15 Most Miserable Cities in the World to Call Home
Living in a city should offer opportunity, security, and a decent quality of life, but not all urban centers provide these essentials. Some cities struggle with extreme poverty, violence, pollution, and failing infrastructure, making daily life a constant battle.
For instance, YCharts reports that the US Misery Index is currently 6.922, down from 7.000 in January and 7.053 a year ago, representing decreases of 1.13% and 1.87%, respectively.
Political instability, economic hardship, and environmental disasters push residents to the brink, forcing them to endure conditions that most would find unlivable. These 15 cities rank among the most miserable places to call home, where survival often takes precedence over comfort, and hope feels like a distant dream.
Caracas, Venezuela
Caracas, once a thriving metropolis, now epitomizes urban decay and societal collapse. The city grapples with hyperinflation, widespread poverty, and one of the world’s highest crime rates. As of 2025, over 94% of Caracas residents lack sufficient income to purchase basic goods and services, forcing many into informal work just to survive.
The cost of a basic food basket in Caracas skyrocketed by 347% between October 2022 and October 2023, exacerbating food insecurity. Caracas’s dire situation has contributed to a mass exodus, with over 7.7 million Venezuelans fleeing the country since 2015 in search of better living conditions.
Dhaka, Bangladesh
Dhaka struggles with severe air pollution, overcrowding, and inadequate infrastructure, highlighting the city’s urban misery. Dhaka’s air quality is among the world’s worst, with PM2.5 levels hitting 71.4 µg/m³ in 2024, far exceeding WHO guidelines and causing over 22,000 premature deaths in 2019.
Dhaka’s rapid, unplanned urbanization has led to a housing crisis, with over 4 million people living in densely packed slums lacking basic amenities.
The city’s traffic congestion is notorious, with average vehicle speeds plummeting from 25 km/h in 1997 to a mere 6.7 km/h in 2015, making it officially the slowest city in the world. Despite being Bangladesh’s economic hub, Dhaka struggles with widespread poverty, as 19.6% of its population lives below the poverty line as of 2025.
Port-au-Prince, Haiti
Port-au-Prince grapples with urban misery, plagued by political instability, natural disasters, and endemic poverty. The city’s infrastructure crumbles under the weight of neglect and corruption, with many areas lacking basic services like electricity and clean water. Gang violence has turned large swaths of Port-au-Prince into no-go zones, severely limiting residents’ freedom of movement.
The city’s healthcare system teeters on the brink of collapse, unable to cope with the needs of its growing population. Port-au-Prince’s struggles epitomize Haiti’s broader challenges, consistently ranking it among the world’s most dangerous and impoverished nations.
Lagos, Nigeria
Lagos, Africa’s largest city, struggles under the weight of its explosive growth and inadequate infrastructure. With an estimated population of over 21 million, Lagos grapples with severe traffic congestion, frequent power outages, and widespread poverty.
The city’s slums, home to millions, lack basic amenities and are prone to flooding during the rainy season. Despite being Nigeria’s economic hub, Lagos faces high unemployment rates and a stark income disparity between its wealthy elite and impoverished masses.
Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo
Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo, embodies the challenges of rapid urbanization in one of the world’s poorest countries. The city’s population has exploded to over 12 million, straining its already fragile infrastructure and social services.
Kinshasa’s residents face daily struggles with unreliable electricity, limited access to clean water, and inadequate healthcare facilities. The city’s economy is largely informal, with many residents surviving on less than $1.90 a day. Political instability and corruption further compound Kinshasa’s problems, hindering efforts to improve living conditions.
Kabul, Afghanistan
Kabul bears the scars of decades of conflict and political turmoil. The city’s infrastructure remains severely damaged, with many areas lacking reliable electricity and clean water. Kabul’s residents face constant security threats, with terrorist attacks and crime undermining daily life.
Kabul hosts over 55,000 IDPs and returned refugees in 55 informal settlements, marked by poor shelters, weak infrastructure, and insecure tenure, according to the Joint Data Center on Forced Displacement.
The recent political changes have led to increased restrictions on personal freedoms, particularly for women and girls. Despite international aid efforts, Kabul continues to struggle with high unemployment rates and widespread poverty.
Damascus, Syria
Damascus, once a vibrant cultural hub, now stands as a stark reminder of the devastating effects of prolonged conflict. Despite recent changes in leadership, the city still grapples with severe infrastructure challenges, with residents relying on only a few hours of electricity per day from the public grid.
The streets, though bustling with returning Syrians and foreign delegations, reveal a city struggling to recover from years of hardship.
Many neighborhoods remain in darkness at night, reflecting the ongoing power shortages, even as some areas show signs of improvement. Despite these challenges, Damascus residents display a newfound sense of optimism, with many describing a feeling of “inner peace” that contrasts sharply with the collective grumpiness of the past.
Baghdad, Iraq
Baghdad continues to bear the scars of decades of conflict and instability, struggling to provide basic services to its residents. The city faces significant challenges in water and sanitation, with only 96% of the urban population having access to improved sanitation facilities.
As Iraq continues its reconstruction, over one million people remain internally displaced, and three million require humanitarian assistance, according to the Global Conflict Tracker.
