There are many of this lists of best cities, but they are usually limited to those in the U.S. This is an interesting listing of world cities comparing a fairly broad set of criteria. From The Atlantic article..
New York City, Toronto and San Francisco were named the world’s most impressive metros in a new survey of the global capitals of finance, innovation and tourism. The report from PriceWaterhouseCoopers and the Partnership for New York City graded 26 metro powerhouses from Stockholm to Santiago on business opportunities, culture, livability, and innovation.
Article: http://goo.gl/wZ6Vx