Several cities around the world are more stressful to live in than others, according to a new global ranking by Remitly, which considered factors such as commute times, cost of living, healthcare, safety, and pollution. Manila, Philippines, and Kolkata, India, ranked among the top 10 most stressful cities in 2025, scoring 7.34 and 6.89 out of 10, respectively.
Most Stressful Cities in the World
New York City, United States, tops the list of most stressful cities, driven by a high cost of living, congestion, high crime rates, and pollution. Everyday essentials remain a major financial strain for residents, despite excellent healthcare and cleaner air.
Dublin, Ireland, also ranks high due to lengthy commutes – averaging 32 minutes per 10km – and rising housing prices. Ireland’s house-price-to-income ratio stood at roughly 111 in December 2024, approximately 11% higher than its long-term average.
Mexico City, Mexico, faces challenges with congestion, averaging nearly 32 minutes per 10km for commutes, and a high crime index of 66.8.
Least Stressful Cities in the World
Eindhoven, Netherlands, is ranked as the least stressful city with a score of 2.34 out of 10, benefiting from short commutes – just under 15 minutes for 10km – and a high healthcare index.
Utrecht, Netherlands, closely follows with a score of 2.67, maintaining strong healthcare ratings and lower air pollution levels compared to cities like Kolkata or Manila. Living costs are slightly higher than in Eindhoven, at 74.0.
Canberra, Australia, rounds out the top three, with a score reflecting lower living costs than the Dutch cities, but slightly higher crime scores and lower healthcare quality. The city stands out for its short commutes and exceptionally clean air, recording an annual average PM2.5 level of just 3.9 µg/m³ in 2024.
Stress Factors Across Cities
Average time taken to travel 10km
- Longest: Kolkata, India — 34 minutes, 33 seconds
- Shortest: San Antonio, United States — 10 minutes, 13 seconds
Kolkata, India, records the longest travel time at 34 minutes and 33 seconds, contributing to its high stress score. San Antonio, United States, is the quickest city to navigate, with average journeys taking just 10 minutes and 13 seconds.
Cost of living
- Highest: Basel, Switzerland —119.6 index score
- Lowest: Jaipur, India — 19.2 index score
Basel, Switzerland, has the highest cost of living globally, at almost double the global average of 61.0. Jaipur, India, is the most affordable city in the dataset with an index of 19.2.
Healthcare quality
- Lowest: Cairo, Egypt — 45.8 index score
- Highest: Taipei, Taiwan — 87.1 index score
Taipei, Taiwan, leads global healthcare rankings with a score of 87.1, largely due to its universal National Health Insurance scheme. Cairo, Egypt, posts a score of 45.8, facing funding and staffing constraints in its public healthcare system.
Crime levels
- Highest: Pretoria, South Africa — 81.9 index score
- Lowest: Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates — 11.0 index score
Pretoria, South Africa, records the highest crime index at 81.9. Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, has the lowest crime index at 11.0 and is rated as the safest city in the world in 2025.
Air pollution
- Highest: Jaipur, India – 53.7 µg/m³
- Lowest: Gold Coast, Australia – 2.8 µg/m³
Jaipur, India, records the highest pollution levels at 53.7 µg/m³, nearly five times the global average. Australia’s Gold Coast benefits from cleaner air at just 2.8 µg/m³.
Discover more from Archyworldys
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
