Hong Kong remains one of the world’s major financial centres, but Deutsche Bank’s latest Mapping the World’s Prices report suggests daily life is becoming harder to score highly.
The 2026 edition, which covers 69 cities across six continents, ranks Hong Kong 55th for quality of life, down from 48th last year, with cost pressures and urban challenges weighing heavily on its position.
The Quality-Of-Life Ranking
The quality-of-life index is not just about income or glamour. Deutsche Bank combines purchasing power, safety, healthcare, cost of living, property-price-to-income ratios, commute time, pollution and climate to create one score.
Luxembourg kept the No. 1 spot for a second year, followed by Copenhagen and Amsterdam, with Vienna and Munich tied in fourth. Frankfurt ranked sixth, ahead of Helsinki, Geneva, Zurich and Edinburgh.
Hong Kong landed far below that top group at 55th, slipping seven places from last year. The report says the city is only two places higher than in 2019, so the improvement has been limited.
Extremely high costs, weak housing affordability, pollution and long commutes all dragged on the score, showing how expensive city life can offset Hong Kong’s global business appeal.
Hong Kong Still Tops Property Price Ranking
Hong Kong also topped another less flattering table: the most expensive city to buy property.
Deutsche Bank’s real estate ranking compares the price (per square metre) to buy a city-centre apartment in US dollars. Hong Kong placed first, ahead of Zurich, Seoul, Singapore and Geneva, even though prices are down 10% from pre-Covid levels.
The report notes that Seoul has climbed to third after prices more than doubled over the past decade, underlining how housing pressure is not unique to Hong Kong. Still, for local buyers, the No. 1 ranking is a familiar reminder of how tough home ownership remains.
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