Tech Cities Index | RS Australia

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The Best Cities for Tech Lovers

What are the best cities for

'Technology' is defined as 'The application of scientific knowledge for practical purposes', which, when it comes to improving a city’s living standards, sounds pretty appealing.

Cities these days are becoming more tech aware, especially as they fully realise the potential of what modern, innovative technology can add to a city. However, as some cities are still catching up, others are already pushing the boundaries in making their city as tech-friendly as possible.

As a technology-focused company, we wanted to find out which cities around the globe are a tech lover’s paradise, and which cities are currently unplugged, off-the-grid, and sorely in need of a technological makeover.

In order to measure our chosen cities and countries, we had to create an index that looked at multiple different tech-related factors, and you can find the top scoring cities below.

Fixed Broadband Speed

Mobile Speed

Cybersecurity Commitment

ICT Development

Quality of Living

Average Tech Salary

Property Affordability

Gender Pay Gap in Tech

Electric Car Charging Points

Commute Time

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Tech index

Fixed Broadband Speed

Mobile Speed

Cybersecurity Commitment

ICT Development

Quality of Living

Average Tech Salary

Property Affordability

Gender Pay Gap in Tech

Electric Car Charging Points

Commute Time

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Total
Tech Essentials
Life
Travel
Rank
City
Country
Tech index
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1
Amsterdam
Netherlands
7.22
1.78
8.79
7.16
9.09
8.89
4.46
7.79
6.19
9.63
8.47
2
Philadelphia
United States
7.19
6.42
4.41
9.9
8.3
5.05
6.58
9.47
9.9
~
4.66
3
Oslo
Norway
7.06
3.92
10
7.61
9.04
7.58
6.1
7.21
5.35
6.81
6.98
4
Geneva
Switzerland
6.97
6.95
6.48
6.6
9.72
9.29
7.48
7.7
5.27
0.54
9.66
5
Zurich
Switzerland
6.96
7.01
6.48
6.6
9.72
9.9
9.03
7.79
5.27
0.65
7.13
6
Seattle
United States
6.94
6.49
4.41
9.9
8.3
5.66
8.81
9.02
9.9
1.96
4.94
7
Berlin
Germany
6.89
7.65
4.22
5.77
8.83
8.79
5.06
7.86
4.66
8.23
7.82
8
St. Louis
United States
6.88
8.76
4.41
9.9
8.3
3.03
5.95
9.74
9.9
0.3
8.46
9
Dallas
United States
6.86
2.71
4.41
9.9
8.3
3.84
6.41
9.65
9.9
~
6.64
10
Minneapolis
United States
6.82
7.52
4.41
9.9
8.3
3.94
6.33
9.53
9.9
0.82
7.55
11
Basel
Switzerland
6.82
8.54
6.48
6.6
9.72
9.09
8.29
~
5.27
0.54
~
12
Honolulu
United States
6.78
7.11
4.41
9.9
8.3
6.46
6.64
8.01
9.9
1.62
5.45
13
Hamburg
Germany
6.66
7.05
4.22
5.77
8.83
8.18
4.7
8.06
4.66
7.2
7.95
14
San Francisco
United States
6.65
2.55
4.41
9.9
8.3
7.07
10
7.19
9.9
1.88
5.27
15
New York
United States
