10. Lisbon, Portugal
Lisbon is known for its beautiful city center, colorful tiles and delicious cuisine. Some of its well-known sites include the Sé de Lisboa, the Santa Justa Elevator, Sao Jorge Castle, the Tower of Belém, along with the Vasco da Gama and April 25 bridges. Lisbon is surprisingly one of the least visited European capitals, but that could change as more discover its charms and affordability.
Happiness: 45th
Historical Landmarks: 9th
Sports: 12th
Schools and Education: 15th
Governmental Stability: 26th
Crime: 21st
Healthcare: 15th
Affordability: 23rd
Food: 21st
Innovation: 22nd
Pollution: 18th
Climate: 6th
Overall Average: 19.42
Happiness: According to the World Happiness Report, Lisbon (and Portugal generally) is moderately happy.
Historical Landmarks: Lisbon has two UNESCO World Heritage sites, those being the Monastery of the Hieronymites and the Tower of Belém.
Sports: Lisbon is currently home to three Primeira Liga teams (Sport Lisboa e Benfica, Sporting Clube de Portugal and Casa Pia Atlético Clube). Benfica and Sporting are two of the main contenders for the Primeira Liga title every season.
Schools and Education: Lisbon has two universities in the top 500 worldwide. The Universidade de Lisboa is ranked 202nd and the Universidade Nova de Lisboa is 487th.
Crime: In Lisbon, crime is fairly low, but corruption and bribery are moderate.
Affordability: Lisbon has a cost of living index at 51.5, meaning it has a significantly lower cost of living than other major European cities, making it an appealing place to consider living.
Food: 13 restaurants in Lisbon have at least 1 Michelin star.
Pollution: A pollution index score of 34.46 means that Lisbon has low to moderate pollution levels.
Climate: Lisbon reaches the high 70s and low 80s (F) in summer months, while in the winter, it can be found in the high 40s to low 50s in Fahrenheit.
Personal Note: I visited Lisbon in the spring of 2022, and the city immediately appealed to me as one of the most colorful and friendly places I’d been. From the white limestone sidewalks to the many yellow buildings, Lisbon brings a cheerfulness walking around the city that I haven’t experienced in many other places. Of course, the city is extremely hilly, especially the historic Alfama district where I walked and witnessed absolutely no cars, but I think this only adds to the charm and intrigue of Lisbon. Besides this Alfama district, some of my other favorite places included the famous Tower of Belem and surrounding parks, and the Estadio da Luz. Another significant bonus I noticed while there was how inexpensive everything seemed in comparison to nearby Western European countries, while still offering many of the benefits that are often seen more so within the western side of the continent. If the hills aren’t too much of a problem (which they often aren’t given the very accessible funicular system), the bright lifestyle and numerous exciting opportunities clearly make Lisbon one of the top places to live in Europe in my opinion, which is backed by this ranking. Portugal in general has a strong case to make for my favorite country in all of Europe, and although I do slightly prefer their second largest city, Porto (which is my favorite city I’ve ever visited, but didn’t quite make the parameters to be included in this research), Lisbon is still an incredible city that certainly warrants consideration when choosing where to live.