These Are the Cities With the Best Work-Life Balance

A steady work-life balance is super important for our wellness and our physical and mental health, but it can sometimes be easy to forget. This is especially the case for a lot of people when it comes to working from home, where it’s all too easy to work long into the night or “just quickly check an email” on the weekend.

New research from Kisi has found the cities around the world with the best work-life balance, based on a number of factors from cost of living, the number of vacation days at work, COVID-19 support, green outdoor spaces, and social and leisure activities.

Oslo, Norway came in at number one, with a 100 percent score on the work-life balance scale. Up one place from 2021, the Norwegian Capital city is known for having a splendid work life, giving employees ample vacation days and a high percentage of jobs still offering remote working. Outside of work, Oslo has plenty of lush outdoor spaces—friluftsliv, meaning “outdoor life” is a very important part of Norwegian culture—great access to healthcare, and is generally an affordable place to live compared to other Capital cities.

In second place is Bern, Switzerland. 44.86 percent of jobs are remote and the minimum vacation days offered by employers averages at 20. Bern is a safe city to live in, with relatively low crime rates and great air quality. Taking the bronze medal in the study is Helsinki, Finland, with employers offering a minimum of 25 vacation days, COVID-support, and more than 1,100 paid parental leave days.

When it comes to the cities that are generally overworked and have a poor work-life balance, the study found that Dubai, UAE came out on top. The research found that, although workers get an average of 30 vacation days, 23.40 percent of the population is overworked, completing more than 48 hours per week.