You don't need to tell us that Melbourne is one of the best cities in the world, as the accolades are perpetually rolling in to remind us. Our city has been declared as the world's third most liveable city and the friendliest city in the world. We don't mean to brag, but the list goes on: it's also been named as the third most popular travel destination, one of the top five drinking cities, the fourth most LGBTQIA+-friendly city and even the fifth best city for cycling. And they're just the titles we've been given in the last year.
Now, Melbourne has placed on a list of the top 100 best cities in the world. But we can't lie, we think it should have been higher.
An annual World's Best Cities study by Resonance Consultancy, placed Melbourne as the number 31 on the list for 2023. It's a spot that's nothing to sneeze at considering there are more than 10,000 cities across the world. But when you think about all the things our city does so well, we were surprised to see it didn't even crack the top 20.
To be fair, it was a stiff competition. London was awarded first place, extending its reign as the eight-time champion, closely followed by global heavyweights such as Paris, New York, Tokyo and Singapore. Resonance Consultancy’s top 100 rankings are based on an evaluation of more than 270 metropolitan cities with populations exceeding one million. They combined qualitative and quantitative data along with reviews by locals and visitors on platforms like TripAdvisor and Instagram, to evaluate three overarching pillars of ‘liveability’, ‘lovability’ and ‘prosperity’. Within these pillars, a multitude of sub-factors were considered, including weather conditions, nightlife, walkability, education, safety, attractions and economic prosperity.
According to the study, Melbourne had a "lovability" ranking of 37, a liveability ranking of 34 and a prosperity ranking of 53. Regardless of where it ranks on the list, it'll always be number one in our hearts. We suspect our changeable weather might have been a factor in pulling us down a few spots.
The report did praise Melbourne for our impressive food scene, quality coffee culture and artistic flair, noting creative landmarks like our graffitied laneways (most famously Hosier Lane) as well as the colourful Brighton Beach Boxes. Our adorable St Kilda penguins got a special mention too, as they should. Our 21 wine regions also got us brownie points, like the beloved Yarra Valley, Mornington Peninsula and the Grampians.
You'll be pleased to know that Melbourne ranked above Sydney on the best cities list, as it came in at number 35. Brisbane also made the top 100, ranking a commendable number 57.
You can see the top ten best cities in the world below or check out the full list here:
- London, UK
- Paris, France
- New York City, US
- Tokyo, Japan
- Singapore
- Dubai, United Arab Emirates
- San Francisco, US
- Barcelona, Spain,
- Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Seoul, South Korea