The top fifty best cities in the world have been revealed – and two of the top ten are in the UK. The much-anticipated rankings calculate each city’s scores based on the opinions of locals, combined with analysis by its expert travel writers. 

Time Out magazine named New York City as the best in the world right now, owing to its brilliant “food and cultural scenes, beauty, and everything it offers making its residents happy”.

The city is home to the UN’s main headquarters, as well as classic sights like the Statue of Liberty and the Empire State Building. However, residents say the eclectic blend of top places for food and drink, nightlife, culture, and beauty make the urban jungle the perfect place to live. 

Number two on the list was a surprise to many, with the South African city of Cape Town winning the plaudits over. One of the main draws of Cape Town is its stunning views, with the beautiful Table Mountain resting in the background. The cricket stadium, where England play every few years, is dubbed as one of the most beautiful in the world because of its location. 

Europe gets its first representative in third place, as Berlin takes the spot thanks to its impressive nightlife scene mixed with pleasant architecture and green spaces. The city is designed very well for people to get around without needing to use polluting cars, too. 

After the German capital, the UK finally gets its first city on the map, and it’s no surprise to see London in fourth, with its “many free museums and galleries, huge parks and legendary pubs”. While the magazine points out the city has a reputation for “misery and rain”, most northerners would point out the weather is far better down south than it is for them. 

Madrid and Mexico City then follow, before the north-west city of Liverpool comes in at seventh place, thanks to its plentiful supply of music events, such as ‘In The Park’, where dance anthems will be accompanied by a 50-piece orchestra. Meanwhile, the Scousers are said to be an “up-and-coming food talent” too. 

Tokyo, Rome and Porto fill the remaining top ten places, and the full list of fifty is republished below: 

1. New York City

2. Cape Town

3. Berlin

4. London

5. Madrid

6. Mexico City

7. Liverpool, UK

8. Tokyo

9. Rome

10. Porto, Portugal

11. Paris

12. Mumbai

13. Lisbon

14. Chicago

15. Manchester

16. São Paulo, Brazil

17. Los Angeles

18. Amsterdam

19. Lagos

20. Melbourne

21. Naples

22. Singapore

23. Miami

24. Bangkok

25. Lima, Peru

26. Budapest

27. Beijing

28. Dubai

29. Montreal

30. Glasgow

31. Sydney

32. Buenos Aires

33. Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

34. Manila, Philippines

35. Seoul, South Korea

36. Hanoi, Vietnam

37. San Francisco

38. Barcelona

39. Abu Dhabi

40. New Orleans

41. Philadelphia

42. Austin

43. Boston

44. Accra, Ghana

45. Marseille

46. Taipei

47. Istanbul

48. Osaka

49. Hong Kong

50. Vancouver