Tokyo named world’s best city for dating in new study
BC Game released its October 2026 study naming Tokyo the world's best city for dating. The digital entertainment platform examined major cities across Europe, Asia and the United States. Tokyo achieved the highest composite score out of 100 points among the evaluated locations.
Tokyo lists an estimated 1,470,020 single adults aged 18-35. Residents perform 49,000 monthly searches related to dating apps and events. The city provides 19 social venues per 10,000 residents. A standard date averages $77.46, the lowest figure recorded and less than half the $200.00 cost measured in New York.
Lisbon placed second in the ranking. The Portuguese capital records 121 social venues per 10,000 residents. A typical date costs $90.39. Monthly dating-interest searches total 41,910.
Warsaw finished third. The city holds 236,910 single adults aged 18-35. Monthly searches for dating apps and singles events reach 91,410. It supplies 26 venues per 10,000 residents. Average date cost stands at $93.28.
Madrid ranked fourth with 459,000 single adults aged 18-35, the largest young dating pool among European cities in the study. Locals conduct 74,800 monthly searches tied to dating. Average date cost measures $101.06.
London took fifth place. The city contains 1,349,700 single adults aged 18-35. Monthly dating-related searches total 59,320. It offers 14 social venues per 10,000 residents. Average date cost reaches $163.22.
Researchers calculated each city's score by estimating single adults aged 18-35, counting monthly searches for dating apps and singles events, tallying bars, restaurants and social venues per 10,000 residents, then determining the average cost of a standard date that includes dinner, drinks and a movie. The four inputs were weighted and combined into a 100-point total.
BC Game CEO stated: "The local prices really matter for the dating scene, much more than we realise. Americans who move to Europe consistently say that going out feels less transactional, more relaxed, and happens more often, partly because it's cheaper. When you know a casual date with drinks will cost you maybe $20-30, you're far more likely to download a dating app or head to the pub to mingle. And that's not a made-up number either: in Lisbon, a single drink actually costs under $4."
Remaining top-10 results: Seoul recorded 1,560,000 singles aged 18-35, 6,260 monthly dating-interest searches, 13 venues per 10,000 residents and $91.85 average date cost. Paris recorded 304,080 singles, 71,920 searches, 52 venues and $127.07 cost. New York recorded 1,256,280 singles, 77,640 searches, 13 venues and $200.00 cost. Barcelona recorded 226,200 singles, 35,720 searches, 64 venues and $94.71 cost. Milan recorded 180,600 singles, 63,440 searches, 61 venues and $145.53 cost.
The press release highlighted Tokyo's pool of nearly 1.5 million singles aged 18-35, London's more than 12,000 restaurants and bars creating opportunities for meet-cutes, and Warsaw's over 90,000 monthly resident searches for Tinder, speed-dating and singles events.
