Earlier this year, four Australian capitals earned spots on Time Out’s World’s 50 Best Cities for 2025. While our 2026 ranking isn’t out yet, we’re happy to take Resonance Consulting’s World’s Best Cities list – regarded as “the most comprehensive study of its kind” – as gospel for now. Four Aussie cities feature in the top 100 for 2026, with Perth and Brisbane experiencing particularly big jumps over the past year.
To rank the World’s Best Cities for 2026, Resonance analysed data from more than 400 cities across three key themes: livability, lovability and prosperity. London hung onto its crown as the world’s best city for yet another year, while Sydney held its title as Australia’s highest-ranked city, coming 11th globally.
The NSW capital may have slipped out of the top ten, but 11th place is still an impressive achievement. The report credits Sydney’s 24-Hour Economy strategy, looser alfresco dining rules, new entertainment precincts and handy metro connections as key factors behind its high placement. Not to mention, it's just a bloody beautiful place!
Melbourne was Australia’s second-highest-ranked city, climbing from 25th in 2025 to 21st in 2026. Like Sydney, new metro stations helped lift the Victorian capital, along with its world-class universities. Melbourne’s sizzling arts and events scene also earned praise, including sporting spectacles like the Australian Open and Formula 1 Grand Prix. It really does have it all!
In exciting news for Australia’s often-overlooked capitals, Perth and Brisbane saw the biggest jumps in the rankings. Perth led the way, moving 15 spots from 83rd in 2025 to 68th in 2026. The report called out Perth Cultural Centre’s $55-million renewal – bringing new theatres, Indigenous cultural spaces and landscaped plazas – along with the city's $5 billion airport expansion as key factors behind its significant rise.
Meanwhile, Brisbane got bumped from 90th to 79th in 2026. Australia’s third-largest city boasted the second-best air quality and fourth-best weather, with new developments that encourage locals and visitors to enjoy the great outdoors. Highlights include the newly-opened $3.6-billion Queen’s Wharf precinct and South Bank’s upcoming 1,500-seat Glasshouse Theatre, set to open next year. We predict Brisbane will climb even higher in the coming years, with future airport upgrades, rail links and shiny hotels all under construction for the 2032 Olympic Games.
You can read Resonance Consulting’s full World’s Best Cities report over here.
How Australia ranked in the World’s Best Cities 2026
11. Sydney
21. Melbourne
68. Perth
79. Brisbane