Pareto frontier Score against cost. The line joins the cities nothing else beats on both: as cheap or cheaper and as good or better. Cost is the Affordability input (taxes for high earners), turned around so 1 is cheapest, and left out of the scores here so it isn't counted twice. Work + life follows the blend at the top.
Work + life 1 1 2 2 3 3 4 4 5 5 Cost → Cheaper Abu Dhabi: Overall 2.8, cost 5 Amsterdam: Overall 3.1, cost 3 Auckland: Overall 3.2, cost 3 Beijing: Overall 3.7, cost 3 Boston: Overall 3.7, cost 4 Buenos Aires: Overall 3.1, cost 2 Cabo San Lucas: Overall 2.0, cost 3 Chengdu: Overall 2.9, cost 2 Chicago: Overall 3.0, cost 3 Cleveland: Overall 2.4, cost 3 Colombo: Overall 2.1, cost 1 Copenhagen: Overall 3.0, cost 4 Denver: Overall 3.0, cost 3 Detroit: Overall 2.6, cost 2 Dubai: Overall 3.6, cost 5 Florence: Overall 2.7, cost 2 Geneva: Overall 3.0, cost 5 Guangzhou: Overall 3.4, cost 2 Hangzhou: Overall 3.6, cost 2 Hong Kong: Overall 3.9, cost 5 Honolulu: Overall 2.7, cost 4 Jinan: Overall 2.3, cost 2 Kandy: Overall 1.5, cost 1 London: Overall 3.7, cost 4 Los Angeles: Overall 3.3, cost 4 Manila: Overall 2.3, cost 1 Marrakesh: Overall 2.0, cost 2 Mexico City: Overall 2.9, cost 2 Miami: Overall 3.2, cost 4 Milan: Overall 2.5, cost 3 New York City: Overall 4.1, cost 5 Orlando: Overall 2.5, cost 4 Paris: Overall 2.7, cost 3 Philadelphia: Overall 3.2, cost 4 Portland: Overall 2.7, cost 2 Providence: Overall 3.1, cost 4 Reykjavík: Overall 2.3, cost 5 Rome: Overall 2.6, cost 2 Salt Lake City: Overall 3.4, cost 2 San Diego: Overall 3.5, cost 3 San Francisco: Overall 4.0, cost 4 San Miguel: Overall 2.5, cost 2 Seattle: Overall 3.5, cost 4 Seoul: Overall 3.6, cost 3 Shanghai: Overall 3.6, cost 3 Shenzhen: Overall 3.7, cost 2 Singapore: Overall 3.9, cost 5 Stockholm: Overall 3.1, cost 3 Sydney: Overall 3.5, cost 3 Taipei: Overall 3.6, cost 2 Tokyo: Overall 3.6, cost 3 Zurich: Overall 3.7, cost 5 Manila Shenzhen San Francisco New York City Work 1 1 2 2 3 3 4 4 5 5 Cost → Cheaper Abu Dhabi: Work 2.7, cost 5 Amsterdam: Work 3.0, cost 3 Auckland: Work 2.9, cost 3 Beijing: Work 3.8, cost 3 Boston: Work 3.8, cost 4 Buenos Aires: Work 2.6, cost 2 Cabo San Lucas: Work 1.5, cost 3 Chengdu: Work 2.3, cost 2 Chicago: Work 2.6, cost 3 Cleveland: Work 1.9, cost 3 Colombo: Work 2.1, cost 1 Copenhagen: Work 2.4, cost 4 Denver: Work 3.3, cost 3 Detroit: Work 2.5, cost 2 Dubai: Work 3.7, cost 5 Florence: Work 1.8, cost 2 Geneva: Work 2.5, cost 5 Guangzhou: Work 3.2, cost 2 Hangzhou: Work 3.7, cost 2 Hong Kong: Work 3.6, cost 5 Honolulu: Work 1.9, cost 4 Jinan: Work 2.0, cost 2 Kandy: Work 1.1, cost 1 London: Work 3.7, cost 4 Los Angeles: Work 3.8, cost 4 Manila: Work 2.4, cost 1 Marrakesh: Work 1.7, cost 2 Mexico City: Work 2.4, cost 2 Miami: Work 3.1, cost 4 Milan: Work 2.2, cost 3 New York City: Work 4.3, cost 5 Orlando: Work 2.0, cost 4 Paris: Work 2.1, cost 3 Philadelphia: Work 2.9, cost 4 Portland: Work 2.6, cost 2 Providence: Work 2.6, cost 4 Reykjavík: Work 1.9, cost 5 Rome: Work 2.0, cost 2 Salt Lake City: Work 3.7, cost 2 San Diego: Work 3.7, cost 3 San Francisco: Work 4.6, cost 4 San Miguel: Work 1.5, cost 2 Seattle: Work 4.1, cost 4 Seoul: Work 3.1, cost 3 Shanghai: Work 3.3, cost 3 Shenzhen: Work 3.9, cost 2 Singapore: Work 3.6, cost 5 Stockholm: Work 3.0, cost 3 Sydney: Work 3.2, cost 3 Taipei: Work 2.9, cost 2 Tokyo: Work 3.0, cost 3 Zurich: Work 3.6, cost 5 Manila Shenzhen San Francisco Life 1 1 2 2 3 3 4 4 5 5 Cost → Cheaper Abu Dhabi: Life 3.0, cost 5 Amsterdam: Life 3.2, cost 3 Auckland: Life 3.5, cost 3 Beijing: Life 3.6, cost 3 Boston: Life 3.5, cost 4 Buenos Aires: Life 3.6, cost 2 Cabo San Lucas: Life 2.5, cost 3 Chengdu: Life 3.6, cost 2 Chicago: Life 