Metropolis Now: Monocle's 25 Most Livable Cities. Honolulu ranks 13 and Portland 22 in the USA.

Tyler Brule:

There's nothing quite like the release of an urban quality of life index to send property developers into a spin and city halls into fits of rage. Locals (who won't hear a bad thing said about their beloved Chicago, faultless Frankfurt, impeccable Seattle or perfect Perth) can "lose it" when it's announced that their city is not the best place to live in the world - or even in the top 10. If you're prone to violent outbursts when others find that your hometown isn't quite as great as you think it is then I should perhaps guide you to another part of FT Weekend, as Monocle magazine's annual global quality of life survey is about to be published and only 25 cities make the cut.

House & Home has the exclusive on the winning cities and a bit of insight on why homebuyers might want to consider relocating to Munich rather than Hamburg or Helsinki over Oslo. The full ranking (complete with breakdowns, metrics and honourable mentions) goes on sale next week.

Now in its fourth year, the survey takes a slightly different tack on ranking the best cities to call home using measurements that go beyond the basics of crime statistics and cost of living such as hours of sunshine, ease of setting up a business and global connectivity (direct, non-stop flights). For 2010 it took a look at what mayors have in store for their citizens, factoring in big infrastructure initiatives on the horizon and also how diverse a city's streetscape is in terms of independent retailers and restaurants - too many chain stores and a city lost points.