Gen Zs now make up at least a quarter of Asia's population. Born between 1996 and 2012, these youth are now shaping trends in music, fashion, food, art – you name it.
At Time Out, we wanted to understand how Gen Zs are experiencing their cities. What do they love about its culture and nightlife? Do they find their cities affordable? Where are they going for a good time?
To suss out their opinions, we turned to our annual survey of over 18,500 locals and filtered for responses from those under 30 – producing a definitive list of the world's best cities for Gen Z to live in, according to the youth themselves.
And guess what? Five Asian cities made it to the global top 20, with Bangkok, Thailand flying high at No. 1 worldwide. A whopping 84 percent of Gen Z say they're happy living in the Thai capital, perhaps thanks to great affordability (71 percent say it's budget-friendly to live there) and community (Gen Z's here are most likely to say it's easy to make friends in their city). We'll throw in fantastic food and a thriving art and culture scene – this is the place we'd want to be in our 20s and 30s, too. Find out more about why Bangkok came out tops here.
Slotting in at No. 10 worldwide is Shanghai, China. Gen Z here are just as happy as their counterparts in Bangkok, with 84 percent saying they're happy living in the global financial hub. All the modern frills aside (Shanghai is known for being ridiculously convenient to live in – think digital payments and 24-hour availability of all sorts of goods and services), 96 percent of youngsters here gave Shanghai's public transport top marks.
Other Asian cities that made it to the top 20 list are Beijing (No. 12), Tokyo (No. 14), and Chiang Mai (No.18). If you're Gen Z, which of these cities are you packing your bags for?
The world's best cities for Gen Z to live in, according to Gen Z:
- Bangkok, Thailand
- Melbourne, Australia
- Cape Town, South Africa
- New York City, United States
- Copenhagen, Denmark
- Barcelona, Spain
- Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- Mexico City, Mexico
- London, United Kingdom
- Shanghai, China
- Sydney, Australia
- Beijing, China
- Paris, France
- Tokyo, Japan
- Berlin, Germany
- Seville, Spain
- Chicago, United States
- Chiang Mai, Thailand
- Prague, Czech Republic
- Lisbon, Portugal
Have you heard? Pharrell Williams and Nigo to open massive lifestyle hub in Tokyo inspired by Napa Valley
Plus: This bookstore in China with 'infinite' shelves is one of the world's 10 most beautiful in 2025
Stay in the loop: sign up for our free Time Out Asia newsletter for the best travel inspiration straight to your inbox.