10 Best Cities for Millennials

It shouldn’t be surprising but millennials are willing to do whatever it takes to live in expensive cities, rather than opt for a life in the suburbs. Nestpick, a German-based apartment-hunting site, looked at multiple factors — everything from cost of living, accessibility to public transportation and employment opportunities, to beer affordability, Internet speed and number of Apple stores per capita.

The largest generation in history has big dreams on where they set up their roots. Here’s the Top 10 cities in which they hope to make that happen.

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10. Vancouver, Canada

Perhaps housing costs don't factor in more heavily since it now takes the average person 23 years to save for a 20 per cent down payment on a home in Metro Vancouver. Other Canadian cities finishing in the Top 100 include Montreal (No. 15), Toronto (No. 24) and Ottawa (No. 36).

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9. Paris, France

Apparently, tourism matters to millennials — at least in the sense that if there are high levels of tourism in a city, there will be plenty of entry level jobs available to them, not to mention all the younger crowds entering it. But where Paris gets a perfect 10 is in its health ranking. Millennials are highly health conscious, and access to decent healthcare and fitness options, a big deal in Paris — are important to them.

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8. Cologne, Germany

Gender equality is a big deal for millennials and Cologne is highly ranked in the Global Gender Gap Report, believing that one gender isn't superior to another. Also, Cologne has a hopping night scene and millennials love to party.

Colourful buildings along Lyon's Saone River

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7. Lyon, France

It seems surprising that the historic city made the Top 10 but the country's Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region was tops for health, like Paris, so it totally makes sense.

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6. Barcelona, Spain

Barcelona's LGBT-friendliness, a key factor for millennials who, as Nestpick points out, are defined by "their tolerant, open and live-and-let-live mindsets," combined with its tourism score is what put the city just out of the Top 5.

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5. Antwerp, Belgium

Antwerp has all the modern amenities a millennial needs in life: fast Internet speed (both personally and professionally), access to contraception, and the number of Apple Stores per capita. For real.

People eating, milling around Lisbon street

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4. Lisbon, Portugal

Everyone has to eat but, surprisingly, Lisbon is the highest-rated foodie city in the Top 10. The ranking was based upon the affordability of the monthly cost of food. And those who eat also love to drink, and the city's beer affordability is what put Portugal's capital in the Top 5.

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3. Munich, Germany

In order to move anywhere, savvy millennials need to make sure that working there is an option. And Munich is definitely the place to go, thanks to its employment opportunities and/or chances for professional advancement. The startup scene is high in Munich, as is gender equality so it's no wonder they want to move there.

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2. Berlin, Germany

Millennials like to work hard AND play hard, so considering Berlin is tops for its nightlife (based on the number of clubs and the opening times), it's no wonder it's in the No. 2 spot.