6.64
2.35
4.41
9.9
8.3
5.56
8.42
7.18
9.9
5.5
4.94
16
Toronto
Canada
6.59
4.45
7.36
8.16
7.26
8.48
4.45
7.6
6.14
~
5.38
17
Boston
United States
6.58
4.14
4.41
9.9
8.3
6.57
7.44
7.68
9.9
2.59
4.88
18
Lyon
France
6.54
10
5.32
8.18
8.45
6.06
3.15
7.92
8.7
1.1
~
19
Chicago
United States
6.52
4.57
4.41
9.9
8.3
5.35
6.69
9.34
9.9
1.47
5.31
20
Houston
United States
6.51
6.55
4.41
9.9
8.3
3.64
6.48
9.69
9.9
0.82
5.38
21
Copenhagen
Denmark
6.47
6.68
7.16
4.71
9.64
9.19
5.01
8.17
4.38
1.36
8.38
22
Ottawa
Canada
6.4
3.7
7.36
8.16
7.26
8.18
6.47
9.01
6.14
0.45
7.3
23
Stuttgart
Germany
6.39
7.82
4.22
5.77
8.83
7.27
5.04
8.1
4.66
3.94
8.23
24
Pittsburgh
United States
6.37
4.36
4.41
9.9
8.3
4.55
5.29
9.85
9.9
0.78
~
25
Washington
United States
6.35
2.56
4.41
9.9
8.3
5.25
8.81
8.9
9.9
0.02
5.44
26
Bern
Switzerland
6.34
4.9
6.48
6.6
9.72
8.69
8.78
~
5.27
0.26
~
27
Edinburgh
United Kingdom
6.31
6.52
4.32
7.56
9.49
5.45
3.17
8.2
7.96
1.08
9.34
28
Miami
United States
6.3
6.1
4.41
9.9
8.3
3.64
5.9
8.82
9.9
0.95
5.06
29
Brisbane
Australia
6.28
2.43
8.06
8.26
8.45
6.36
4.31
8.56
4.31
~
5.78
30
Singapore
Singapore
6.23
9.72
8.36
10
7.97
7.58
2.6
4.72
~
0.11
5.05
31
Wellington
New Zealand
6.22
3.93
6.3
6.44
8.68
8.59
4.28
8.79
6.34
0.11
8.79
32
Atlanta
United States
6.21
3.77
4.41
9.9
8.3
3.74
6.4
9.62
9.9
1.47
4.57
33
London
United Kingdom
6.15
2.21
4.32
7.56
9.49
5.96
4.93
4.72
7.96
10
4.37
34
Paris
France
6.15
6.43
5.32
8.18
8.45
6.16
3.9
5.84
8.7
3.17
5.36
35
Canberra
Australia
6.14
2.12
8.06
8.26
8.45
7.07
4.42
8.7
4.31
0.04
10
36
Los Angeles
United States
6.13
2.8
4.41
9.9
8.3
3.64
7.71
8.16
9.9
2
4.45
37
Calgary
Canada
6.12
3.27
7.36
8.16
7.26
6.77
5.94
9.15
6.14
0.26
6.89
38
Munich
Germany
6.1
5.07
4.22
5.77
8.83
9.8
5.27
6.52
4.66
3.49
7.38
39
Vienna
Austria
6.09
4.06
5.28
5.09
7.89
10
5.46
6.74
5.77
1.38
9.25
40
Detroit
United States
6.09
3.74
4.41
9.9
8.3
2.93
6.15
10
9.9
0.58
4.94
41
Brussels
Belgium
6.06
7.37
7.28
5.64
7.36
7.37
3.38
8.5
4.99
1.42
7.33
42
Stockholm
Sweden
6.06
3.86
6.22
6.7
8.88
7.78
4.59
6.37
8.46
1.77
5.93
43
Vancouver
Canada
6.04
3.96
7.36
8.16
7.26
9.6
4.56
6.26
6.14
1.1
6.05
44
Montreal
Canada
6.04
1.84
7.36
8.16
7.26
7.98
3.7
8.65
6.14
3.06
6.24
45
Perth
Australia
5.96
1.24
8.06
8.26
8.45
7.98
6.11
8.7
4.31
0.39
6.07
46
Sydney
Australia
5.9
2.89
8.06
8.26
8.45
9.09
4.97
7.48
4.31
0.13
5.31
47
Melbourne
Australia
5.88
2.39
8.06
8.26
8.45
8.48
4.58
8
4.31
0.06
6.23
48
Auckland
New Zealand
5.88
3.15
6.3
6.44
8.68
9.8
3.95
7.49
6.34
0.47
6.14
49
Frankfurt
Germany
5.83
1.75
4.22
5.77
8.83
9.39
4.95
8.3
4.66
1.57
8.88
50
Seoul
South Korea
5.73
4.97
6.82
7.54
10
2.12
2.72
5.73
5.51
~
6.16
51
Helsinki
Finland
5.69
2.09
5.54
6.84
7.54
6.87
4
7.51
8.77
0.73
7.03
52
Luxembourg
Luxembourg
5.63
5.31
7.13
4.45
