Best cities to live in Asia

Overview

Singapore tops our ranking of best cities to live in asia at 8.0/10, just ahead of Taipei and Fukuoka. "Best cities to live in Asia" is one of the most searched relocation questions we track — and most articles answering it are written from a single traveler's memory, not from consistent data across cities. Our global livability score, limited to cities in Asia. Every city we track in Asia is scored on the same seven criteria as the rest of the 303-city database, then averaged into a single livability figure so the cities below can be compared apples-to-apples. It's worth noting the spread: scores here range from 8.0 down to 4.6, so position #1 and position #76 aren't just marginally different — they represent genuinely different day-to-day experiences. The gap between the #1 and #3 spots is often smaller than it looks: a 0.3-point difference in an aggregate score can come from a single criterion, so it's worth opening a city's full scorecard rather than trusting the headline number alone. Because every criterion is weighted equally here, this ranking suits someone without one dominant priority — if you do have a specific must-have, the single-criterion regional rankings linked below will serve you better. Below is the complete list with every underlying score, plus links through to a full breakdown for each city.

Full ranking

Curious how the top two stack up criterion by criterion? Compare Singapore vs Taipei directly →

Methodology

Cities are scored equally across all seven criteria — no single factor dominates — then limited to Asia so you're comparing regional options directly rather than against cities you may have already ruled out geographically. Want different priorities? Set your own weights in the recommender.

Understanding the criteria

All seven criteria — cost of living, safety, environment, transport, climate, healthcare and internet — count equally here, so a city needs to be solid across the board rather than exceptional at any one thing to rank near the top.

Tips for using this ranking

• →If one criterion clearly matters more to you than the others, the single-criterion regional rankings (linked below) will serve you better than this blended list.
• →Cities in the middle of this ranking are often better value than the top 2-3 once cost of living is factored back in — worth a look before assuming higher is always better.

Who this ranking is for

This ranking is most useful for Budget-conscious movers — movers for whom affordability outweighs every other factor, Safety-first movers — people relocating somewhere unfamiliar who weigh personal safety above all and Balanced movers — people without a single dominant priority, weighing all criteria evenly. If none of those match your situation, the recommender tool lets you set your own weights instead of relying on any preset list.

Strengths & limitations of this ranking

Frequently asked questions

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