The city’s infrastructure crumbles under the weight of neglect and rapid urbanization, exacerbating social disparities between different neighborhoods. Despite being the capital of an oil-rich nation, Baghdad’s residents face daily hardships that highlight the long-lasting impacts of war and political turmoil.
Manila, Philippines
Manila tops Numbeo’s Southeast Asian crime list with a score of 64.5, embodying the urban crisis of poverty, squalor, and lawlessness on an epic scale. The city grapples with abject poverty and powerful criminal syndicates, creating a perfect storm of danger and disorder that renders entire neighborhoods ungovernable.
Once dubbed the “Pearl of the Orient,” Manila today houses an estimated 4 million impoverished residents in sprawling slums, facing rampant crime from petty thefts to brazen armed robberies. The city’s underinvestment has crippled basic services and law enforcement’s ability to ensure public safety, particularly in areas like Tondo and Baseco.
According to Statista, the Philippines recorded approximately 390,000 crime incidents in 2023, showing a slight decrease from the previous year.
Johannesburg, South Africa
Johannesburg exemplifies the stark contrasts and challenges faced by post-apartheid urban centers. The city grapples with high crime rates, with burglary rates 25-43% higher in wealthier police precincts, suggesting criminals target more affluent areas for property crimes. Racial disparities persist, with robbery rates increasing to 15% in predominantly white communities while violent crime rates drop.
Johannesburg’s crime levels are attributed to a complex mix of factors, including poverty, inequality, and social stress from uncaring environments in early childhood. The city’s struggle with crime reflects broader national challenges, with South Africa consistently ranking among countries with the highest murder rates globally.
Karachi, Pakistan
Karachi, the country’s largest city and economic hub, faces a multitude of urban challenges that significantly impact residents’ quality of life. Business Recorder reports that street crimes in Karachi increased by approximately 11.11% in 2023, with over 90,000 incidents compared to 2022. These crimes included 134 murders during robberies, over 59,000 motorcycle thefts, and more than 28,000 mobile phone snatchings.
Karachi’s crime rate surpasses that of other Pakistani districts, with the city’s eastern and southern areas being particularly affected. The city’s struggles with crime are compounded by socioeconomic factors such as unemployment, poverty, and inflation, creating a cycle of violence and economic hardship.
São Paulo, Brazil
São Paulo, once a symbol of economic prosperity, now grapples with stark inequality and urban decay. The city’s landscape has transformed into a portrait of growing poverty, with 19,209 people living on the streets and 12,675 homeless individuals as of 2021. Even affluent areas like Avenida Paulista have seen more people seeking shelter, with street-dwelling families rising 111% from 2019 to 2021.
The proliferation of tents on flowerbeds, squares, and sidewalks has increased by a staggering 333%, spreading to areas not typically associated with street populations. Despite being Brazil’s wealthiest city, São Paulo’s misery is reflected in the mirrored facades of ultra-modern skyscrapers, emphasizing the despair of its most vulnerable citizens.
Mexico City, Mexico
Mexico City, while economically vibrant, grapples with significant urban challenges that impact the quality of life for its over 9 million residents. The city’s pollution index stands at a staggering 80.61, categorized as “Very High” by Numbeo’s 2025 data, making it one of the most polluted cities in the world.
Despite its economic importance, contributing 31% of Mexico’s Foreign Direct Investment, the city faces deep social contrasts, with a poverty rate reaching up to 76.2% in some areas.
Mexico City’s traffic congestion is notorious, with a high Traffic Commute Time Index of 52.72, significantly impacting residents’ daily lives. The city has a low cost of living index (38.86) but a high property price-to-income ratio (18.75), highlighting economic disparities and a housing affordability crisis.
Mogadishu, Somalia
Mogadishu faces a severe urban crisis, struggling with decades of conflict, political instability, and humanitarian challenges. As of early 2025, the city faces severe security threats, with Al-Shabab’s attacks resulting in hundreds of civilian deaths and injuries in 2024 alone.
According to Relief Web, insecurity in Mogadishu varies from Al-Shabaab attacks on officials to inter-communal conflict, robbery, and physical assaults.
Mogadishu’s residents struggle with limited basic services, with all migrants at Migration Response Centres reporting a lack of essential amenities. Despite some improvements due to better rainfall and humanitarian assistance, the city continues to battle high rates of poverty, inadequate healthcare, and persistent security risks.
Harare, Zimbabwe
Harare, once aspiring to achieve world-class city status by 2025, now faces a multitude of urban challenges that have pushed it to the brink of collapse. The city’s poverty index rose from 26% in 2001 to 34% in 2003 as basic services like garbage collection, water, and healthcare collapsed, especially in marginalized areas.
According to the Sunday Mail, Harare Province recorded the highest crime rate in 2024 at 2,443.9 per 100,000 people, nearly twice the national average. The COVID-19 pandemic pushed 1.3 million Zimbabweans into extreme poverty, likely worsening Harare’s economic conditions.
Disclaimer – This list is solely the author’s opinion based on research and publicly available information. It is not intended to be professional advice.
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