9.04
8.28
5.08
7.68
1.72
0.04
7.57
53
Adelaide
Australia
5.63
2.83
8.06
8.26
8.45
7.17
4.15
~
4.31
0.13
7.27
54
Dublin
Ireland
5.61
6.79
3.26
5.7
7.89
6.67
4.09
7.79
5.85
1.66
6.41
55
Barcelona
Spain
5.6
6.14
5.2
3.02
7.31
5.76
2.82
6.77
7.58
3.32
8.03
56
Glasgow
United Kingdom
5.55
4.38
4.32
7.56
9.49
5.05
3.15
~
7.96
1.55
6.52
57
Birmingham
United Kingdom
5.49
5.43
4.32
7.56
9.49
5.05
3.16
~
7.96
0.93
~
58
Tallinn
Estonia
5.35
4.55
5.41
8.64
8.2
1.31
1.78
7.78
7.66
0.6
7.61
59
Madrid
Spain
5.3
5.86
5.2
3.02
7.31
5.15
2.8
7.85
7.58
1.53
6.74
60
Belfast
United Kingdom
5.14
5.09
4.32
7.56
9.49
3.23
2.74
~
7.96
0.71
~
61
Aberdeen
United Kingdom
5.1
2.25
4.32
7.56
9.49
4.24
4.1
~
7.96
0.88
~
62
Leipzig
Germany
5.02
6.61
4.22
5.77
8.83
4.04
4.39
~
4.66
1.62
~
63
Tokyo
Japan
4.99
2.14
4.28
7.61
8.93
5.05
3.64
6.82
4.62
0.88
5.92
64
Nuremberg
Germany
4.98
2.45
4.22
5.77
8.83
7.78
4.85
~
4.66
1.29
~
65
Lisbon
Portugal
4.91
2.3
4.29
2.84
5.63
6.26
0.54
6.78
10
3.75
6.72
66
Dubai
United Arab Emirates
4.84
1.01
8.33
3.83
5.84
2.63
2.2
9.1
~
~
5.82
67
Riga
Latvia
4.71
3.42
4.45
5.93
5.96
1.01
2.1
7.55
9.54
0.04
7.14
68
Abu Dhabi
United Arab Emirates
4.67
0.88
8.33
3.83
5.84
2.32
2.64
9.01
~
0.06
9.12
69
Nagoya
Japan
4.61
5.02
4.28
7.61
8.93
3.64
2.57
~
4.62
0.22
~
70
Budapest
Hungary
4.6
7.84
7.47
3.28
5.13
2.42
1.5
6.74
3.02
1.9
6.69
71
Yokohama
Japan
4.49
3.51
4.28
7.61
8.93
4.55
2.08
~
4.62
0.34
~
72
Kobe
Japan
4.45
2.86
4.28
7.61
8.93
5.05
1.97
~
4.62
0.3
~
73
Zagreb
Croatia
4.38
2.3
5.67
4.24
5.91
0.2
0.52
7.4
6.07
~
7.13
74
Milan
Italy
4.38
3.16
4.86
4.86
5.41
5.86
2.55
5.8
2.35
2.61
6.3
75
Limassol
Cyprus
4.33
1.26
4.12
2.47
7.26
1.31
1.94
8.97
7.3
~
~
76
Ljubljana
Slovenia
4.27
4.89
4.69
0
6.27
2.53
~
7.19
3.87
0.34
8.61
77
Vilnius
Lithuania
4.24
4.47
5.96
2.77
5.79
1.92
1.04
6.64
1
~
8.55
78
Osaka
Japan
4.14
1.27
4.28
7.61
8.93
4.14
1.98
~
4.62
0.28
~
79
Montevideo
Uruguay
3.98
1.87
3.43
5.22
5.71
2.32
1.9
5.72
~
~
5.64
80
Rome
Italy
3.93
4.08
4.86
4.86
5.41
4.34
2.41
5.14
2.35
1.44
4.44
81
Hong Kong
Hong Kong SAR
3.84
3.83
4.5
4.83
9.39
2.93
2.6
0
~
0.58
5.93
82
Bratislava
Slovakia
3.73
4.24
4.5
0.33
5.46
2.02
~
7.22
1.39
0.5
7.93
83
Warsaw
Poland
3.65
5.71
3.6
4.79
5.03
1.82
1.24
7.42
0
0.45
6.45
84
Prague
Czech Republic
3.65
4.76
0
4.57
5.71
3.13
1.57
6.22
1.91
1.12
7.5
85
Kuala Lumpur
Malaysia
3.57
1.57
2.52
9.45
3.73
1.52
0.17
7.48
~
0.09
5.58
86
Wroclaw
Poland
3.33
3.05
3.6
4.79
5.03
0
1.2
7.97
0
0.28
7.38
87
Athens
Greece
3.27
1.14
5.63
2.27
5.89
1.41
0.86
7.58
1.21
0.09
6.65
88
Santiago
Chile
2.79
0.43
2.64
0.41
4.21
0.81
1.41
6.51
5.07
0.02
6.4
89
Buenos Aires
Argentina
2.77
0.47
2.33
2.39
4.77
0.91
0.02
7.02
~
~
4.23
90
Panama City
Panama
2.74
1.71
2.34
2.44
0
0.4
1.41
6.97
~
~
6.63
Show all results

