Quality of Life
Here’s how we compiled our 2026 Quality of Life Survey
Keen to know the questions that we ask Monocle correspondents and the data we used to compile this year’s results? Read on.
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Why Copenhagen’s design culture is central to its high quality of life
Copenhagen consistently ranks highly on Monocle’s annual Quality of Life survey. The listing appears in our out-now July/August issue, in which the Danish capital comes in second place. Key to its success as a liveable city…
Listen up! For cities to thrive, they need to sound as good as they look
Noise pollution in urban environments is on the rise but better acoustic planning could help to silence the issue.
A local’s guide to the best swimming spots in Vienna
It was only my second week in Vienna when a resident took me to swim in the Danube. It was an experience that moved me – quite literally. After relocating to the Austrian capital,…
How Tokyo made it to the top of Monocle’s 2026 Quality of Life Survey
Our Tokyo bureau chief tells us about daily life in the calm, clean and ambitious Japanese capital.
Air-con has become the latest front in a culture war – but more hot air is the last thing our overheating cities need
Europe’s cities are woefully underprepared for rising temperatures. To stay competitive and comfortable in a changing world, they need to make bolder choices.
Cities are like theatres, we the actors. What part do you want to play?
Ask not whether your favourite city placed in Monocle’s Quality of Life Survey, ask what you can do for your city (and friends).
Despite its enormous scale, Tokyo remains a city where good manners thrive
Depending on how you count it, Tokyo is a city of nine million (the central 23 wards), 14 million (Tokyo Metropolis) or 37 million (the Greater Tokyo Area). A densely populated urban area of…
Tyler Brûlé introduces Monocle’s 2026 Quality of Life survey on CNN
View the full city ranking here.
Monocle’s Quality of Life Survey 2026: The 20 most liveable cities in the world
Welcome to Monocle’s 2026 Quality of Life Survey. What started 19 years ago as an antidote to bloodless, data-heavy city rankings has become central to the debate on what it means to live well.
The art of the amble: Exploring the social rituals of evening walks across Spain, Italy and Greece
A languid stroll is an enriching daily ritual in much of southern Europe. In Spain, Italy and Greece, it is an art form. We join the crowds to learn how it’s done.
