The 9 European cities named among the best in the world for Gen Z to live in

Are you under 30 and with a serious case of European wanderlust? Well, Time Out surveyed 18,500 locals from across the world and consulted a panel of experts to find out which cities are the best of the best based on food, culture, green spaces, walkability and nightlife.

But not every generation thinks the same, so we took those answers and sorted them by age to find out which cities are the most popular cities among their Gen-Z inhabitants. Bangkok claimed the worldwide crown, but our top 20 was dominated by hubs from all over Europe, with Copenhagen claiming first place.

One of the happiest places on earth, according to the 2025 Happy City Index, Copenhagen received consistent high praise for safety, stability, education, public transport, health care and all around quality of life. No wonder 64 percent of Gen-Zers living there approve. 

Recommended: These are the best cities in the world for nightlife, according to Time Out. 

There’s loads to do, after all. It’s Denmark’s cultural hub with a plethora of museums, markets, castles and palaces housed in Renaissance, Baroque and Neoclassical architecture. There are also large parks like the King’s Garden or Dyrehaven, a forest that’s home to thousands of deer; a delicious food scene of seasonal Nordic cuisine (smørrebrød, anyone?), and a great bar scene, too. 

Second place is awarded to the Spain’s second city, Barcelona. Who can resist the trippy Gaudi structures, hot, succulent tapas and overflowing sangria? Certainly not the 77 percent of Gen-Zers who rated the city in our survey. Barcelona is also one of the most diverse and inclusive places to live – the perfect foundation for twenty-somethings.  

Edinburgh, the Scottish capital, rings in third place. The historic capital won 95 percent of Gen-Z residents over with its fantastic green spaces and natural landscapes, as well as its walkability, which received an 89 percent approval rate. No surprise really, given it featured in out recent top-10 roundups of the best cities for walkability and green space, eh?

Fancy a look at the rest of our list? Scroll on. 

Here are the top European cities for Gen-Z to live, according to Time Out

1. Copenhagen, Denmark 
2. Barcelona, Spain
3. Edinburgh, Scotland
4. London, UK 
5. Paris, France 
6. Berlin, Germany
7. Seville, Spain
8. Prague, Czech Republic
9. Lisbon, Portugal

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