Explore Map

methodology

The starting list of cities was formed by taking the top 100 cities from Mercer’s Quality of Living Ranking, which is then enriched with additional tech related data points.

Both city level and country level data is used, and in the instance of country level data, the country score is applied to each city within. For example, if Germany has a score of 4.22 for Average Mobile Download Speed, Berlin, Stuttgart, Hamburg etc. all receive 4.22. The breakdown of City and Country level data is as follows:

Country Level

Average mobile download speed

Cybersercurity commitment

ICT development

Gender pay gap in tech

City Level

Avg. fixed broadband download speed

Electric car charging points

Commute time

Quality of living

Average tech salary

Property affordability

This data is then standardised using minmax normalisation:

Each country is ranked accordingly based on their overall average score. In order to further refine the list, cities that are missing more than 2 data points (due to no data available) have been filtered out, leaving a list of 90 cities.

Fixed Broadband Speed

The average score taken from testmy.net and nomadlist.com, both sources of user generated data.

Mobile Speed

Taken from Speedtest.net’s Global Index www.speedtest.net.

Cybersecurity Commitment

Taken from the Global Cyber Securtiy Index 2017

Measures a country’s commitment to cybersecurity, across 25 indicators and 157 questions

ICT Development

Taken from ITU’s Global ICT Development Index

Combines 11 indicators to monitor and compare developments in ICT, such as percentage of individuals using the internet, fixed-broadband subscriptions per 100 inhabitants, active mobile-broadband subscriptions per 100 inhabitants, percentage of households with a computer etc.

Quality of Life

Taken from Mercer’s Quality of Living Ranking

Primarily data on the practicalities of expatriate employees and their families

Average Tech Salary

Taken from Payscale.com.

The Median average salary for a Software Engineer, converted into USD for consistency

Property Affordability

Taken from Numbeo’s Property Prices Index 2018.

Uses the Price to Income Ratio which measures apartment purchase affordability, calculated as the ratio of median apartment prices to media familial disposable income.

Lower value = more affordable thus reversed with score = (value - 10)*-1

Gender Pay Gap In Tech

Taken from Honeypot’s Women in Tech index.

Uses the Gender Pay Gap in Tech Indicator, which looks at the wage gap in the ICT sector. Compares the percentage difference of overall gender pay gap and gender pay gap in Tech.

Electric Car Charging Points

Taken from Open Charge Map.

The number of electric car charging points that are within 5 miles of the city centre.

Commute Time

Taken from Numbeo’s Quality of Life Index

Uses the Traffic Commute Time indicator, which is an average one way time needed to commute, in minutes.

Higher commute time = worse, thus values reversed with score = (value - 10)*-1

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