Jakarta ranks 53rd in World's Best Cities 2026
Jakarta has secured 53rd place globally in the 2026 World’s Best Cities list released by Brussels-based consultancy Resonance Consultancy. The ranking places the Indonesian capital above Washington DC, United States, which sits at 57th, while Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates is ranked 86th.
Resonance President & CEO Chris Fair stated that Jakarta’s success is driven by its tourism appeal, social media popularity, and improved transport connectivity. Despite this, Jakarta still trails cities such as Guangzhou, China; Bogota, Colombia; and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. London, New York, and Paris occupy the top three positions.
Fair noted that Jakarta, the world’s second most populous metropolitan area, continues to grow despite challenges including land subsidence and the relocation of the capital city status to Nusantara. “Yes, the capital city status will move to Nusantara. However, Jakarta’s economic centre of gravity will not shift,” he explained.
He observed that Jakarta’s main strength lies in its lovability or city appeal, ranking 28th globally in that category—far higher than its overall position. This appeal is bolstered by photogenic tourism areas and public spaces, such as the revitalised Kota Tua, rooftop venues in SCBD, and the Pantai Indah Kapuk waterfront area. Various festivals, entertainment centres, and family destinations also propelled Jakarta into the global top 10 for Shopping and Family-Friendly Attractions.
Jakarta’s social media popularity is also notable, placing ninth worldwide for Instagram posts and eighth for TikTok videos. Beyond tourism and entertainment, Resonance assessed that Jakarta’s transport connectivity continues to improve. The Jabodebek LRT is increasingly integrated with other transport modes, while construction of MRT Jakarta Phase 2 towards the Kota area is ongoing. The Soekarno-Hatta Airport Rail Link is also seen as facilitating public mobility to and from the city centre.
On the economic front, Resonance recorded strong investment inflows into the Jakarta metropolitan area. The development of data centres in the Bekasi-Cikarang corridor to support cloud computing and artificial intelligence needs, along with premium office building construction in the Sudirman-Thamrin, Kuningan, and TB Simatupang areas, serve as indicators of robust economic activity in the capital.
The World’s Best Cities 2026 ranking employs the Place Power Score methodology, combining city performance data with global public perception. The assessment covers three main pillars: livability, lovability, and prosperity, measured through 46 metrics across 30 categories. This data is then combined with an Ipsos survey of over 21,000 respondents in 31 countries regarding cities they most want to visit, live in, and consider offering the best job opportunities.