Mapped: The World’s Most Beautiful Cities, According to Locals

Mapped: The World’s Most Beautiful Cities, According to Locals

What makes a city beautiful to the people who actually live there?

This graphic maps the world’s most beautiful cities based on the percentage of locals who describe their city as “beautiful.” The 2026 survey was conducted by Time Out and surveyed 24,000 locals worldwide.

The Surprising Champion

Cape Town takes the top spot ahead of several cities famous for their architecture and tourism, including Paris, Florence, and Sydney.

South Africa’s legislative capital is known for its picturesque setting, including the Cape Peninsula and nearby Table Mountain.

The table below ranks the world’s most beautiful cities based on locals’ responses.

Rank	City	Beauty Score (%)
1	Cape Town	86
2	Edinburgh	84
3	Sydney	78
4	Chicago	77
5	Lisbon	74
6	Paris	68
6	Stockholm	68
7	Porto	67
8	Medellin	66
9	Riga	65
10	San Diego	61
11	Panama City	60
11	Cambridge	60
11	Florence	60
11	Rio de Janeiro	60
11	Bath	60
12	Bengaluru	59
12	Vienna	59
12	Brasilia	59

Edinburgh ranks second globally, with 84% of locals describing their city as beautiful.

Both the Old Town and New Town of Edinburgh form part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Known for its cultural and architectural splendor, the city receives the second-most tourists in the United Kingdom.

Sydney ranks third at 78%.

European Cities Dominate the Ranking

Europe accounts for 10 of the 19 cities in the ranking, more than any other region.

The UK is well represented beyond Edinburgh. Bath and Cambridge, both at 60%, tie for 11th place.

Paris and Stockholm tie for sixth place worldwide, with 68% of locals in each city describing it as beautiful.

Portugal is also particularly well represented. The Southern European country’s two largest cities, Lisbon (74%) and Porto (67%), both rank among the world’s top 10.

Omissions and Outliers

Bengaluru, India (59%), is the only Asian city on the list, tying for 12th place with Brasilia and Vienna.

Two notable cities are absent: New York City and London. Despite being major global tourism and financial centers, neither appears in the ranking.

New York’s absence is particularly notable given that only two U.S. cities make the list: Chicago (77%), which ranks fourth worldwide, and San Diego (61%), which ranks 10th.

Learn More on the Voronoi App

To explore the flip side of countries prized by tourists, read Ranked: Countries With More Tourists Than Locals on Voronoi.

• Source: https://www.visualcapitalist.com/mapped-the-worlds-most-beautiful-cities/