and prosperity.
This year's list of the 100 best cities in the world includes 12 Asian cities. To little surprise (but great delight), Tokyo ranked at No. 4 on the list, officially making it the best city in Asia. The Japanese capital has long been a favourite for its incredible dining and retail scene, and true enough, it topped the report's Restaurants and Shopping subcategories. Tourists and locals flock to hotspots like Ginza Six for shopping, dining, and art, and will soon be able to enjoy more of that at Miyashita Park, Toranomon Hills, and Azabudai Hills. And the city's only becoming more accessible thanks to the expansion of Haneda Airport and a new high-speed train link to downtown.
Singapore follows close behind at No. 5. Many will know this city for being clean, green, safe, and efficient. It's also one of the world's wealthiest countries, coming in at No. 5 in the report's Prosperity subcategory thanks to its high GDP per capita. But that's not all there is to Singapore. As a resident or tourist, you're within easy reach of culturally diverse cuisine at a wide range of price points, a world-class bar scene, great shopping and entertainment, plus a flourishing of green spaces, smart hubs, and car-free transport options.
The next ten Asian cities are Seoul (No. 16), Bangkok (No. 32), Beijing (No. 36), Osaka (No. 42), Kuala Lumpur (No. 50), Shanghai (No. 61), Taipei (No. 76), Nagoya (No. 81), Sapporo (No. 86), and Hong Kong (No 87). For a full breakdown of what makes them great, check out Resonance Consultancy's detailed report.
Here is the complete list of Resonance World’s Best Cities for 2025:
1. London
2. New York
3. Paris
4. Tokyo
5. Singapore
6. Rome
7. Madrid
8. Barcelona
9. Berlin
10. Sydney
11. Amsterdam
12. San Francisco
13. Dubai
14. Los Angeles
15. Toronto
16. Seoul
17. Chicago
18. Vienna
19. Seattle
20. Milan
21. Boston
22. Vancouver
23. Miami
24. Stockholm
25. Melbourne
26. Oslo
27. Munich
28. Istanbul
29. Las Vegas
30. Helsinki
31. Atlanta
32. Bangkok
33. Prague
34. Washington, D.C.
35. Montreal
36. Beijing
37. Orlando
38. St. Louis
39. Portland
40. Houston
41. Dublin
42. Osaka
43. Philadelphia
44. Denver
45. Copenhagen
46. San Diego
47. Auckland
48. Frankfurt
49. Zurich
50. Kuala Lumpur
51. Minneapolis
52. Ottawa
53. Austin
54. Calgary
55. Dallas
56. Brussels
57. Lisbon
58. Honolulu
59. Detroit
60. Krakow
61. Shanghai
62. San Jose
63. New Orleans
64. Nashville
65. Edmonton
66. Salt Lake City
67. Baltimore
68. Bordeaux
69. Gothenburg
70. Cleveland
71. Valencia
72. Glasgow
73. Doha
74. Warsaw
75. Sao Paulo
76. Taipei
77. Tucson
78. Pittsburgh
79. Charlotte
80. Lyon
81. Nagoya
82. Porto
83. Perth
84. Bilbao
85. Cape Town
86. Sapporo
87. Athens
88. Hamburg
89. Phoenix
90. Brisbane
91. Tampa
92. Naples
93. Richmond
94. Birmingham
95. Raleigh
96. Rochester
97. Hong Kong
98. Nantes
99. Toulouse
100. Rio de Janeiro
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