Aussies are known for being a pretty friendly bunch. Here, backyard barbies with neighbours are a weekend ritual, strangers quickly become 'mates' and the local pub is a spot to mingle with just about anyone. While big cities don’t always have the friendliest reputation, some places go the extra mile to make newcomers and locals feel welcome – and it turns out Brisbane is one of those spots.
As part of Time Out’s annual best cities survey, we asked locals around the world whether they’d describe their hometown as ‘welcoming and friendly’. More than 18,500 city residents shared their thoughts, helping us compile a list of the top 20 friendliest cities on Earth.
Interestingly, Brisbane was the only Australian city to make it into the global top 20, with more than half of locals (54 per cent) describing their neighbours as welcoming and friendly. It’s not the first time the Queensland capital has been named the happiest city in Australia, ranking first in the Happy City Index in 2024 and 21st out of 250 locations worldwide.
Melbourne just missed out on a spot in the top 20, landing 23rd, with 49 per cent of residents rating their neighbours as friendly. Meanwhile, Perth came 33rd, with 39 per cent of locals agreeing that their city is a welcoming place. That’s still a long way behind Porto, Portugal, where 85 per cent of residents said their city is friendly – earning it the title of world’s friendliest city for 2025. You can check out the full top 20 below.
The friendliest cities in the world in 2025, according to locals
- Porto, Portugal
- Bilbao, Spain
- Medellin, Colombia
- Cape Town, South Africa
- Lagos, Nigeria
- Brighton, UK
- Madrid, Spain
- Lisbon, Portugal
- Chicago, USA
- Belfast, UK
- Hanoi, Vietnam
- New Orleans, USA
- Valencia, Spain
- Glasgow, UK
- Abu Dhabi, UAE
- Chiang Mai, Thailand
- Montreal, Canada
- Seville, Spain
- Brisbane, Australia
- Dubai, UAE