If you haven’t heard the news yet, where have you been? Cape Town has been named as the best city in the world by Time Out!
Over 18,500 people from around the world shared their thoughts on their city, including Time Out’s regular readers, for the seventh Time Out global survey of city-dwellers.
The survey’s questions covered everything from food, nightlife and culture to affordability, happiness and overall city vibe.
A panel of over 100 city experts, drawn from Time Out’s global network, was also asked to name the most exciting cities in the world right now.
Time Out then combined all the data to rank the best cities in the world for 2025.
So, how did Cape Town pip the likes of Bangkok, Thailand (#2), New York, USA (#3), Melbourne, Australia (#4) and London, United Kingdom (#5) to take the title in 2025?
Cape Town scored highly across the 44 different criteria used in the survey, with some of the key takeaways listed below:
- 97% of locals say Cape Town makes them happy
- 81% of respondents view Capetonians as positive
- 82% of Capetonians describe their city as ‘beautiful’
- 95% of respondents believe Cape Town has amazing food and restaurants
- 83% of locals believe they have easy access to nature and green spaces
- 89% of Capetonians love the cultural scene, including arts, performances, and live music
- 77% of respondents are big fans of Cape Town’s nightlife
- 82% of locals love the overall Cape Town vibe
With results like these, it’s little wonder that Cape Town has come out on top. To be fair, though, it’s really no surprise as a resident of this magnificent city; we truly do have it all.
Find out more: Time Out’s ‘Best Cities in the World 2025' and ’41 Best Things To Do in Cape Town Right Now’.