The world’s happiest cities listed, and guess where Cape Town ranks?

The Mother City is on a winning streak. Earlier this week, Time Out editors voted two of the city’s queer venues among the best in the world.

Now we’ve got something else to be happy about. Literally. 

According to Time Out’s latest survey of more than 24,000 residents across 150 cities, locals around the world rated how happy they are with where they live.  

While the UK’s historic city of Bath claimed the top spot, the results reveal that happiness isn’t about perfect weather or booming economies. It’s built into community, culture, access to nature and having a city that people genuinely enjoy calling home. 

Drum roll!

For Cape Town, that’s encouraging news. And that’s why the Mother City made it to spot No.8 on the 20 happiest cities in the world in 2026.

Cape Town’s growing cafe culture, thriving creative industries and year-round calendar of markets, festivals and outdoor events help create a strong sense of connection. 

Whether it’s browsing local crafts at Oranjezicht City Farm Market or joining a community trail run, there are countless opportunities to interact with the city beyond simply living in it.

Green spaces also play a major role. Research consistently shows that spending time in nature improves both physical and mental wellbeing, and Cape Town arguably has one of the world’s greatest natural playgrounds right on its doorstep. 

Table Mountain National Park, Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden and our extensive coastline make escaping the daily grind surprisingly easy.

Not all sunshine and roses

Of course, no city is perfect.

Like many major urban centres, Cape Town continues to grapple with challenges including affordability, inequality and public safety. 

These realities influence daily life for many residents and remain critical issues that require ongoing attention. Recognising the city’s strengths doesn’t mean ignoring the work still to be done.

How Cape Town landed on the list

To rank the world’s happiest cities in 2026, Time Out Global asked locals to respond to the following statements: 

• My city makes me happy
• I feel happier in my city than in other places I’ve lived or visited
• The people in my city seem positive
• I find joy in the everyday experiences my city offers
• The sense of happiness in my city has grown a lot recently

They then crunched the data to find out which cities received the highest percentage of positive responses. 

The 20 happiest cities in the world in 2026

1. Bath, United Kingdom
2. Panama City, Panama
3. Guadalajara, Mexico
4. Medellín, Colombia
5. Krakow, Poland
6. Jaipur, India
7. Chicago, United States
8. Cape Town, South Africa
9. Shanghai, China
10. Gothenburg, Sweden
11. Montreal, Canada
12. São Paulo, Brazil
13. Valencia, Spain
14. Prague, Czech Republic
15. Melbourne, Australia
16. Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
17. Hamburg, Germany
18. Porto, Portugal
19. Amsterdam, Netherlands
20. Chiang Mai, Thailand

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