Chiara Zucchelli, 27, ditched stressful London for the world’s most liveable city
A British woman who moved from London to the world’s “most liveable city” says living in Copenhagen has given her back 10 hours of her life every week thanks to less time spent commuting.
Chiara Zucchelli, 27, who holds dual British and Italian citizenship, moved to London from Italy with her parents when she was six and grew up in the city.
However, two years ago she decided to move from Britain to Europe to escape rising rents, poor work-life balance, and long and miserable commutes.
“London was wasting too much time for me, in both work and personal spheres,” Ms Zucchelli, a project manager, said. “It’s so big and hectic and it’s become really unliveable.
“Need to get to work? That probably takes an hour a day if you’re lucky. Need to see a friend from a different area? That’s another hour. Getting from A to B in London is tiring.”
She and her Portuguese partner started shopping around for European cities to live back in 2023.
It was not until their friend, a wig maker at Copenhagen Opera House, convinced them to visit him. A few trips later, they both decided Copenhagen was the right European city for them.
Copenhagen replaced Vienna at the top spot of the 2025 Global Liveability Index from the Economist Intelligence Unit, thanks to its high scores for stability, healthcare, education, infrastructure and culture and the environment.
All the British cities covered in the index – London, Manchester and Edinburgh – dropped down the ranks to 54, 52 and 64 (down nine, nine and five points) respectively this year.
“What really got me was the amenities and focus on health. There are random trampolines that people can use whenever, cycle lanes are abundant, people can swim in and out of the harbours. You also get incentives to recycle, such as supermarket discounts. It feels very relaxed and the people seem to be less tightly wound,” Ms Zucchelli said.
She finally made the move this year and says she already knows she has made the right decision. “I’ve probably gained 10 hours of my life back a week since moving,” she said.
Ms Zucchelli is now renting an apartment far closer to the centre of the city than she had been in her former London flat, and double in size, for the same price.
She added that Copenhagen was much more community-based, citing its smaller size and higher taxes as key factors.
“I didn’t feel looked after by the government or my community in London,” she said. “Here I can get a doctor’s appointment for the same or next day via an app, without having to wait in line for the phone to be free.”
In her new workplace, she said she had found everyone to be friendly and inclusive.
“I’ve found the people to be extremely welcoming too, even if I’m currently learning the language”, Ms Zucchelli added. “I know there’s a stereotype of Danish people being cold, but that’s not been my experience at all.”
She cited the example of a couple her parents’ age who had taken her under their wing and cooked her some dinners.
There were also plenty of locals of her own age whom she had met from communal dining, a culinary concept found in community centres, where strangers sit together and eat Danish food at long tables for around £10, talking while doing so.
The one major difference in red tape compared with the UK that she had noticed so far was the Civil Personal Registration number (CPR), a unique 10-digit number used for identification and registration with public authorities. Residents in Denmark need it not only for healthcare, but for opening bank accounts and getting Wi-Fi.
Until Ms Zucchelli and her partner gained theirs last week, they were restricted to using their mobile data for internet. She said it was a very small hurdle in the grand scheme of things, however.
“I’m very aware my experiences come from a privileged place though,” Ms Zucchelli said. “I’m a fair-skinned European and I’ve observed it’s not as easy for people to integrate who look different or who come from outside of Europe. Denmark is a very homogeneous place.
“But for now, all I can say is that Copenhagen is the place for me. I can actually live my life here and breathe.”
