Who doesn’t want to improve their quality of life? While there are many things you can do at home to improve your daily life, sometimes it all depends on where you live. And if you’re looking to shake up the deck, it might be time to think about moving to a specific European city.

Numbeo’s Quality of Life Index is an “estimate of the overall quality of life in a city or country,” the website explains in its methodology. The index takes into account several variables, including “purchasing power, pollution levels, housing affordability, cost of living, safety, quality of healthcare, commuting times and climate conditions.” The list is also based on survey responses that capture the real-world experiences of the people who live in each location.

The Hague in the Netherlands has the highest quality of life

At the end, all of this is put together, each factor is given a weighted score, and places with a higher index value have a better quality of life. Since the mid-year 2024 review, The Hague (Den Haag), a city on the North Sea in the Netherlands, has topped the list. And it has held this position for more than a year.

As the results show, The Hague scored 223.8 points overall, receiving the best marks in climate, healthcare and safety. It is a place where everyone can find happiness, not only thanks to its beautiful historic centre but, as the Hague International Centre noted, also thanks to its proximity to green outdoor areas and sandy beaches. And it is close to major airports such as Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (AMS), with numerous international train connections nearby and plenty of public transport options.

As for the rest of the list, the top spots were dominated by European destinations. Second place went to Luxembourg, followed by Eindhoven (Netherlands), Rotterdam (Netherlands), Zurich, Copenhagen, Vienna, Helsinki (Finland), Geneva and Frankfurt. First place outside the European Union went to Perth (Australia) (14th place).

The first US destination on the list is Austin at number 15. Seattle and Tampa also scored well, coming in 20th and 21st, respectively.

The complete rankings can be found on numbeo.com.

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This story first appeared on travelandleisure.com

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