Tokyo named Time Out’s Best City for Gen Z in 2026

• Time Out’s Best Cities for Gen Z with Intrepid Travel reveals the world’s leading cities for people under 30, based on the views of Gen Z residents themselves
• Tokyo claims the top spot thanks to exceptional scores for happiness, nightlife, walkability, transport and access to culture, with 100% of Gen Z respondents saying they find joy in everyday experiences
• Porto ranks second for its affordability and exceptional community feel, while Melbourne takes third place for its restaurants, culture and neighbourhoods
• Edinburgh is the highest-ranked UK city, placing fourth for happiness, quality of life and its distinctive nightlife and cultural scene
• Shanghai completes the top five, standing out for sociability, affordability and the ease of meeting new people

Tokyo has been named the world’s best city for Gen Z in Time Out’s Best Cities for Gen Z 2026.

Created with Intrepid Travel, the ranking reflects the views of thousands of people under the age of 30 living in cities around the world. It explores the factors that make a city genuinely enjoyable and liveable for Gen Z, from happiness, affordability and community to nightlife, culture, walkability, green space and the ease of meeting new people.

Tokyo takes the top spot thanks to strong scores across many of the factors young residents value most. Every Gen Z respondent surveyed in the Japanese capital said they find joy in everyday experiences, while 89% rated its nightlife positively. Its extensive public transport system, walkability, cultural offering and almost endless range of things to do also make Tokyo an especially appealing place for under-30s.

Porto ranks second, with 100% of Gen Z respondents rating its sense of community positively and 93% describing the Portuguese city as affordable. Melbourne comes third, receiving unanimous approval for the quality of its restaurants and dining-out scene, alongside a 97% positive rating for culture.

Edinburgh takes fourth place, making it the UK’s highest-ranked city. Nine in ten young residents surveyed said they are happier living in Edinburgh than anywhere else they have lived, while Shanghai completes the top five after scoring highly for socialising, affordability and happiness.

Time Out’s Best Cities for Gen Z reveals that, while nightlife and culture remain central to young people’s experience of city life, they are only part of the picture. Gen Z residents also value factors like a sense of community and sociable spaces, affordable access to culture, and the ability to find joy in the day-to-day.

1. Tokyo, Japan

Tokyo knows what it's doing when it comes to possessing the qualities that make it attractive to Gen Z. From pub tran and walkability to easy access and extraordinary variety of ways to spend both days and nights, it's got plenty of bases covered.

The city’s “Welcome Youth” programme grants people aged 18 and under free access to some of the most exciting selected exhibitions each spring, while along with world-class bars and clubs, evenings can be filled with anything from karaoke and bathhouse visits to games at indoor sports centres.

Tokyo secured first place after receiving standout scores for happiness. Each Gen Z respondent surveyed said they find joy in everyday experiences, while 89% rated the quality of the city’s nightlife positively. However, only 33% considered that nightlife affordable.

2. Porto, Portugal

Porto not only combines a historic and highly walkable city centre with access to the river, but also to the sea and beaches, scenic gardens and a wide range of affordable , as well as an outstanding sense of community.

The Soares dos Reis National Museum offers free entry on Sundays to Citizen Card holders, while venues such as the Portuguese Centre of Photography are free to visit every day.

The city performed particularly strongly for community and affordability. Every Gen Z respondent rated Porto’s sense of community positively, while 93% described the city as affordable, including for eating out, going for drinks and accessing art and culture. Every young resident surveyed also described Porto as beautiful.

3. Melbourne, Australia

Melbourne's culture scene offers a diverse array of independent theatre, live music, comedy and even improv on most evenings of the week. Opportunities for young creatives are also growing, supported by a recently announced AUD$1 million initiative intended to help local artists develop original stage productions.

Although Melbourne is not considered affordable, its under-30s can still find budget-friendly cheap-eats and access to cultural spaces.

Every Gen Z respondent surveyed rated Melbourne’s restaurants and dining-out scene positively, while 97% praised its culture and 94% had positive things to say about their local neighbourhood.

4. Edinburgh, United Kingdom

Edinburgh combines green space, walkability, restaurants and a world-class cultural programme with a distinctive nightlife scene.

