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Osaka’s charm isn’t just anecdotal. It’s measurable, and this year’s global rankings prove it. The city was named one of the world’s best cities for food just a few weeks ago, and has now held onto seventh place in the Economist Intelligence Unit’s Global Liveability Index for the second year running.
The annual index scores 173 cities across five categories: stability, healthcare, culture and environment, education, and infrastructure.
Osaka posted near-perfect marks across the board this year, with 100 for healthcare, 100 for stability and 100 for education, alongside a 96 for infrastructure and 87 for culture and environment.
That strong infrastructure score was a key factor again in 2026, reflecting the city’s convenient rail and subway network and its position as a hub for the wider Kansai region, with fast, easy connections out to Kyoto, Kobe, Nara and beyond.
It makes Osaka the highest-ranked city in all of Asia this year, edging out Tokyo, which climbed three places to round out the top 10. The two cities came in roughly on par for culture and environment, with infrastructure and housing making the difference for Osaka.
Last year, Osaka was the only Asian city in the global top ten, tied for seventh with Auckland. This year marks a shift, with Tokyo now joining it in the top bracket, giving Japan two cities on the list of the most liveable places in the world.
Here are the 10 most liveable cities in the world for 2026:
- Copenhagen, Denmark
- Vienna, Austria
- Melbourne, Australia
- Sydney, Australia
- Zurich, Switzerland
- Geneva, Switzerland
- Osaka, Japan
- Adelaide, Australia
- Vancouver, Canada
- Tokyo, Japan
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