Best Places Around The World To Live While In Your 20s

Your twenties are all about exploring the world and experiencing different cultures. Here are the best cities you should explore.

Published On Feb 24, 2025 | Updated On Feb 25, 2025

Image

Navigating your life through your 20s can be quite a challenge. An especially confusing yet novelty-filled stage of life, your 20s is all about making the right career move, moving out of your parental spaces, and building new friendships while also maintaining old ones. Slightly bittersweet and a mix of everything, 20s are a great decade, honestly. 

Despite the burden of brand new responsibilities and all the adulting that one has to invariably face, your twenties can actually prove to be quite beautiful. With new and exciting life decisions and a newfound freedom, the stage of life of being in your twenties should be all about exploring. Whether that is in terms of new cultures, new workspaces, or just new experiences, this decade is all about putting yourself out there. 

While New York City in the US as well as Toronto and London are considered as some of the best places to live in your 20s, with the rising living standards, more and more young people are now in search of much more affordable options where they can ideally explore life. With regards to that, what we have mentioned below some of the finest cities that offer a good life and one doesn't need to pay an exorbitant amount just to exist in these places. 

So, here are some of the best places to live in your 20s for better inspiration and great excitement.

Image

The perfect city to live in for those who are currently in their 20s, Berlin has some great opportunities whether you are someone who intends to continue with their academics or get into work. A relatively affordable city to live in compared to all the other European cities, Berlin is the thriving capital of Germany and makes space among the best places to live in your 20s. 

A vibrant cultural destination as well, Berlin is also ideal for all the creative minds out there, because this city is as artsy as it gets. Among the best affordable places to live in your 20s, the culture of Berlin seamlessly balances one’s personal and work lives. Also renowned for its incredible nightlife and amazing club scene, Berlin makes for just the right place to figure out yourself and the kind of person that you are.

Image

A picture perfect city to live in while in your 20s, Amsterdam is a great place to connect yourself with the international creative culture. Full of museums and walkable streets that are also ideal for cycling purposes, the various canals in Amsterdam gives the city a low key Venice feel. Offering high quality lifestyle and work opportunities, even the people in this city are quite liberal and open minded.

Image

A great place to be while trying to figure out your life during your 20s, Melbourne also makes a great place among the best affordable places to live in your 20s. Boasting of a rather carefree lifestyle, where you are able to maintain your own autonomy, this city also has some really great career opportunities that one can always look forward to. 

For those planning to expand on their academics, the various educational institutes and programs also make up for good opportunities worth considering. Moreover, the creative industry in Melbourne is booming right now, with a more contemporary and artsy culture and lifestyle, Melbourne definitely makes for the perfect place to be in your 20s.

Apart from these, there are also certain cities across the world that have grown into favourites in the past five years

Image

A gorgeous city and among the recent favourites for those in their 20s, Lisbon is also one of the best affordable places to live in your 20s. Boasting of great weather, with stunning architecture that alludes a historic charm, the lifestyle in Lisbon is rather slow. An ideal place to discover the kind of person that you are, Lisbon also has a range of exciting opportunities for you to explore.

Image

An upcoming city and one of the best known destinations globally, Dubai has very quickly established a great position for itself as among the best cities for people in their 20s. Up until a few years ago, Dubai was considered to be a place only for the rich and the privileged, but with the change of scenarios and situations, Dubai has established itself as a premier destination for youngsters as even the government is attracting more and more young people to live in the city now.

Apart from these world cities, here are some of the best places to live in your 20s in India

Image

Recognised as the financial capital of India, Mumbai is rightly known as the City of Dreams and this is one place you absolutely need to be while in your 20s. Although the living costs in Mumbai are comparatively high as compared to the other Indian cities, we promise you that it's worth every penny and something that you can indulge only while in your 20s. Boasting of a fast paced lifestyle, Mumbai offers a range of career opportunities and has the most thriving scene of arts and culture.

Image

Have you really enjoyed and explored your 20s if you have not stayed in Bengaluru for a little while? Often called the ‘Silicon Valley of India’, Bengaluru is a city that has it all. Boasting of the highest concentration of startups and established companies, Bengaluru is a perfect place to be for working professionals. Besides, good weather and a thriving nightlife (along with plenty of travel opportunities around) make it an ideal space for anyone who wants to move and explore the lifestyle there. 


Photo: Shutterstock