Switzerland ranks 5th in 2026 Quality of Life Index
Alexandru Staiu / Shutterstock.com
By
Clara Bousfield
Simone Jacobs
Switzerland has retained its spot as the fifth-best country for quality of life in 2026, according to Numbeo’s Quality of Life Index. The alpine nation ranks well due to its purchasing power, safety and climate.
Numbeo 2026 Quality of Life Index
The yearly Numbeo Quality of Life Index ranks 89 countries worldwide, comparing factors that determine the quality of life. Countries were analysed across several categories, including purchasing power, pollution, housing affordability, cost of living, safety, healthcare quality, commute times and climate.
In 2026, the Netherlands claimed the number one spot in the world, with Denmark and Luxembourg following close behind. At the bottom of the ranking are Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Nigeria.
The Quality of Life Index doesn’t only compare countries, but also takes a look at cities. The Hague was named the best city in the world for quality of life, followed by Utrecht and Eindhoven in the Netherlands.
Switzerland ranks 5th in 2026 Quality of Life survey
In 2026, Switzerland takes fifth spot in Numbeo’s Quality of Life survey, marking no change from the 2025 ranking. In 2023, Switzerland ranked third for quality of life, subsequently dropping to seventh in 2024 and climbing back up to fifth in 2025.
Switzerland’s ranking was boosted by its high scores for purchasing power, safety and climate. Unsurprisingly, the alpine nation’s score was brought down by the property price to income ratio and the cost of living.
Estimated monthly costs for a family of four living in Switzerland are over 5.100 Swiss francs, excluding rent. The cost of living is steep too, reaching over 66 percent higher, on average, when compared to the US, according to Numbeo.
No Swiss cities made it into the top 10 this year; Basel ranked 15th, Bern 19th, Zurich 24th, Geneva 25th and Lausanne 27th.
Top 10 countries and cities for quality of life in 2026
In all, here are the top 10 countries for quality of life in 2026:
- The Netherlands
- Denmark
- Luxembourg
- Oman
- Switzerland
- Finland
- Austria
- Germany
- Iceland
- Norway
And the top 10 cities:
- The Hague, the Netherlands
- Utrecht, the Netherlands
- Eindhoven, the Netherlands
- Groningen, the Netherlands
- Rotterdam, the Netherlands
- Luxembourg, Luxembourg
- Vienna, Austria
- Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Gent, Belgium
- Nuremberg, Germany
For the full ranking, visit Numbeo’s website.
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Clara Bousfield
Editor at IamExpat Media
Editor for the Netherlands at IamExpat Media. Simone studied Genetics and Zoology at the University of Pretoria in South Africa before moving to the Netherlands, where she has been working as a writer and editor since 2022. One thing she loves more than creating content is consuming it, mainly by reading books by the dozen. Other than being a book dragon, she is also a nature lover and enjoys hiking and animal training.Read more