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8 best cities on this side of the world to live

By Maria Santos
2 min read
bangkok
bangkok
In this article (5)

Time Out’s City Life Index, a survey of 15,000 people in 32 global cities, has been released, and it shows which ones promise the most fun and excitement in 2018. Eight of them are on this side of the world.

The survey, conducted by Tapestry Research, questioned residents on a variety of aspects of city life.

It ranked cities in categories across food, drink, culture, friendliness, affordability, happiness, and liveability.

It also “found the key factors that make residents find their city exciting,” from dining out often to feeling proud of where they are from.

Here, their ranking in ascending order along with their overall scores:

31. Singapore (98.7) — Those from Singapore may not rate its culture scene highly, but they do value the city’s safety and are perfectly comfortable walking around at night.

28. Sydney (106.1) — While they may think the city is lacking in things to do and good restaurants, Sydney residents live a healthy life, with 66% having exercised in the past week and 38% never having taken drugs. They know how to party, though, and are the world’s No. 1 vodka drinkers.

26. Hong Kong (109.6) — Seventy-five percent of residents said the public transport in Hong Kong was great, contributing to the city’s overall score. They’re also among the biggest restaurant-goers in the world.

24. Bangkok (111.0) — The survey revealed Bangkok as the world’s street-food capital, with more people eating on their feet than anywhere else — 42 times a year, on average. They’re also the biggest restaurant-goers, with 94% of respondents having visited a restaurant in the past week.

22. Beijing (113.0) — The city may be exciting, but the commute is long, with 6% of Beijing residents even commuting for two to three hours a day.

19. Tokyo (117.7) — Tokyo residents love their food — they visit restaurants more than most other cities on the list.

8 best cities on this side of the world to live
16. Shanghai (119.5) — It may not come cheap, but there’s plenty to do in Shanghai, where residents say that while it is tough to find love, 79% believe it is easy to find a more casual encounter.

4. Melbourne (132.3) — This Australian city came out above all others in terms of happiness, with nine in 10 residents saying they felt happy within the past 24 hours. They also find it easy to make friends and think the food-and-drink scene is one of the city’s best features.

Questions & Answers

Q.

Which cities were rated highest for resident happiness in the survey?

A.

Melbourne came out above all other cities in terms of happiness. Nine in ten residents reported feeling happy within the past 24 hours. The article does not specify happiness rankings for other cities.

Q.

How did residents of Sydney rate the city's offerings, despite their healthy lifestyle?

A.

Sydney residents thought the city was lacking in things to do and good restaurants. However, 66% had exercised in the past week, and 38% had never taken drugs, indicating a healthy lifestyle.

Q.

What did the survey reveal about public transport in Hong Kong and eating habits in Bangkok?

A.

Seventy-five percent of Hong Kong residents said public transport was great. Bangkok was identified as the world's street-food capital, with residents eating on their feet an average of 42 times a year.

Q.

What specific factors contributed to Singapore's overall score despite low culture ratings?

A.

Singapore residents did not rate its culture scene highly. However, they valued the city's safety and felt perfectly comfortable walking around at night, contributing positively to its score.

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