The Burrow
May 24, 2024
With remote and hybrid working commonplace across a range of industries, more people are considering making the move to a different country – and choosing to settle in a smaller city, as opposed to its capital.
Whether people are relocating back to towns because they felt like they had to move to larger cities to progress their careers, or simply because their lifestyle fits in better with a slower pace of life; it’s a decision many people across the globe are making.
As home loan experts, we know how important it is to find the right location to call home. We wanted to see which small cities across the world are the most liveable, based on factors such as the number of restaurants and entertainment centres, as well as safety scores, and more. So, if you’re considering relocating to a new (small) city, take a look to see where might be best for you.
Nestled on Cyprus’ southern coastline by the Mediterranean Sea, Paphos takes the crown as the most liveable small city, and for good reason. With the most restaurants on our list, at 500, you’ll have plenty of options when it comes to sampling Cypriot classics such as souvlaki (grilled kebabs), fried halloumi, and eliopita (olive bread).
Not only that, but Paphos has the third highest number of entertainment options (17), and the sixth least rainy days, at around 70 days a year; meaning you’ll have great weather for exploring your new city.
Situated in Lanzarote, the resort town of Arrecife makes it into second place, with the least rainy days, at just 23 a year. The island’s capital is home to 57,000 people, and boasts the beautiful Charco San Gines, a palm tree-lined lagoon that’s perfect for walks and lunch.
The other main reason why you might want to move to Arrecife is its beaches: Playa del Reducto is the main strip, which has calm waters and golden sands that are perfect for the whole family.
In third place is Trapani, located on the western coast of Sicily. Wander its winding alleys and stop off for a coffee and cannoli on your weekends, and enjoy a slower pace of living. With 284 restaurants in the area (the sixth highest on our list), you’ll be spoilt for choice when dining out.
The other great thing about Trapani is it’s an ideal base to explore Sicily: not only are you a short drive from some of the best beaches on the island, but Palermo is just an hour and a half’s drive away, if you want a taste of city life.
If you love being by the water, then Switzerland’s Lugano could be the perfect liveable city for you, with its positioning on glacial Lake Lugano. Surrounded by mountains, the views are beautiful, and perhaps best of all, it has the joint highest safety score on our list, at 74.7 (tying with the Swiss city of Biel).
Unemployment rates in Switzerland are the lowest on our list, at 2.4%, and the country has the second-best health score, after Sweden. Plus, Lugono has the third highest number of restaurants on our list, at 384; and is right by the Italian border, meaning you’ll have lots of exploring to do on your evenings and weekends.
In fifth place is Czechia’s Opava, which is right by the Polish border, and has a population of just under 57,000. The city is one of the safest, with the joint fourth highest score on our list, at 73.2; and it scores fourth lowest for the cost of goods, too.
With 13 entertainment options, you’ll have plenty to keep you entertained on those 162 rainy days; but you should also spend some time exploring Opava’s gothic church, the Silesian Museum (the oldest museum in all of Czechia), and nab some tickets to the city’s annual beer festival, held every October.
With it scoring second best for safety, and boasting the joint fifth most entertainment options at 15; Pula makes it into a respectable sixth place as a liveable small city. Pula is full of history wherever you look, with its Roman amphitheatre and Venetian fortress.
Summer is the time when Pula comes alive, playing host to film and music festivals; but year-round you can enjoy the chic art galleries, quirky coffee shops, and sample the local wines at nearby vineyards. And, if you want to escape to the beach, then you’re not far away: the pebbled shores of Ambrela is just 4km from the centre, and if you have a pooch, head to dog-friendly Uvala Sakucani, where they can splash about in the crystal waters.
In seventh place is the charming Portuguese city of Aveiro, which is located 50 minutes south of Porto, and is home to 78,500 people.
Despite being on the smaller side, it has an impressive 305 restaurants to dine out at (the fifth most on our list) – try Portuguese favourites like bacalhau (salted cod), porco preto (black pork), and of course, pastel de natas, which might be a Lisbon classic, but can be found in Aveiro too!
The first non-European city to make it onto our list is Canada’s Grande Prairie, which is nestled in northern Alberta, a 4.5-hour drive from Edmonton. Given the colder climates (the city has lows of -19 degrees Celsius in the winter!), it makes sense that Grande Prairie has more entertainment options available, with 16 in total.
