Melbourne has been named one of the top 10 cities in the world to raise a family

Deciding which city to call home is challenging enough when you’re flying solo. Add kids into the mix, and that decision is suddenly a whole lot tougher. Do you prioritise convenience and the cultural buzz of city life, or trade it for a big backyard and a slower pace of life in the suburbs?

If you’re sticking to the city, a new global report from Compare the Market has revealed the top places in the world to raise a family – and Melbourne ranked as the seventh-best city in the world.

To compile the ranking, the researchers analysed 50 major global cities across nine metrics, including safety, happiness, the cost of living for a family of four, parental leave policies, green spaces per capita and the number of child-friendly activities.

According to the research, Melbourne is home to 166 things to do with kids, with 2.3 green spaces per capita, a high happiness score (6.974 – on par with Perth and Sydney) and a safety score of 80. The research also found that the monthly cost of living in Melbourne was lower than that of our friends in Sydney, sitting at $4,058 USD per month (~ $5,715 AUD).

After indexing the scores, Brisbane came out on top as the best city in the entire world to raise a family. The sunny Queensland capital recorded the highest number of green spaces per capita, boasting 84.89 parks and playgrounds per 100,000 people. Standout spots like the riverfront South Bank Parklands, the subtropical Roma Street Parklands and the city’s two Botanic Gardens all sit within or on the edge of the CBD, making outdoor playtime super convenient for those with young ones.

That’s only the start of the fun for families in Brisbane CBD, with free water play areas such as Streets Beach in South Bank and attractions like Bluey’s World at Northshore Pavilion adding to the appeal. Brissy also had the second-highest safety score (90), behind Helsinki (95), which ranked fourth overall.

Sydney was Australia’s second-highest ranked capital, landing fifth globally as the best city to raise a family. Like Brisbane, it excelled across most categories, though the cost of living for a family of four was notably higher – $4,162 USD (~ $5,880 AUD) per month compared to Brisbane’s $3,390 USD  (~ $4,790 AUD). On the bright side, Sydney blew Brisbane out of the water when it came to kids’ activities, offering 246 options compared with Brisbane’s 107.

Australian cities dominated the global top ten, with Perth just behind in sixth. 

Overall, Aussie cities had strong safety scores, high child vaccination rates and generous statutory parental leave – a combined 54 weeks – tied for the highest among countries included in the index. Australians also ranked sixth for overall happiness, and the cost of living here is lower than in most North American and European cities.

On the flip side, Australia spends comparatively less on family benefits or education as a percentage of GDP.

You can view the full list of the world’s top 50 places to raise a family here.

The world’s 10 best cities to raise a family:

1. Brisbane, Australia
2. London, UK
3. Auckland, New Zealand
4. Helsinki, Finland
5. Sydney, Australia
6. Perth, Australia
7. Melbourne, Australia
8. Stockholm, Sweden
9. Berlin, Germany
10. Seoul, South Korea

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