For travelers, cleanliness is not a secondary detail: it affects comfort, perceived safety and, ultimately, the quality of the experience. Overflowing bins, neglected streets or dirty monuments can turn even the most fascinating destination into a disappointment. A new international analysis photographs precisely this aspect, revealing which large cities appear cleaner in the eyes of tourists and where, instead, dirt risks ruining the visit.
The study: methodology and sample
The study was signed by Radical Storage, a global luggage storage platform, which sifted travellers’ perceptions through an in-depth analysis of online reviews.
Analysts examined the 100 cities included in Euromonitor’s Top 100 City Destinations Index, evaluating the ten most visited attractions in each. The sample is large: over 70,000 English-language reviews published on Google in the last twelve months. Reviews containing keywords such as “clean” or “dirty” were classified as positive or negative judgments on urban cleanliness. Cities with less than one hundred relevant comments were excluded, so as to guarantee a result based exclusively on the real experiences of visitors.
The black shirt: Budapest in first place among the dirtiest
At the top of the ranking of cities perceived as dirtiest is Budapest. 37.9% of the reviews analyzed express a negative opinion on the cleanliness of the Hungarian capital, often citing waste disposal systems under pressure and insufficient maintenance of public spaces. The boom in visitors in recent years is also having an impact: in September 2025, in fact, the Hungarian tourism sector recorded growth of 8.3%, with the Hungarian city alone recording an increase of 12% compared to the same period in 2024, putting urban maintenance under pressure.
The other dirtiest cities
Rome ranks second with 35.7% critical ratings. The discomfort of visitors seems to mirror that of residents: in 2023 the Eternal City ranked only seventh for citizen satisfaction, with 71% expressing dissatisfaction. Even more worryingly, the quality of life in the city is declining compared to the previous five years, with just 3% of respondents believing it has improved.
Las Vegas follows (31.6%), a position that is not very surprising considering the continuous flow of tourists and the city life that never stops. Despite this, local authorities have launched initiatives such as “Pick It Up Las Vegas”, aimed at cleaning up manholes, tunnels, streets and parks, demonstrating a constant commitment to improving the urban image.
Florence is fourth with 29.6% negative opinions. The narrow medieval streets and the high flow of pedestrians make cleaning operations particularly complex. The city, however, is innovating: smart bins equipped with AI technology have been introduced, designed to simplify and make waste disposal more engaging for residents and tourists.
Despite its timeless charm, Paris still sees 28.2% of reviews reporting dirt or poor maintenance. The French capital, however, has started important clean-up interventions in view of the 2024 Olympics, investing significantly in urban cleaning.
Completing the top ten of the dirtiest cities: Milan (6th), Verona (7th), Frankfurt (8th), Brussels (9th) and Cairo (10th).
Model cities
At the other end of the list, virtuous examples emerge which demonstrate how investing in services, infrastructure and civic sense produces tangible results.
Krakow: the cleanest city in the world
Krakow is the cleanest city in the world according to tourists: 98.5% of reviews are positive. Thanks to efficient waste management, well-kept public spaces and strong attention to order on the part of citizens.
Krakow’s record is not just the result of well-maintained streets: over the last ten years, Poland has invested massively in waste management and the care of public spaces, with cutting-edge recycling infrastructure and constant attention to the maintenance of squares, markets and pedestrian areas. According to the European Commission’s 2023 report on “Quality of life in European cities”, over 80% of Krakow residents say they are fully satisfied with their public spaces.
This civic pride is directly reflected in the experience of tourists, who perceive the city as tidy, welcoming and with attention to every detail. The compact and easily navigable structure of the city also contributes to facilitating this impression. Walking along the cobbled streets or following the course of the river allows visitors to appreciate the order and cleanliness up close, an experience that is difficult to grasp by hastily driving by.
The other world excellences
In second place is Sharjah, in the United Arab Emirates (98%), where strict rules and targeted investments keep the city impeccable. Over the last three years the city has allocated over 75 million dirhams (around 15.5 million euros) to the purchase of new equipment for street cleaning and waste collection, confirming its constant commitment to keeping the city welcoming and tidy.
Singapore confirms its reputation as the world’s cleanliness capital, with 97.9% favorable reviews. The secret of success lies in a mix of rigorous regulations and civic culture: strict laws prohibit littering, spitting and even chewing gum, while efficient waste management is combined with ecological architecture and awareness campaigns that start from schools, through workplaces, until they are deeply rooted in the daily lives of citizens.
In fourth place another Polish city: Warsaw (97.8%). The capital combines modern infrastructure and large green spaces, offering an orderly environment for both visitors and residents. Administrations regularly organize community clean-up initiatives, such as the “Czysta Warszawa” project, which has seen participation increase by 30% in recent years.
Doha is in fifth place (97.4%): in the capital of Qatar, programs such as “Qatar Clean”, developed in collaboration between Qatar Tourism and the Ministry of Public Health, are giving clear results.
Completing the top ten of the cleanest cities: Riyadh (6th), Prague (7th), Muscat (8th), Dubai (9th) and Fukuoka (10th).
The analysis demonstrates how urban cleanliness is a determining factor in the tourist experience. While some cities invest in infrastructure, technology and civic culture achieving excellent results, others struggle to manage the growing flow of visitors. The challenge for the administrations is clear: to balance tourist hospitality with the maintenance of public spaces, to ensure that every visitor can fully enjoy the city’s beauty without dirt ruining the trip.
