Australians have a reputation for being easygoing, and Condé Nast Traveller's readers have now made it official. In the 2026 Readers' Choice Awards for the friendliest cities on the planet, Melbourne takes the number one spot with a score of 98.52, with Perth close behind in sixth. Portugal also punches hard, landing two cities in the top five.
Melbourne's appeal, according to the poll, goes beyond sunny pleasantries. The city pairs Victorian-era architecture with a thriving coffee scene, bars tucked into graffiti-splashed laneways, and a strong artsy identity that readers say feels almost European. Add excellent public transport and a famously good work-life balance, and it's clear why locals came out smiling. Perth earns its place for a different flavour of warmth: outdoor living, long lunches in leafy suburbs and weekend barbecues on Cottesloe Beach.
Portugal is the quiet star of the list. Porto, second overall on 98.33, has become a favourite city-break destination where sharing petiscos — small plates — with locals in a neighbourhood tascas is part of the experience. Lisbon climbed from eighth to fourth (97.50), luring visitors with its seven hills, yellow trams, hand-painted azulejo tiles and soulful fado music. Cape Town, meanwhile, slipped from third to tenth but still makes the cut, alongside Bangkok, Buenos Aires, Jaipur and Seoul.
What unites all ten is the small stuff: a restaurant owner talking you through the menu, a stranger helping you decode the subway, shopkeepers in Jaipur's Johari Bazaar eager to explain their textiles over chai. In Seoul, readers highlighted the culture of respect that turns a vast, fast city into a welcoming one; in Bangkok, the smiles the country is famous for; in Buenos Aires, conversations that spill onto the pavement over mate.
For travellers, this list works as a genuine shortcut. If warm human contact matters as much as sights and food — and for most of us it does — these cities reward curiosity. Ask questions in Porto, linger at a braai in Cape Town, accept help on the Tokyo-of-the-East Seoul metro. Friendliness, it turns out, is a destination feature worth planning around.
