World’s best cities for 2022 revealed, and Australia makes the list only once

Australia has long been viewed as home to some of the best, most beautiful and even safest cities in the world.

It’s unsurprising then that one of our home cities managed to make Time Out’s list of 53 Best Cities in the World for 2022.

In fact, it’s surprising that more didn’t make the list!

The ranking considers things like community spirit and resilience but the top cities this year were the ones with a thriving nightlife, amazing food and drink, and art, culture and museums.

“We’ve highlighted places that aren’t boring or overly expensive or overrated, and we’ve ensured that our top picks also score well for practical stuff like walkability, good public transport and safety, as well as sustainability,” Time Out said in its ranking.

The Australian city which comes out on top

This year there is only one Australian city to make the list: Sydney.

Sydney ranked in 46th place for 2022, dropping sharply from 16th place in 2021.

Why?

According to Time Out, Sydney’s world-famous architecture, 100+ beaches, thousands of hectares of National Parklands surrounding the urban sprawl and the largest natural harbour in the world means there are few other cities which can rival it for sheer jaw-dropping beauty.

The city’s waterfront restaurants, rooftop and high-rise bars and attractions like the Harbour Bridge Climb also helped the city secure a top spot for 2022.

“Sydney is in the midst of a hospitality boom as the city bounces back from 2021’s rolling lockdowns,” the Time Out report said.

“A number of new high-end hospitality precincts have created one-stop solutions for a great night out, with collections of bars and restaurants conveniently gathered on the same footprint for your drinking and dining pleasure”.

Not only is Sydney beautiful, but it’s also pristine, too.

71% of Sydneyites described the city as beautiful, while just 11% said it was dirty. On top of that, 80% said they could go walking in nature with ease, Time Out data reveals.

The Aussie city which dropped off the list

Melbourne struggled through six hard lockdowns in only 18 months during 2020-21 but still managed to secure a spot as the world’s 16th-best city on Time Out’s list last year.

But in 2022, Melbourne is nowhere to be found.

Despite Melbourne’s food and drink culture is one of the best in the country, the city was pushed off the ranking by many newcomers enjoying recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic and its lockdowns.

53 best cities in the world for 2022

Edinburgh topped the list of the world’s best cities for 2022 thanks to its beauty and walkability.

Chicago comes in second place for its food, drink, art and culture scenes, followed by the food, alcohol and community spirit of Medellín helping the city take third place.

As mentioned above, Sydney is the only Australian city to make this list this year, in 46th place, also thanks to its beauty and walkability.

Here’s the full list for 2022:

1. Edinburgh
2. Chicago
3. Medellín
4. Glasgow
5. Amsterdam
6. Prague
7. Marrakech
8. Berlin
9. Montreal
10. Copenhagen
11. Cape Town
12. Madrid
13. Manchester
14. Mumbai
15. Taipei
16. London
17. Porto
18. Lyon
19. New York
20. Buenos Aires
21. Birmingham
22. Stockholm
23. Tokyo
24. San Francisco
25. Delhi
26. Toronto
27. Lisbon
28. Boston
29. Mexico City
30. Tel Aviv
31. Paris
32. Kuala Lumpur
33. Manila
34. Athens
35. Dublin
36. São Paulo
37. Miami
38. Barcelona
39. Dubai
40. Rome
41. Los Angeles
42. Accra
43. Singapore
44. Abu Dhabi
45. Sydney
46. Auckland
47. Rio de Janeiro
48. Johannesburg
49. Istanbul
50. Bangkok
51. Hong Kong
52. Doha

Investors need to remind themselves

This ranking for 2022 should serve as a reminder for investors to highlight the importance of location when it comes to choosing an investment property.

Beauty, amenities, services and walkability are all key factors which help set a high-value investment-grade suburb apart from the rest.

After all, it’s all about the lifestyle and what we call a 20-minute neighbourhood.

Since the pandemic began, our ‘home’ is no longer simply the place we rest and enjoy some downtime between work and our social lives.

Now, neighbourhood is more important than ever.

Buyers are willing to pay a premium for properties which are within walking distance of, or a short trip to, a great shopping strip, your favourite coffee shop, amenities, the beach, and a great park.

And as a result, these are the type of neighbourhoods that investors and wannabe homeowners are flocking to.

About Joseph Ballota Joseph is a Property Coach who put hundreds of people on the road towards wiping away their mortgage in under 5 years through expert Property Investment Plans.