In the winter, go skating on the iced-over pond at Muskoseepi Park or Montrose Oval, or take your snowshoes and head to Saskatoon Island. In the summer, catch the rodeo events at Teepee Creek Stampede, or watch an outdoor movie on Friday nights at the Grande Sunset Theatre.
Next on the list of the most liveable small cities is Portugal’s Barreiro, which is situated just outside of Lisbon. The city boasts the ninth least rainiest days on our list, at 110, meaning you’ll have plenty of time to get outdoors and explore.
But that’s not the only reason why Barreiro has scored so well: with a safety score of 68.8, it’s the joint sixth safest city on our list; and it’s the third cheapest place according to Numbeo, with its total cost of goods sitting at AUD$156.06, behind Kaposvár in Hungary.
Rounding off our top 10 most liveable small cities is Italy’s Cosenza. With a population of approximately 70,000, the city is situated in the Calabria region. With the eighth least rainiest days on our list, at 106, and over 200 restaurants in the area it’s an ideal place to enjoy the popular Calabrian cuisine al fresco.
Explore the historic center of narrow streets, lined with Baroque churches, medieval palaces, and shops, and make sure to check the Palazzo dei Cavalieri.
Taking a look at some of the factors we used to determine which small cities are most liveable, Ohio’s Youngstown scores well for the second most restaurants, at 492, and came 21st overall; whereas the most entertainment options are in Port Macquarie, Australia, and Loughborough, UK.
The lowest unemployment rates in the world are in Switzerland, Australia, and the Netherlands; and the cities with the least number of rainy days after the cities we’ve already mentioned are in South Africa – specifically Brits and Odendaalsrus, which made it into 48th and 49th position overall, respectively.
Out of this list of 49 small cities, three are from Australia, and two were in the top 15. Port Macquarie was ranked 11th and Hervey Bay was ranked 12th.
Port Macquarie has the highest number of entertainment options at 23. In contrast, Hervey Bay has the 13th least rainy days. All Australian cities scored very well in terms of health scores. Both Port Macquarie and Hervey Bay are beautiful coastal towns known for a laid back lifestyle with beautiful beaches and pristine landscapes to explore.
There are many reasons why you may choose to live in a small city, with them having several benefits when compared to a large, sprawling city.
Big cities are great if you like being in the centre of everything, but it can get very intense, very quickly. Moving to a smaller city means you’ll still have all the essential amenities on your doorstep, but you can take life at a slower pace; meaning you can relax and live in the moment.
Generally speaking, a lot of smaller cities will be closer to nature, given that they’re less built up. So, if you love the idea of spending your evenings and weekends climbing up mountains, hiking through forests, and strolling along beaches; a smaller city could be the perfect place to relocate to.
Smaller cities tend to be more affordable, simply because there’s less demand for people moving there. So, not only are everyday items like coffee and meals out cheaper, but property tends to be, too; meaning you can take out a smaller home loan than you would if you were buying in a big city.
Stephen Zeller, General Manager of Money at Compare the Market, notes that it’s vital to understand why small cities are typically more affordable – and whether there’s a catch.
“Big cities are often more expensive because they have lots going on and are usually where high paying jobs are. Smaller cities can be more affordable due to less competition for housing, but you need to understand whether there are any downsides for buying there,” explains Mr Zeller.
“For example, what would your job prospects be in a small city? Will you be far away from family and friends? If you’re planning on having children, how many schools are available? How many shops are there to choose from for essentials like food and medicine?
“It’s possible that you might have less convenience and be far away from family and friends by moving to a smaller city. However, if you’re still happy with the living situation and job prospects there, then moving to a small city could be a much more affordable option for buying a home then a property in the big city.”
Sources:
Methodology:
This dataset ranks 49 small cities, based on how good they are to live in. To do this, 7 different factors were used. Once the data for the factors was collected, they were then normalised, to provide each factor with a score of between 0 and 1. If data was not available, a score of 0 was given. The normalised values were then summed, to give each location a total score out of 7. The locations were then ranked from highest to lowest, based on their total scores.
The factors used are as follows:
All data is correct as of 10/04/24. The ranking data shown is a compilation of multiple data sources and may not be representative of real life. All data is accurate with regards to the sources provided.