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What actually makes a city worth staying in for Gen Z when you're young, skint and trying to build a life somewhere? Maybe decent public transport, easy ways to make friends, or landlords who don't ask for your firstborn child as a deposit come to mind.
In Time Out's annual survey, we quizzed thousands of urbanites on what they love about their city, then narrowed the results down specifically to under-30 respondents to create our ranking of Time Out’s Best Cities for Gen Z with Intrepid Travel. And while the global results took us from Tokyo to Melbourne, it’s Europe that is truly anchoring the youth boom, claiming half of the top 20 spots. From the community vibes of Porto to the underground vaults of Edinburgh, these are the European cities where Gen Z is actually finding the good life.
Porto named the best city in Europe for Gen Z
Leading the continent's charge is Porto, which came second globally overall. A flawless 100 percent of Gen Z locals rated Portugal’s second city for community feel, and 93 percent said it’s affordable, particularly for eating out, drinks and culture. Every single respondent we spoke to also described the city as ‘beautiful’, which never hurts.
Edinburgh wasn't far behind in fourth place overall, prized for its underground nightlife scene in the Cowgate’s medieval vaults, with 90 percent of under-30s saying they're happier there than anywhere else they've lived. Copenhagen rounded out Europe’s podium, its cycling and walking culture winning over 83 percent of respondents, and 78 percent saying the city makes them happier than anywhere else they've called home.
Europe's best cities for Gen Z, ranked
- Porto, Portugal
- Edinburgh, Scotland
- Copenhagen, Denmark
- Berlin, Germany
- Valencia, Spain
- Naples, Italy
- Kraków, Poland
- Paris, France
- Athens, Greece
- Vienna, Austria
Curious how the rest of the world stacked up? Here’s the full global ranking of the best cities for Gen Z in 2026, topped by Tokyo.
Did you see that Europe’s best national park has been named for 2026?
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