Best cities where you do not need a car
Dropping a car removes roughly $400–600 a month from a household budget in most of the developed world. These are the cities where that is actually realistic — dense transit, walkable centres, and everything within reach.
The ranking
| # | City | Match | Monthly cost | Why it ranks here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Singapore | 82% | $3,676 | Getting around scores 93/100Safety scores 94/100Healthcare scores 92/100English usability scores 92/100No remote-work visa route |
| 2 | Stockholm Sweden | 82% | $2,723 | Getting around scores 91/100Safety scores 84/100English usability scores 96/100No remote-work visa route |
| 3 | Copenhagen Denmark | 81% | $3,274 | Getting around scores 92/100Safety scores 88/100English usability scores 94/100Healthcare scores 90/100No remote-work visa route |
| 4 | Hong Kong Hong Kong SAR | 79% | $3,435 | Getting around scores 96/100Safety scores 86/100Healthcare scores 84/100Nightlife & culture scores 84/100No remote-work visa route |
| 5 | Valencia Spain | 78% | $1,912 | Getting around scores 83/100Safety scores 80/100Affordability scores 79/100Healthcare scores 84/100 |
| 6 | Barcelona Spain | 78% | $2,519 | Getting around scores 91/100Nightlife & culture scores 96/100 |
| 7 | Tokyo Japan | 78% | $2,588 | Getting around scores 94/100Safety scores 94/100Healthcare scores 88/100 |
| 8 | Dubai United Arab Emirates | 77% | $3,417 | Safety scores 88/100English usability scores 88/100Nightlife & culture scores 86/100 |
| 9 | Lisbon Portugal | 77% | $2,416 | Getting around scores 82/100Safety scores 78/100Nightlife & culture scores 88/100 |
| 10 | Osaka Japan | 77% | $2,202 | Getting around scores 91/100Safety scores 92/100Healthcare scores 86/100 |
| 11 | Seoul South Korea | 77% | $2,363 | Getting around scores 93/100Safety scores 86/100Nightlife & culture scores 92/100 |
| 12 | Madrid Spain | 76% | $2,369 | Getting around scores 91/100Safety scores 76/100Nightlife & culture scores 94/100 |
| 13 | Amsterdam Netherlands | 76% | $3,440 | Getting around scores 90/100Safety scores 76/100English usability scores 96/100Nightlife & culture scores 88/100No remote-work visa route |
| 14 | Melbourne Australia | 76% | $3,119 | Getting around scores 83/100English usability scores 100/100Nightlife & culture scores 92/100No remote-work visa route |
| 15 | Tallinn Estonia | 76% | $1,840 | Getting around scores 82/100Safety scores 84/100Affordability scores 80/100English usability scores 80/100 |
The top five, in detail
Capped childcare fees and universal healthcare make family costs unusually low relative to the headline tax rate.
High taxes buy near-free childcare, healthcare and one of the best cycling cities on earth.
A ~15% effective tax ceiling and superb transit, paid for entirely in square metres.
Beach, bike lanes and Barcelona weather at roughly two-thirds the cost — the current value pick of coastal Spain.
Other guides
Frequently asked
How was this best cities where you do not need a car list produced?
It is a calculation, not an opinion. Each of the 70 cities in the dataset is scored 0–100 on ten dimensions, weighted by the criteria for this guide (Public transport and walkability; Total monthly cost; Safety; Air quality), and ranked on the weighted average. Cost is scored relative to the rest of the shortlist.
What household does this price?
1 adult, in a 1-bed, city centre, at a moderate lifestyle, without a car. You can change all of that in the live tool.
What is the number one cities where you do not need a car?
Singapore, Singapore, with a 82% match and a modelled monthly cost of $3,676 for this household. The best-run city in Asia with low taxes and top-tier healthcare — housing and car ownership are the exceptions.