The Burrow
Feb 4, 2026
You can be a creative anywhere in the world, but certain places naturally inspire creativity and provide the ideal environment for creative careers to thrive.
Many creatives look for spaces with lively cultural scenes featuring galleries, gigs, studios, and theatres, and picturesque spaces with beautiful greenery.
However, a city can only support creatives if the cost of living is affordable and there are opportunities for career development. That’s why, as home loan comparison experts, Compare the Market has explored the best places for creatives to live, comparing factors such as art galleries and studios, availability of creative jobs, and cost of living measures.
With the right balance of stability and culture, creative professionals – from artists to digital entrepreneurs – can find their footing and build long-lasting careers in some of the below cities.
To find the top creative destinations, we analysed 70 cities across the globe. Here’s what we found.
Lisbon takes the lead in the rankings, earning a total score of 66.23 out of 100. The Portuguese capital offers an impressive 20.89 coworking spaces per 100,000 people – the highest in our global ranking – making it ideal for those who rely on collaborative workspaces. With 2.38 creative jobs per 100,000 people, the city showcases a healthy job market for creative professionals.
With a cost of living index of 53.9, Lisbon is one of the more affordable creative hubs. The city’s cultural offerings include 25.65 art galleries per 100,000 people and 7.15 theatres per 100,000 people, providing an inspiring atmosphere for creatives.
Paris is a global hub for creatives, with an interesting cultural heritage, many coworking spaces and significant salary potential. The city shines with 21.68 creative jobs per 100,000 people, indicating a vibrant job market for creatives.
Known as the “City of Light”, Paris leads the pack with 28.47 art galleries per 100,000 people, the highest in the study, as well as 7.75 theatres per 100,000 people.
Amsterdam takes the third spot in our list thanks to its thriving cultural scene, stunning scenery and low noise and light pollution levels.
Amsterdam is known for its stunning environment, with one of the highest qualities of green space (84.95 on the index) and 18.04 art galleries per 100,000 people. Although cost of living is ranked relatively high, with an index of 81.1, its balanced by a robust average monthly salary of AUD $8,208. Creatives benefit from a rich cultural scene, and the city’s infrastructure supports a strong freelance and startup culture, further enhancing its appeal.
The creative scene differs across Australia, but the quality of green space and minimal noise and light pollution is strong across the board.
Toowoomba is the best Australian city for creatives, ranking 21st globally with a score of 42.32. It stands out for its exceptional quality of green space, and a strong healthcare system index of 82.64. The city offers 2.63 creative jobs per 100,000 people, which may be lower than some larger cities, but it provides a good balance of opportunity and quality of life. The cost of living index is 54.5, making it an affordable option for creatives looking to settle down in a peaceful environment.
Though Toowoomba has room for growth in its cultural infrastructure, it still boasts a decent number of art galleries (4.6 per 100,000 people) and paint & pottery studios (1.97 per 100,000 people).
Cairns ranks 22nd globally with a blossoming cultural scene making it an inspiring space for creative professionals to live and work.
The city is noted for its cultural richness, with 10.42 art galleries per 100,000 people and 3.68 paint & pottery studios per 100,000 people. These numbers indicate a vibrant arts scene for its size. Cairns also provides a relatively moderate cost of living (67.9 index) and a solid average monthly salary of AUD $6,366.
Darwin ranks 26th globally with a score of 39.24, thanks to its unique offerings for creatives. It boasts the highest number of art galleries per 100,000 people in Australia at 15.16, alongside 2.17 theatres per 100,000 people. The city’s average monthly salary is AUD $6,632, which is above the Australian average. With a cost of living index of 70.6, Darwin is relatively affordable compared to other major Australian cities
While many cities around the world have become hotspots for creatives, some cities rank lower due to a variety of challenges, from high living costs to limited cultural infrastructure. These cities may offer certain benefits but fall short in areas that are potentially crucial for long-term creative careers.
Belgrade, Serbia, sits at the bottom of the list with a low cost of living score, accompanied by a similarly low salary average, making it difficult for creatives to make a sustainable living. The city also lacks sufficient creative spaces like galleries and theatres, and its green spaces are ranked as poorer quality, which can limit inspiration for artists.
Athens, Greece, ranks poorly despite having 12.68 creative jobs per 100,000 people, a strong indicator of opportunities for those in creative fields. However, this is offset by a relatively low monthly salary and a high cost of living, making it an expensive place for creatives to live comfortably. The city’s cultural scene is not as developed as some other European cities, and its quality of green space is also the lowest among the cities measured, which can make it less conducive to a creative lifestyle.
Los Angeles, while an iconic city known for its entertainment industry, ranks poorly in this list due to its high living costs. Despite offering a good number of coworking spaces and creative jobs, the cost of living index at 81.4 places it as one of the most expensive cities for creatives. The arts scene, though prominent in certain areas, is less diverse compared to other cities with more robust cultural venues and lower living expenses.
In Australia, Geelong ranks the lowest among the cities analysed. While it offers some coworking spaces and creative job opportunities, it struggles with affordability and has a relatively underdeveloped cultural scene. Without a well-established network of galleries, theatres, or creative spaces, Geelong doesn’t offer the same level of creative infrastructure as larger Australian cities.
Stephen Zeller, General Manager of Money at Compare the Market, emphasises that for creatives looking to settle in a new city, managing both inspiration and practicality is key to long-term success.
“Creatives often thrive in environments where their work is nurtured by both cultural vibrancy and liveability,” says Mr. Zeller.
“When essential services are accessible and everyday costs are manageable, artists can focus on their craft without the stress of financial uncertainty.
“For creatives planning to settle down, comparing home loans can be a great way to look for an option most suitable for their financial situation. Compare the Market makes it easy to understand and compare home loan options, so creatives can make informed decisions as they put down roots in a city that supports both their lifestyle and creativity.”
This dataset ranks 70 cities worldwide, comprised of 15 Australian cities, 20 US cities, and 35 European cities, based on how suitable they are for creatives, using 10 key factors. Each factor’s data was collected and normalised to a score between 0 and 1. If data was missing, a score of 0 was given. These scores were then combined to give each city a total score out of 100, and cities were ranked from highest to lowest.
The factors used are as follows:
The factors were indexed as follows:
All data is correct as of 13/01/26. The ranking data shown is a compilation of multiple data sources and may not be representative of real life. All data is accurate with regard to the sources provided.
All USD to AUD conversions were done using an exchange rate of 1 USD = 1.68 AUD.
2025 data can be found here.