October 31, 2025, 9:35 am | Read time: 4 minutes
In which major cities around the world are people friendly to each other? Where do people smile at each other on the street, and where are others welcomed? The British magazine “Time Out” has determined this in a ranking. TRAVELBOOK presents the three friendliest cities in the world and shows the top 20.
As a tourist arriving in a city, often driven by a sense of vacation and discovery, one likely starts with a positive feeling. They admire the architecture, the bustling city life, and perhaps the unfamiliar culture. It’s not always immediately clear which smiles are genuine and which cool demeanor might actually be full of goodwill. It’s quite different when one becomes a local and deeply immersed in a culture. Then, one can usually assess a city best from the inside out.
The magazine “Time Out” recently asked thousands of people worldwide whether they would classify their hometowns as friendly or unfriendly. From the responses, a ranking of the 20 friendliest cities in the world was created.
Overview
The Ranking
The ranking of the 20 friendliest cities in the world is based on a survey published by the British magazine earlier this year. It focused on the best cities in the world overall (TRAVELBOOK reported). The 18,500 participants in the survey were asked, among other things, how likely they would describe their hometowns as welcoming and friendly.
The Friendliest City in the World According to “Time Out”
At TRAVELBOOK, we recently reported on another ranking by “Condé Nast Traveller,” which identified the friendliest cities in Europe. Small spoiler: Vienna was in first place here, but it didn’t make it into the “Time Out” ranking. Instead, another great European city tops the list, which ranked eighth in the Europe ranking.
We’re talking about Porto. In the picturesque city in northern Portugal, people are so kind to each other that 85 percent of the surveyed residents described it as welcoming and friendly, more than any other city.
Many are enthusiastic about the city on the Douro, which, alongside Lisbon, is one of Portugal’s most exciting city travel destinations. Those familiar with Porto will hardly be surprised that the friendliest city in the world is also said to be the third happiest city in Europe (TRAVELBOOK reported) and also appears in the Top 20 list of the best cities on the continent.
This Is Apparently the Happiest City in Europe
Surprising! This Is the Best City in the World, According to Time Out
Especially Happy and Best Green City in 2nd and 3rd Place
The second friendliest city in the world is also extremely happy: 71 percent of Bilbao’s residents in Spain consider it hospitable. No wonder, as apparently almost everyone here is happy. Who doesn’t know it–friendliness is much easier when one is content with their life and surroundings. By the way, Spain seems to be an exceptionally hospitable country. Four of the 20 spots go to the southern European country, the same ones that also rank in the top 10 happiest cities. Coincidence? Probably not.
Number three in the ranking of the friendliest cities in the world is in Colombia: Medellín was described as welcoming and friendly by 69 percent of the surveyed residents. Not least, the trendy South American metropolis is also considered the best green city in the world, as the “Time Out” survey also revealed.
Also interesting: City Guide for Medellín–the former drug capital of Colombia
These Are the 20 Friendliest Cities Worldwide According to “Time Out”
- Porto, Portugal
- Bilbao, Spain
- Medellín, Colombia
- Cape Town, South Africa
- Lagos, Nigeria
- Brighton, England/United Kingdom
- Madrid, Spain
- Lisbon, Portugal
- Chicago, USA
- Belfast, Northern Ireland/United Kingdom
- Hanoi, Vietnam
- New Orleans, USA
- Valencia, Spain
- Glasgow, Scotland/United Kingdom
- Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
- Chiang Mai, Thailand
- Montreal, Canada
- Seville, Spain
- Brisbane, Australia
- Dubai, United Arab Emirates