Cape Town is back on top as the World’s Best City, beating out giants like New York, Melbourne and London, thanks to the 2025 Time Out Best City in the World rankings!
Cape Town, South Africa (15 January 2025) — If you think that Cape Town is the best city in the world, you’re certainly not alone. Once again, the Mother City has claimed the Time Out Best City in the World List’s pinnacle place!
A call for celebration worthy of the Cape Carnival, Cape Town’s return to the top spot came after sitting pretty in second place for the 2024 run (which is still a huge deal). The title reclamation means that Cape Town racked up the most raving reviews; scoring big points for its rich history, cultural diversity and natural offering, amongst many other points of interest.
This is the seventh year of Time Out’s global survey that pins the world’s cities against each other in a thrilling bid to see which will take the crown.
Cape Town scored highly across the board: 82% of Capetonians would describe their city as beautiful, and 97% of locals say it makes them happy. As Time Out puts it:
“Where else can you visit a colony of African penguins, taste world-class wines, stroll Blue Flag beaches, enjoy views from one of the New 7 Wonders of Nature, and experience vibrant nightlife – all in a day? Cape Town offers this and more, from historic sites to cultural hubs: whether that’s Kalk Bay’s fishing heritage, East City’s food scene, Time Out Market Cape Town, or Cape Point’s natural beauty.”
To draw finalist conclusions, around 18,500 people (including many locals) were questioned on elements ranging from affordability to food offerings in different cities; silo elements of urban living that made up a total criteria of 44. A panel of 100 city experts were also asked to name the most exciting cities in the world right now so that Time Out could combine all the data and determine the cities to celebrate.
“While Cape Town often features at the top of global travel destination lists, this recognition is particularly meaningful as it is largely based on the responses from residents of the city themselves,” remarked Mayor Hill-Lewis.
“In addition to all the things that make Cape Town a must-visit tourism destination — our unmatched natural beauty, blue flag beaches, wonderful cuisine, nightlife and cultural diversity—it is the overall happiness of residents that perhaps means the most in this extensive survey.”
In terms of tourism, a ranking like this means a lot. Alderman James Vos shares that the tourism industry has played a massive role in boosting a Cape Town that flourishes, with the 2023 Gross Value Add at more than R27 billion that additionally supported over 91,000 jobs.
Cape Town Tourism CEO Enver Duminy shared:
“Cape Town is a city build on its people’s passion, resilence, and creativity. From bustling markets to serene beaches, every corner of our city tells a story of community and connection.”
The Top 10 Best Cities in the World
1. Cape Town, South Africa
2. Bangkok, Thailand
3. New York, USA
4. Melbourne, Australia
5. London, UK
6. New Orleans, USA
7. Mexico City, Mexico
8. Porto, Portugal
9. Shanghai, China
10. Copenhagen, Denmark
You can find the complete list of Time Out’s 50 Best Cities in the World for 2025 list, here.