21 ways Montréal ranks at the top
Isa Tousignant
This article was published on January 30, 2024.
In the vast tapestry of global destinations, Montréal emerges as a beacon of cultural richness, safety and innovation. And boy, does it get accolades! Let’s explore the city’s illustrious achievements across 21 prestigious rankings that showcase its diverse appeal.
OVERALL APPEAL
Among Travel + Leisure’s best cities in Canada
Travel + Leisure readers voted for the best cities in Canada, and Montréal took 2nd place — after Quebec City, which has held 1st place for 7 years running — for its combination of small-town hospitality, major urban centre culture and healthy dose of nature.
Lonely Planet’s third best city in the world
Lonely Planet reaffirms Montréal’s global allure, ranking it as the third Best City in the World in its Best in Travel 2024 guide. The leading travel guide cited Montréal’s distinctive features, including its culinary wonders, festivals, and cultural attractions, as well as the picturesque green spaces and breathtaking views from Mount Royal and Parc Jean-Drapeau.
One of Travellers’ Choice Top 10 most popular Canadian destinations
Montréal figures on the annual Best of the Best list by Travellers’ Choice for, among other things, its status as the cultural capital of Canada and its cosmopolitan celebration of Québécois style.
Among the world’s most affordable big cities
Mercer’s Cost of Living Survey provides current, extensive and reliable data on the relative affordability of cities worldwide, and Montréal has once again made the list. The city sits at No. 135 among the most affordable big cities in the world.
ARTS & CULTURE
Among Time Out’s top international cities for culture
Time Out rated the world’s top 20 cities for arts and culture, and Montréal came 12th globally, and second in North America. The ranking was based on votes from 21,000 readers and cited Montréal’s festivals, Quartier des Spectacles arts district and endless offerings of entertaining things to do.
The world’s 13th best city for graffiti art
Based on social data, Bombing Science listed 99 cities around the world as the best places for seeing (and fostering) graffiti art, and among them, Montréal ranked at an impressive No. 13 — one of only two Canadian cities, with Toronto, to make the Top 25.
INDUSTRY & INNOVATION
Officially a City of the Future
Montréal places 17th among the cities of its size worldwide in the Cities of the Future Index, a study that ranks metropolises using technology to create a sustainable tomorrow. We ranked fourth worldwide for green energy and second worldwide for green buildings!
One of the world’s best startup ecosystems
Startup Genome ranked the world’s best ecosystems for the fostering of startups, and Montréal took 36th place among the nearly 300 cities considered. It was recognized for its strategic location, highly educated talent, innovative spirit, high level of performance and attractiveness for both entrepreneurs and investors.
Montréal ranks among the world’s smartest cities
The annual Smart City Index assesses urban settings that apply technology to enhance the benefits and diminish the shortcomings of urbanization for its citizens, and on the 2023 index Montréal ranks 69th among the 141 top smart cities globally for its economic and technological progress, quality of life, environment and inclusiveness.
SUSTAINABILITY
Among Tripadvisor’s Best of the Best sustainable cities
Tripadvisor’s prestigious Travelers’ Choice Best of the Best 2024 named Montréal 13th best sustainable city in the world, on a list including such illustrious sustainable destinations as Copenhagen, Helsinki, Singapore and Zurich. This distinction reflects the destination’s ongoing commitment to sustainability and its positive impact on the traveller experience.
No. 1 on the Sustainable Cities Index
Montréal came first in the annual Sustainable Cities Index put out by Compare the Market, based on the fact that 99.95% of energy used in the city coming from renewable sources. Our Sustainable Montreal Plan 2016-2020 in particular was recognized, a collaborative effort from over 200 local organizations.
Driving progress re: sustainable mobility
Montréal ranked 26th worldwide on a list of 60 top cities for its capacity to lead sustainable mobility’s next chapter, on the road toward zero emission. The Oliver Wyman Forum, in partnership with the University of California, Berkeley, produced the index based on infrastructure, social impact, market attractiveness, systems efficiency and innovation.
INCLUSIVITY & ACCESSIBILITY
Officially the world’s second safest city
Montréal nabbed second place in the 2024 list of world’s safest cities to visit produced annually by Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection. The ratings are based on information including the most recent safe-cities index from The Economist, city ratings from GeoSure Global and the Current Crime Index from Numbeo.
North America’s top city for well-being
Based on a selection of 77 major cities across the globe, each measured against 15 wellbeing metrics (including cost of living, gender equality, city innovation and green spaces), Currys PC World Wellbeing Index declared Montréal ranked as No. 1 in North America and No. 11 worldwide — ahead of Toronto, Copenhagen, Florence and Tokyo.
One of North America’s most sexually liberated city
Ooh la la! Montréal was decreed the 9th most sexually liberated city in the world by Lust Mag, based on extensive data from a range of categories including openness, diversity and safety. Montréal is the third most liberated city in North America.
EDUCATION & TALENT
Among Canada’s best student cities
Hello Safe considered 47 cities in their ranking this year, and Montréal took second place overall based on 18 criteria combining academic excellence, student life, quality of life and attractiveness.
Among Studee’s top student cities in North America
Coming in second place in North America, Montréal ranks at No. 6 worldwide in Studee’s best student cities list. Among its winning features they listed the city’s strong levels of free speech, safety and a below-average cost of living.
North America’s best city for remote work
Montréal topped the list of all North American cities — and came No. 2 worldwide! — for how easy it is to work remotely here, according to the global index created by WorkMotion. The index uses data to determine attractiveness, employment compliance, cost of living, infrastructure and liveability.
TRANSPORTATION
A pedestrian city par excellence
Walk Score classed Montréal near the top of its list of walkable cities for its historic, distinctly European style architecture, its modern downtown, and its tree lined neighbourhoods that are so pleasant to stroll through.
Montréal’s public transport system voted among the world’s best
Time Out asked locals to rank their public transport systems, and Montréal ranked among the best in the globe. The top 19 cities, ranging from Berlin to Mumbai, all have one thing in common: their public transportation is accessible, affordable and dependable. In Montréal, 83 percent of locals said the city is easy to explore via public transit.
Montréal airport is among the best, says Skytrax
Skytrax ranked the Montréal-Trudeau International Airport’s staff as the top in North America, in recognition of the combined quality of staff service (attitude, friendliness, efficiency) delivered across front-line positions at an airport.
Skytrax also named Montréal-Trudeau International Airport one of the Top 5 airports in North America (and the Top 50 globally), and among the top 10 cleanest airports in North America for how they maintain the highest standards of hygiene.
Isa Tousignant
Isa Tousignant is a Montréal-based editor and storyteller with a curiosity that runs deeper than most. She has chatted life philosophies with celebrity chefs, gemologists, arena rockers and furries. (All were transformative.) Her free time is spent designing jewellery and laughing at her husband’s jokes.