Where should you live? A data-driven way to decide

CityLivably Editorial Team · Built on World Bank, WorldClim, USGS and FEMA/INFORM open data · Updated 2026

Gut feeling is a bad way to pick a city. Here's a framework that weighs the three things that actually shape daily life: cost, climate and safety.

The best place to live is the one that balances cost of living, climate comfort and natural-disaster safety for your priorities. CityLivably scores every city 0–100 on all three from open data, so you can filter instead of guess.

Top all-round cities

Ðà Lạt, Vietnam — livability 78/100
Zugdidi, Georgia — livability 78/100
La Plata, Argentina — livability 78/100
Sokhumi, Georgia — livability 77/100
Buenos Aires, Argentina — livability 77/100
Paraná, Argentina — livability 77/100
Neuquén, Argentina — livability 77/100
Pedro Juan Caballero, Paraguay — livability 77/100
Herceg Novi, Montenegro — livability 77/100
Cetinje, Montenegro — livability 77/100
Tivat, Montenegro — livability 77/100
Porto, Portugal — livability 76/100
Bandung, Indonesia — livability 76/100
Córdoba, Argentina — livability 76/100
Santa Fe, Argentina — livability 76/100
San Luis, Argentina — livability 76/100
Varna, Bulgaria — livability 76/100
Burgas, Bulgaria — livability 76/100
Sliven, Bulgaria — livability 76/100
Agadir, Morocco — livability 76/100
Guelmim, Morocco — livability 76/100
Beau Bassin-Rose Hill, Mauritius — livability 76/100
Centre de Flacq, Mauritius — livability 76/100
Quatre Bornes, Mauritius — livability 76/100

The three pillars that matter

Most 'best places to live' lists are opinion. We use measurable data: cost (World Bank price levels), climate (real WorldClim records) and safety (USGS earthquakes + FEMA/INFORM hazard + homicide rates). Combine them and the picture changes fast — cheap cities are often riskier; safe, mild cities are often pricey.

How to use it

Decide your non-negotiables (budget ceiling, climate you tolerate, disaster risk you'll accept), then filter the city sorter. Compare finalists head-to-head, and read each city's full profile before deciding.

Why these numbers are trustworthy

Every figure on this page is reproducible from open, citable sources rather than crowd-sourced guesses: cost from the World Bank price level (PPP ÷ exchange rate), climate from WorldClim v2.1 temperature normals, earthquakes from real USGS event history, and flood, storm, wildfire, heat, drought, cold and tsunami exposure modelled from each city's geography. We score 1,103 cities across 68 countries on the same 0–100 scales, so comparisons are like-for-like. The numbers are planning indicators, not promises — verify rent, visas, healthcare and tax for your own situation before you move, and treat the modelled hazard tiers as a relative guide between cities rather than an absolute forecast.