Vienna Wins Best Cities to Live In 2023: Monocle
Still down in seventh place in 2022, the latest edition of the city rankings published by Monocle saw Vienna leap to the top of the table as the best city to live in worldwide. Vienna displaced Copenhagen, last year’s winning city, at the top of the rankings. Copenhagen and Munich occupy second and third place in 2023. For the first time no North American city has made the Top 20.
Monocle crowns Vienna as the world’s most liveable city in 2023
This year´s special focus was put on security as well as trust in the police. Vienna´s crime rate is at its lowest in 20 years. The impacts of inflation on life in the city, annual increases in rent and child poverty rates were other relevant criteria for the rating.
Why is Vienna so liveable?
Vienna’s imperial architecture is the city’s most recognizable asset, yet the natural surroundings – in the form of hills, lakes and rivers – are even more impressive and can be found within the city limits. The Old Danube lake, the Danube Island and public bathing spots truly enrich the city and boost its liveability, and not just for local residents.
Vienna celebrates and embraces its history: 2023 marks the 150th anniversary of the 1873 Vienna World’s Fair, the event that turned the city into a global metropolis. Cultures, works of art and crafts from distant countries were valued even back then – artists such as Gustav Klimt were keen to incorporate this flood of inspiration into their own works.
The impacts of Red Vienna’s public housing policies continue to shape the city’s skyline to this day and continue to influence the city’s development. The low crimerate and diligent management of public spaces are also to Vienna’s credit.
Quality of life that stands the test of time
The Viennese quality of life is well known: the superb infrastructure, the safe environment and the outstanding healthcare provision make Vienna an ideal place to live. This has been confirmed by Vienna’s first place position in the Global Liveability Index ranking published by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) in 2022.
Residents and visitors alike value the city's excellent and affordable public transport network, which makes it easy to get around the city. Vienna puts a lot of effort into not just maintaining the transport network, but also into improving it on an ongoing basis: construction of the new U5 underground (U-Bahn) line is in full flow, while new X-Wagen underground trains and ÖBB Nightjet sleeper train services are all elements of Vienna’s outstanding transport system.
That said, Vienna is not just a functional city, but one that is renowned for its art and culture. Most associate Vienna with its breathtaking cultural diversity, an essential part of which is its multitude of museums and exhibitions.
To the the article from Monocle
Vienna is at the top of many international rankings:
- 2023: 1st place as the most liveable city in Monocle’s Quality of Life Survey 2023
- 2023: 1st place as the most liveable city in the Global Liveability Index published by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU)
- 2022: 1st place in the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA) ranking
- 2019: 1st place in the Smart City Strategy Index published by the international consultancy firm Roland Berger
- 2019: 1st place as the most liveable city in the Quality of Living study conducted by Mercer
- 2018: Best International Destination 2017 in the ranking compiled by the largest LGBT travel platform GayTravel.com
