We wholeheartedly believe that Melbourne is one of the best cities in the world – but we'll acknowledge that there's no doubt we're biased. That's why it's always wonderful when it turns out that other people feel the same way about this city as we do.
Earlier this year, Time Out surveyed thousands of readers to determine its global list of the world’s best cities and our city was crowned as the fourth best worldwide – so there's plenty of people who are on our wavelength about Melbourne being top-notch. Now, we’ve got a new title to share – consultancy firm Resonance has released its annual list of the best cities in the Asia Pacific region, and Melbourne has ranked in the top ten.
Resonance's rankings of Asia Pacific's best cities assess more than 140 metropolitan areas, which qualify by having a population of more than one million people. To determine which cities should rank among the best, the team at Resonance analyse a number of factors – from air quality to prosperity – as well as recommendations by locals and visitors. They then use their findings to rate the "liveability" and "loveability" of a city, to order their final rankings.
Melbourne ranked in ninth place overall, scoring shout-outs for its impressive sights and landmarks, including the graffiti-splattered Hosier Lane and colourful Brighton Bathing Boxes. The Victorian capital’s easy access to 21 world-class wine regions, like the Yarra Valley and the Mornington Peninsula, and major sporting events, like the Australian Open, also boosted its ninth-place ranking on the ‘lovability’ index. And of course, our world-class food, coffee and arts and culture scenes were all praised too. Plus, the future infrastructure additions like the Metro Tunnel and Melbourne Airport expansion were also flagged as a positive contributing factor to our city's liveability.
Australia’s four other most populated capital cities also made the top 30, with Sydney ranking seventh, Brisbane 19th, Perth 20th and Adelaide 26th. You can check out Resonance’s full list of the best cities in the Asia Pacific region here.
The 10 best cities in Asia Pacific for 2025 are:
- Singapore
- Tokyo
- Seoul
- Hong Kong
- Beijing
- Bangkok
- Sydney
- Shanghai
- Melbourne
- Kuala Lumpur
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