The annual Economist Intelligence Unit's Global Liveability Index looks at 173 cities and considers factors such as environment, education, healthcare, infrastructure and culture, with each city given a score out of 100.
Both cities saw a fall in the rankings due to a lack of affordable housing, with Melbourne dropping to fourth from third place in 2023 and Sydney falling from fourth to seventh.
"We have downgraded overall infrastructure scores for Australia, owing to an ongoing housing crisis that has led to an all-time low availability of rental properties in many of the cities," the EIU said.
Melbourne's scored a total of 97, compared to Sydney's 96.6, with the cities sharing equal scores in infrastructure, healthcare, education and stability, but the Victorian capital is pulling ahead in culture and environment.
Vienna was crowned the most liveable city for the third year in a row, with Copenhagen and Zurich rounding out the top 3.
The Top 10 Liveable Cities For 2024
- Vienna, Austria
- Copenhagen, Denmark
- Zurich, Switzerland
- Melbourne, Australia
- Calgary, Canada
- Geneva, Switzerland
- Sydney, Australia/Vancouver, Canada
- Auckland, New Zealand/Osaka, Japan