The Cowgate is home to underground clubs and live music venues set inside medieval vaulted arches, while venues across Leith and the New Town offer everything from independent gigs to larger, glossier club nights. During the Edinburgh International Festival, discounted tickets also help make the city’s cultural programme more accessible to under-30s audiences.

Among the Gen Z residents surveyed, 90% said they were happier living in Edinburgh than anywhere else they had lived, while 94% felt that people in the city seemed positive. Quality of life and wellbeing were rated positively by 84%, and Edinburgh was the safest city in the top 20, with 55% describing it as safe.

5. Shanghai, China

Shanghai stands out as a sociable and comparatively affordable city where young people can access nightlife, culture and a growing range of third spaces.

Recent initiatives have focused on making the city more welcoming to younger residents, including plans to expand affordable rental housing near public transport and places where young people work. New venues and spaces are facilitating more face-to-face interaction, like sociable craft beer bars or phone-free events.

Of the under-30s surveyed, 76% said it was easy to meet new people and make friends, while 63% described Shanghai as welcoming. A further 83% said happiness in the city had increased recently, and every respondent said Shanghai made them happy. All those surveyed also considered going to the cinema and going out for coffee affordable.

6. New York City, United States

Despite the city's high cost of living, New York's lively energy, walkability and abundance of cultural spaces means it continues to be a magnet for young people.

Free and affordable events, public art, neighbourhood culture and the city’s seemingly endless stream of new openings give Gen Z residents plenty of ways to experience New York without relying solely on expensive attractions and the local government is helping facilitate this throughout 2026.

The city scored especially strongly for walkability, with 98% of Gen Z respondents describing it as easy to navigate on foot. A further 95% rated its culture positively and 88% called it lively. Although affordability remains a challenge, 93% said going out to experience art was accessible.

7. Copenhagen, Denmark

Copenhagen’s cycling culture, green spaces and outdoor lifestyle contribute to its strong quality of life.

During the warmer months, residents gather in parks, at beaches and around the city’s popular swimming spots, while schemes such as K7 give people aged 18 to 27 free access to participating cultural venues. Festivals like Distortion include street parties which are free to enter across some of the city's trendiest neighbourhoods

Among the young residents surveyed, 83% praised the ease of walking and cycling in Copenhagen, while 65% rated its public transport positively. More than three-quarters said living in the city made them happy and brought them more joy than anywhere else they had lived.

8. Berlin, Germany

Berlin remains a city where young people can find communities built around highly specific interests, identities and creative pursuits.

As living costs rise, young people are becoming more selective with how and where they spend their time. Popular events include everything, from small cultural events and specialist classes to flea markets, book clubs and informal evenings outside the city’s late-night convenience stores.

Berlin earned positive ratings of 65% for its restaurants, green space, ease of meeting people, wellbeing and nightlife. Its art scene was considered more affordable than its nightlife, with 72% rating access to art as budget-friendly compared with 57% for nights out.

9. Valencia, Spain

Valencia, along with combining reasonably-priced nightlife, easy access to culture (like with free museum entry) and good, affordable public transport, has a flourishing social scene based around being active.

Free outdoor meet-ups, running groups, hiking clubs and sea swims are helping young residents make friends while making the most of the city’s extensive green space, Mediterranean coastline and approximately 300 days of sunshine each year.

A total of 93% of Gen Z respondents said living in Valencia made them happy, while 86% praised its sense of community. The same proportion said their happiness had improved recently, although 64% felt it was easy to make new friends.

10. Bangkok, Thailand

Bangkok is a magnet for young creative minds, firstly because the affordable housing means establishing yourself is relatively easy. It also brags an appealing and varied offering of restaurants and nightclubs. 

However, while the city is known for its late-night culture, its Gen Z residents are just as likely to join run clubs, yoga classes and wellness activities. Districts such as Song Wat are also giving a new generation of creative independent businesses space to grow.

Bangkok received an 87% positive rating for its restaurants and 78% for nightlife. Most significantly, 96% of Gen Z respondents said the city made them happy and that they were happier there than anywhere else they had previously lived.

On the Best Cities for Gen Z list, Liv Kelly, Travel Writer at Time Out, says: 

“Time Out’s Best Cities for Gen Z with Intrepid Travel looks beyond the assumptions made about what young people like in a city, and instead, asks them directly. Our survey, which relies on insight from thousands of under-30s, finds that along with an enticing nightlife and cheap drinks, Gen Z cares about what goes on in their local neighbourhoods, having easy access to their city’s best cultural institutions, and finding good places to make friends.

