14. Milan, Italy

Milan is particularly known for such treasures as the spectacular Duomo di Milano and accompanying piazza, the Sforza Castle and the Teatro Alla Scala. It is also home to Da Vinci’s Last Supper. For luxury shopping in a majestic setting, then the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II is a top destination.

Happiness: 41st

Historical Landmarks: 9th

Sports: 3rd

Schools and Education: 5th

Governmental Stability: 35th

Crime: 39th

Healthcare: 13th

Affordability: 40th

Food: 4th

Innovation: 7th

Pollution: 45th

Climate: 14th

Overall Average: 21.25

Happiness: According to the World Happiness Report, Italy is in the highest category of its citizens’ happiness.

Historical Landmarks: Milan has one UNESCO World Heritage site, that being the church and Dominican convent of Santa Maria delle Grazie, home to Da Vinci’s Last Supper.

Sports: Italy’s premier soccer league is Serie A, with Milan’s Serie A teams being AC Milan and Inter Milan. It is unusual that San Siro Stadium houses both of these two rivals. Inter Milan is the only team to have played every season of Serie A football.

Schools and Education: Milan has three universities in the top 500 worldwide—University of Milan at 156, University of Milano-Bicocca at 273 and Polytechnic University of Milan at 297.

Crime: In Milan, crime is moderately high in both property and violent crimes but is highest in the corruption and bribery category.

Affordability: Milan has a cost of living index at 73.6, meaning it is one of the more expensive European cities to live in.

Food: 16 restaurants in Milan have at least 1 Michelin star, with 2 of those having 2 Michelin stars and 1 having an impressive 3 stars.

Pollution: A pollution index score of 67.76 means that Milan has moderately high pollution overall but has high air pollution and, consequently, low air quality.

Climate: Milan reaches the 80s (F) in summer months, while in the winter, it can be found in the mid to upper 40s in Fahrenheit.