City Report Cards — Grades for Affordability, Safety & More
Every city gets graded. Affordability, safety, weather, internet — the full GPA. No extra credit for vibes.
Chicago
United States · Academic Year 2026
$2409/mo — wallet weeping
18.2/100k — elevated risk
26.67°C summer · -4°C winter low · 53% sunshine
180 Mbps — solid
$86k GDP/cap · 4.2% unemployment · 2.9% inflation
Democracy index 7.8 — solid, some caveats
EF score 650 — basically an Anglophone city
Principal's Comments
“Chicago is solid. Not the flashiest, not the worst. The dependable middle child of cities. There are worse things.”
Grades based on data from Numbeo, UNODC, EIU, World Bank, EF EPI & Ookla Speedtest.
Frequently Asked Questions
How is the city grade calculated?▼
Each grade (A–F) comes from real data: Affordability from Numbeo rent, Safety from UNODC homicide rates, Internet from Ookla Speedtest, Democracy from EIU, Economy from World Bank/IMF, English from EF EPI. An A means top-tier globally for that metric.
Which city gets straight As?▼
No city scores an A in every category — there are always trade-offs. Singapore scores A for safety and internet but C or D for affordability. Chiang Mai scores A for affordability but C for democracy. The report card helps you spot which trade-offs matter least to you.
Which is the safest city in the world to live in?▼
Tokyo, Singapore, Vienna, and Amsterdam earn A grades for safety. Safety grades are based on homicide rates per 100,000 residents (UNODC data) — the most consistent cross-country crime measure.
Which city is most affordable for expats?▼
Southeast Asian cities (Chiang Mai, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur) and Eastern European cities (Tbilisi, Belgrade, Krakow) earn A or B for affordability. Based on city-centre rent from Numbeo — a strong proxy for overall cost of living.
What does a D or F grade mean?▼
Below global average for that metric — not unlivable. A D in affordability (like Zurich or New York) still means a world-class city, just expensive. Use the full report card to understand which trade-offs you're making.