Vancouver Only Canadian City On Time Out’s 50 Best Cities For 2026
Time Out has published its annual ranking of the 50 best places to live and visit in 2026, built from a global survey of city-dwellers and expert votes. Vancouver is the only Canadian city named on the list, placed at #37.
How the Best Cities Ranking Was Put Together
The Best Cities list for 2026 draws on responses from more than 24, 000 locals across 150 cities worldwide and the votes of more than 100 Time Out city experts. Local writers also contributed write-ups describing what makes each destination worth visiting right now. The survey asked residents about what they love about their city — including the food scene, nightlife, shops, museums and parks — and probed how it feels to live there by covering happiness, affordability and quality of life. This year’s survey was expanded to include aspects such as love, romance and community feel. Time Out framed the list as a celebration of places that combine attractions for visitors with the qualities that make a place feel like home, and the 2026 ranking marks the tenth anniversary of the Best Cities project.
Vancouver: Only Canadian City Named and Why It Made The List
Time Out placed Vancouver at #37. The contributor note on the city highlights its outdoors offering, suggesting the rare combination of opportunities to swim, cycle and ski in a single day, with local spots such as Jericho beach and the Stanley Park seawall listed as draws. The write-up points to experiences including the Capilano Suspension Bridge and nearby runs on Grouse, Seymour and Cypress Mountains, noting these are close enough to fit into an after-work outing. Vancouver’s culinary scene and a focus on locally sourced produce were also cited as reasons the city earned a spot.
The listing points to upcoming and current attractions as part of its appeal: a Time Out Market is described as coming to the city soon, and FIFA events are noted as arriving in the summer. The selection of Cambie Street and Commercial Drive among the world’s coolest streets was mentioned; Cambie claimed the 20th spot on that list, a choice that prompted some controversy with at least one reader calling the label of “coolest” a stretch. Local responses highlighted green space and food as major positives, with 87 percent of locals praising the city’s green spaces and 85 percent pointing to its food scene.
Top Rankings, Returns and What Changed This Year
Melbourne was ranked #1 on the 2026 list, with Shanghai and Edinburgh rounding out the top three. The 50-city rundown includes new entries and re-entries, and slots smaller and second cities alongside major metropolises. Changes from recent years are noted: in 2025 Montreal was the only Canadian city on the list, while in 2024 both Montreal and Vancouver appeared. The 2026 list reflects Time Out’s decade-long effort to map city life around the world by combining residents’ experiences with expert judgement and local reporting.
The ranking is presented as both a travel guide and a snapshot of urban life as described by the people who live there, with Time Out inviting readers to explore the detailed write-ups that explain what makes each city worth visiting or calling home.
