Melbourne has taken first place in Condé Nast Traveller’s list of the world’s friendliest cities for 2026, earning a score of 98.52 in the travel publisher’s Readers’ Choice Awards. The results published on 6 October put the Victorian capital ahead of Porto and Seoul, with Perth the only other Australian city in the top ten.
The publisher described the rankings as a reflection of readers’ experiences of hospitality while travelling. Its introduction pointed to everyday encounters, from getting help with a restaurant menu to finding the way around a metro system, as examples of the welcomes that informed the reader-voted list.
Porto finished second with a score of 98.33, followed by Seoul on 97.94. Lisbon placed fourth on 97.50 and Amsterdam fifth on 97.35, giving Portugal two cities among the leading five destinations. The results placed Melbourne at the top of a list spanning cities across several continents.
In its Melbourne entry, Condé Nast Traveller highlighted Victorian architecture, bars in graffiti-covered alleyways and the city’s coffee culture. The publisher said readers had connected with Melbourne’s people, while also praising its public transport, public institutions and work-life balance in its description of the city.
The result marked a rise from sixth place in 2025, according to Time Out’s report on the awards. The outlet also noted that Melbourne had shared first place with Dublin in 2014, making this year’s ranking a return to the leading position rather than the city’s first appearance there.
NewsWire’s coverage on Wednesday also reported Melbourne’s move up five places, noting that its score in 2025 was 94. Its account confirmed this year’s 98.52 score and Porto’s second-place result, alongside the recognition of Perth among the Australian destinations represented.
Perth ranked sixth with a score of 97.28. Condé Nast Traveller’s entry emphasised its outdoor way of life, including long lunches, weekend markets and gatherings beside the coast. The publisher linked the presence of two Australian cities in the list to the country’s laid-back attitude.
Jaipur, Buenos Aires and Bangkok occupied seventh, eighth and ninth places respectively, with Cape Town completing the top ten. The primary ranking also recorded movement among returning cities: Lisbon rose from eighth in 2025 to fourth this year, while Cape Town moved from third to tenth.