3.4, cost 3 Cleveland: Life 2.8, cost 3 Colombo: Life 2.1, cost 1 Copenhagen: Life 3.7, cost 4 Denver: Life 2.7, cost 3 Detroit: Life 2.7, cost 2 Dubai: Life 3.5, cost 5 Florence: Life 3.5, cost 2 Geneva: Life 3.5, cost 5 Guangzhou: Life 3.5, cost 2 Hangzhou: Life 3.5, cost 2 Hong Kong: Life 4.2, cost 5 Honolulu: Life 3.6, cost 4 Jinan: Life 2.6, cost 2 Kandy: Life 1.9, cost 1 London: Life 3.7, cost 4 Los Angeles: Life 2.8, cost 4 Manila: Life 2.2, cost 1 Marrakesh: Life 2.4, cost 2 Mexico City: Life 3.4, cost 2 Miami: Life 3.3, cost 4 Milan: Life 2.9, cost 3 New York City: Life 3.9, cost 5 Orlando: Life 2.9, cost 4 Paris: Life 3.2, cost 3 Philadelphia: Life 3.4, cost 4 Portland: Life 2.8, cost 2 Providence: Life 3.7, cost 4 Reykjavík: Life 2.7, cost 5 Rome: Life 3.3, cost 2 Salt Lake City: Life 3.1, cost 2 San Diego: Life 3.3, cost 3 San Francisco: Life 3.5, cost 4 San Miguel: Life 3.4, cost 2 Seattle: Life 2.9, cost 4 Seoul: Life 4.1, cost 3 Shanghai: Life 3.9, cost 3 Shenzhen: Life 3.5, cost 2 Singapore: Life 4.3, cost 5 Stockholm: Life 3.2, cost 3 Sydney: Life 3.9, cost 3 Taipei: Life 4.2, cost 2 Tokyo: Life 4.2, cost 3 Zurich: Life 3.7, cost 5 Manila Taipei Singapore How the scores work Every input is scored 1–5. Work and Life are weighted averages of their inputs. Tap the dots to say how much an input counts; the bar shows its share of that score. × stops counting an input, and anything under Not counted can be added back. Overall blends Work and Life with the control at the top.
Weighted average of what makes a city good for building companies.
Founder Quality 15% × Capital Ecosystem 15% × Talent Quality 14% × Hardware Ecosystem 14% × Office Quality 11% × Public Wifi 11% × English 11% × Affordability 9% × Not counted + Flight Access
Weighted average of what makes a city good to live in day to day.
Safety 11% × Public Transit 11% × Walkability 11% × Casual Food 11% × English 11% × Cleanliness 11% × Density 11% × Weather 11% × Public Wifi 9% × Fine Dining 6% × Not counted + Culture + Family Friendly + Open Late + Flight Access
1 New York City ◆ North America 173d 3.9 2 San Francisco ◆ North America 1,027d 3.9 3 Singapore Southeast Asia 4d 3.8 4 Hong Kong East Asia 51d 3.8 5 Shenzhen ◆ East Asia 168d 3.7 6 Beijing East Asia 13d 3.6 7 Seoul East Asia 21d 3.6 8 Taipei East Asia 29d 3.6 9 London Europe 6d 3.6 10 Tokyo East Asia 16d 3.6 11 Boston North America 280d 3.6 12 Hangzhou East Asia 30d 3.6 13 Shanghai East Asia 12d 3.6 14 Zurich Europe – 3.5 15 Sydney Oceania 38d 3.5 16 Dubai Middle East & North Africa 12d 3.5 17 San Diego North America 233d 3.5 18 Seattle North America 3d 3.4 19 Salt Lake City North America 1,133d 3.4 20 Guangzhou East Asia 5d 3.4 21 Los Angeles North America 481d 3.2 22 Auckland Oceania 4d 3.2 23 Miami North America 9d 3.2 24 Buenos Aires South America 117d 3.2 25 Stockholm Europe 6d 3.1 26 Providence North America 2d 3.1 27 Philadelphia North America 1d 3.1 28 Amsterdam Europe 18d 3.1 29 Copenhagen Europe 7d 3.0 30 Chicago North America 219d 3.0 31 Chengdu East Asia 4d 3.0 32 Denver North America – 3.0 33 Geneva Europe 11d 3.0 34 Mexico City North America 24d 3.0 35 Portland North America 5d 2.8 36 Florence Europe – 2.8 37 Abu Dhabi Middle East & North Africa 1d 2.7 38 Honolulu North America – 2.7 39 Rome Europe – 2.7 40 Paris Europe 4d 2.7 41 Detroit North America 4d 2.6 42 Milan Europe 1d 2.6 43 San Miguel North America 4d 2.6 44 Orlando North America – 2.4 45 Manila ◆ Southeast Asia 32d 2.4 46 Cleveland North America 6d 2.4 47 Jinan East Asia 2d 2.4 48 Reykjavík Europe 8d 2.3 49 Colombo Southeast Asia 7d 2.2 50 Marrakesh Middle East & North Africa 11d 2.2 51 Cabo San Lucas North America 45d 2.1 52 Kandy Southeast Asia 6d 1.7 