Tokyo is the best city in the world, according to Monocle’s 2015 Quality of Life survey.

Rising from second place in 2014, Tokyo claimed the coveted top spot due to its defining paradox of heart-stopping size and concurrent feeling of peace and quiet. Portland was the only U.S. city to make the list, in 25th place after ranking 23rd the past two years.

Cities are evaluated based on a combination of culture, tolerance, green space, connectivity and safety.

“We’ve added 22 new metrics, including several that look at housing and the cost of living, from the price of a three-bedroom house to the cost of a coffee, glass of wine and decent lunch,” explained Monocle editor-in-chief Tyler Brule. “We’ve also put more emphasis on access to the outdoors.”

The 2015 Quality of Life Survey is, for the first time, exclusively sponsored by AkzoNobel and forms part of the company’s global Human Cities initiative.

“We’ve made a clear commitment to helping urban areas become more inspiring, energizing and vibrant for people across the world,” said AkzoNobel CEO Ton Büchner. “So we’re delighted to support this survey of the world’s most liveable cities, which offers inspiration for urban communities everywhere to create more human environments.”

While data-canvassing elements such as crime, healthcare, state-funded education and business climate remain the backbone of the Quality of Life Survey, it’s the “liveability assessment” that makes it truly unique. Supplied by Monocle’s correspondents on the ground, intangibles such as commitment to culture, closing time of bars, price of a good lunch and proximity to seas, lakes and mountains can make all the difference to a city and those who call it home.

The system resulted in Vienna claiming the second spot and Berlin rising an impressive 11 places to take bronze. Melbourne and Sydney complete the top five, in fourth and fifth respectively.

Here’s the top 25 in full: 1 Tokyo; 2 Vienna; 3 Berlin; 4 Melbourne; 5 Sydney; 6 Stockholm; 7 Vancouver; 8 Helsinki; 9 Munich; tied 10 Zurich; tied 10 Copenhagen; 12 Fukuoka; 13 Singapore; 14 Kyoto; 15 Paris; 16 Madrid; 17 Auckland; 18 Lisbon; 19 Hong Kong; 20 Amsterdam; 21 Hamburg; 22 Geneva; 23 Oslo; 24 Barcelona; 25 Portland.

The Monocle Quality of Life Survey in association with AkzoNobel appears in the July/August double issue, which will be available from June 18.

© Business Wire