The winners of this ranking already receive their share of media attention every year (in 2018, for example, Vienna pushed Melbourne off the top of this list), so journalists at BBC decided to focus on those cities that have been steadily climbing the ranks of the Economist Intelligence Unit's rating over the past decade. They may not yet be in the top ten, but they have already achieved a lot. What caused their progress? What do their residents say about it?
Honolulu, USA
The capital of Hawaii has made a leap up the table over the past 10 years and is now the most livable city in the United States – largely due to its high scores in education and culture. Honolulu residents say the improvements are linked to the growth of the global economy and the introduction of a typically urban lifestyle in Hawaii, which was previously uncommon for them.
“In the end, both the authorities, businesses, and residents themselves recognized that cities need to be developed,” says Todd Apo, senior vice president of community development at real estate company The Howard Hughes Corporation, who has lived in Hawaii his whole life. “When you live on an isolated island, you need to have all the necessary components for a normal life, and what we have now is the result of long-term efforts by many people.”
One initiative in Honolulu was to build communities with large pedestrian zones for walking – such as the Ward Village area, where commercial and residential spaces are mixed. Significant investments have been made in the HART rail system, the first in Honolulu, scheduled to open in 2020. Trains will connect downtown Honolulu with suburbs located 20 miles to the west.
Many foreigners, especially from Japan and other Asian countries, come to live and work here. Honolulu welcomes everyone, regardless of race or tradition.
“We are all in one canoe here, we all want to make life here peaceful and pleasant,” says Simon Treacy, president of the Hawaiian The Howard Hughes Corporation, who recently moved here from New York. “Honolulu has a wonderful culture, a spirit of aloha, all the elements of urban life, community life, the atmosphere here inspires and renews you, it is very healthy.”
Budapest, Hungary
The capital and largest city of Hungary has significantly improved its infrastructure over the past 10 years and achieved a lot in urban renewal, which its residents could not help but notice.
“I have lived in Budapest for eight years, and the huge progress is obvious,” says Viktoria Sziba, founder of the Budapest magazine The Spoiled Queen. “Many bike lanes have appeared, there are more bus and tram routes operating around the clock, many parts of the city have literally been revived – including those that were always considered abandoned.”
Although Hungary has been considered a country of wine and vineyards since the 5th century, it is now experiencing an explosion in popularity of craft beer and street food. New cafes can be seen everywhere. The arrival of foreign companies after Hungary joined the European Union also helped revitalize this sector. New jobs appeared, and many foreigners who do not speak Hungarian moved in.
But all this has brought not only advantages. “Many cheap bars have opened, especially in District VII, and this part of the city is now full of tourists,” notes Sziba. According to her, the influx of tourists and expats has driven up rental prices. “Residents of other countries planning to move to Budapest should first check rental prices in thematic Facebook groups to avoid overpaying just because they are foreigners, which happens often here,” she warns.
Kuwait City, Kuwait
Kuwait City is roughly in the middle of the ranking of the world's most livable cities, but the city continues to steadily climb up this list, thanks to increasing cultural openness and huge improvements in the road system.
Kuwait is squeezed between the Persian Gulf, Saudi Arabia, and Iraq. Kuwait City has always been an important city and port for international trade, and in the last decade, global influence has begun to permeate its daily life.
“I grew up there, and before, there were much stricter rules regarding music, theater, and cinema. Now everything is changing,” says Aqib Usman, founder of multimedia company Midwest Immersive, who now lives in the United States. “Before, pop concerts were unheard of. The first time I went to a concert was not in my homeland, but in India. Now there are a lot of them, which amazes me. Over the last five years, everything has changed.”
Usman links the changes to globalization and internet culture. The internet has also sparked an extraordinary interest in foreign cuisine. “Since alcohol is banned in the country, people go to restaurants for entertainment and want to try dishes from literally everywhere,” he says. “The Cheesecake Factory did not want to open a branch in Kuwait, so one of the Kuwaiti companies invested in opening this franchise in the country.”
Although Kuwait has become more open to Western culture, and the level of financial freedom and life expectancy have reached record highs, there are things that potential expats need to be warned about. For example, only Kuwaitis can own land here. Foreigners planning to do business here need a Kuwaiti partner with at least a 51% share in the business.
However, the absence of sales tax and income tax makes the city and country an excellent place to work and save money, Usman emphasizes.
Auckland, New Zealand
This northern New Zealand city consistently ranks high in the Economist Intelligence Unit's index, and its position has been steadily improving over the past 10 years. "Auckland is culturally rich, and this standing continues to improve," says Christopher Hill, a native of the city and consultant at the family travel agency Hands Up Holidays.
The city is indeed strongly influenced by a variety of cultures—indigenous, Asian, Western, and more recently, South American. This has led to a boom in the restaurant business with cuisines from different countries and regular cultural festivals, including celebrations of the Chinese New Year and Diwali, the major Indian and Hindu festival.
In recent years, Auckland has significantly improved its healthcare and education for residents, although, according to Hill, the quality of private schools and medical facilities remains higher than public ones. However, higher education, he says, is first-class in any case.
There is room for improvement in the city, primarily in infrastructure. "Auckland has sprawled outward, and this was not accompanied by careful planning. But traffic jams have been managed more effectively lately, and the public transport system continues to improve," says Hill.
So residents have to think strategically when choosing where to live. "In areas close to the coast, traffic jams are particularly bad, so you have a choice: either live near the beach or have a quick commute to work," Hill warns. "But you can have the best of both worlds if you settle in Devonport (a trendy area on the north shore of the harbor) and commute to the city center by ferry."
Life in Auckland is not cheap. The city recently ranked fourth in the world in the list of most expensive places to buy a home. Local authorities are taking steps to ban foreigners from buying property here.
Taipei, Taiwan (Republic of China)
Taipei continues to climb the ranks of the most livable cities, with its municipal authorities actively investing in infrastructure development and healthcare. The metro system connects almost every corner of the city, reaching the international airport, from which you can fly to almost any country in the world.
Residents of Taipei speak enthusiastically about healthcare and education. "The healthcare system is amazing—and that's coming from someone who grew up in Canada!" says Shannon Watson, a corporate law consultant who moved here from Ottawa. "As soon as you obtain 'alien resident' status (either through work, study, or becoming a family member of a Taiwanese citizen), you as an expat receive a medical card with exactly the same coverage as locals, including dental care. Treatment is very inexpensive."
There are also plenty of educational opportunities here. Judy Tsuei, who moved here from the US and founded a media consulting company called Wild Hearted Words, found a Montessori school for her daughter where students are also fed and taught Chinese.
Taipei loves children, making Taiwan an ideal place for young families. "On the train, even if the car is packed, people give up their seats as soon as they see a child," Tsuei says.
And although finding a job here requires a certain level of Chinese proficiency, locals are very friendly and always willing to help foreigners, even if they don't speak English well, notes Judy Tsuei.