From Tokyo’s alternative nightlife options and the sense of community in Porto to the beauty and walkability of Edinburgh and the cool new third spaces cropping up in Shanghai, each city on this list offers its young residents something cool, distinctive and accessible.”

This year’s list is supported by global adventure travel company Intrepid Travel. Erica Kritikides, General Manager of Experiences at Intrepid Travel, said: 

"Rather than simply ticking destinations off a list, Gen Z are looking for deeper experiences, genuine local connections and opportunities to travel in a way that has a positive impact.

At Intrepid, we’re seeing strong growth in demand for our 18 to 35s range, with bookings currently up 14% into 2027 as more young people seek experiences that feel authentic and adventurous." 

The full Best Cities for Gen Z list can be found at 

https://www.timeout.com/travel/best-cities-for-gen-z-2026 

ENDS

For more information or interviews, please contact bestcities@timeout.com

Notes to Editors

Time Out’s annual list of the Best Cities for Gen Z reflects what locals under 30 years old as well as Time Out experts consider the most vibrant and exciting cities. 

Travellers should always check their own government’s official travel guidance and follow local rules and restrictions before planning a trip, and follow all local rules and restrictions.

Methodology

To rank Time Out’s Best Cities for Food with Intrepid Travel, Time Out surveyed 4,000 local residents between the age of 18 and 29, across 150 cities worldwide, alongside input from 100+ Time Out editors and cultural experts.

The final ranking combined 70% local sentiment and 30% expert evaluation. Cities were assessed using Gen Z residents’ responses across factors including:

• Overall happiness and joy in everyday experiences
• Quality and affordability of restaurants, nightlife, culture and entertainment
• Walkability, public transport and ease of getting around
• Access to green space and nature
• Wellbeing and quality of life
• Sense of community
• Ease of meeting new people and making friends
• How welcoming, lively, relaxing, beautiful and safe the city feels

To ensure broad international representation, only the highest-scoring city in each country was included in the final ranking.

The world’s 20 best cities for Gen Z in 2026

1. Tokyo, Japan

2. Porto, Portugal

3. Melbourne, Australia

4. Edinburgh, United Kingdom

5. Shanghai, China

6. New York City, United States

7. Copenhagen, Denmark

8. Berlin, Germany

9. Valencia, Spain

10. Bangkok, Thailand

11. Naples, Italy

12. Cape Town, South Africa

13. Kraków, Poland

14. Seoul, South Korea

15. Paris, France

16. Athens, Greece

17. Mexico City, Mexico

18. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

19. Vancouver, Canada

20. Vienna, Austria

The full ranking can be found at 

https://www.timeout.com/travel/best-cities-for-gen-z-2026 

About Time Out Group

Time Out Group is a global brand that inspires and enables people to experience the best of the city. Time Out launched in London in 1968 to help people discover the best of the city - today it is the only global brand dedicated to city life. Expert journalists curate and create content about the best things to Do, See and Eat across over 350 cities in over 50 countries and across a unique multi-platform model spanning both digital and physical channels. Time Out Market is the world's first editorially curated food and cultural market, bringing a city's best chefs, restaurateurs and unique cultural experiences together under one roof. There are currently Markets in 13 cities including Lisbon, New York and Dubai, with several new locations expected to open in 2026 and beyond, in addition to a pipeline of further locations in advanced discussions. Time Out Group PLC, listed on AIM, is headquartered in London (UK).

About Intrepid Travel

Intrepid Travel has been a world leader in responsible travel for more than 35 years. The company’s mission is to create positive change through the joy of travel, which comes to life on more than 900 trips all designed to truly experience local culture. With its own network of country offices in 33 countries, Intrepid has unique local expertise and perspectives. Globally recognised for their commitment to transparency and ethical travel, they became B-Corp certified in 2018, and their not-for-profit, The Intrepid Foundation, has disbursed more than £9.7million to more than 160 partners. In December 2025, Intrepid was named a Which? Recommended Provider for Escorted Tours. 

For more information, download the company’s 2024 Integrated Annual Report and follow Intrepid on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok or LinkedIn.