Top cities with the best quality of life: is yours in the list?

What if going to work abroad meant a better life? This could be the case, especially if your adopted city is among the top 10 cities with the best quality of life. Every year, the human resources consulting firm Mercer publishes a worldwide list of cities offering the best quality of life in order to assist companies in the relocation process of their employees. Some 39 factors in 10 distinct categories – socio-cultural environment, schools and education, recreation, transportation and public services, political and social environment, natural environment, health and medical care, housing, economic environment and consumer goods – have helped to identify the best cities in the world in terms of quality of life… And the worst!

Vienna, Austria

Vienna the magnificent figures at the top of the list for the ninth consecutive year. Austria’s capital, therefore, has much more to offer than its incredible architecture. With its rich cultural heritage, this metropolis, overflowing with history, also shines through the beauty of its nature and the attention given to an environmentally friendly way of life. This German-speaking city has 1.8 million inhabitants who may or may not realize how lucky they are.

Zurich, Switzerland

Long declared the best city to live in before Vienna took the lead, Zurich shares many positive points with the metropolis that grabbed its title. Also rich in history and culture, Switzerland’s largest city has a great respect for the natural environment and is clean, safe and economically stable. The official language is also German.

Auckland, New-Zealand

Auckland shares the third place in the ranking with the city of Munich. The first non-European representation in this list of the cities with the best quality of life and the only metropolis in Oceania to be included, this important New Zealand municipality has the advantage of offering much milder winters than the other cities on this list. Auckland also has important collections of works of art. The main language spoken there is English, but Maori is also spoken.

Munich, Germany

Tied with Auckland in third place is the German city of Munich. With its 1.5 million inhabitants, it is the third largest municipality in Germany. This cultural metropolis is home to many parks, including the impressive Englischer Garten, which covers 375 acres, as well as 47 theatres and 46 museums.

Vancouver, Canada

The port city at the most western part of Canada ranks fifth on this prestigious list. It has just over 600,000 inhabitants, who speak mainly English, but also Cantonese, Chinese, Mandarin and Punjabi. A superb backyard occupied by the mountains offers Vancouver residents the opportunity to enjoy skiing and the beach in the same day.

Düsseldorf, Germany

Judging by previous cities, culture and nature seem to be key elements of a good quality of life, and Düsseldorf is no exception. This German city on the Rhine also stands out for its architecture and its interest in fashion. Some 600,000 residents currently enjoy all the parks, galleries and beer that Düsseldorf has to offer.

Frankfurt, Germany

Germany stands out a third and final time in this ranking, this time with the city of Frankfurt. This charming and small town of about 730,000 people is nicknamed Manhattan because of its skyscrapers. Surrounded by superb nature, located on the banks of the Main River, with many pedestrian streets and a good public transport system, it has everything to please those who prefer to do without a car.

Geneva, Switzerland

Dubbed the “City of Peace”, Geneva, where the UN is based, can only be a city where life is good. In addition to the pacifism that reigns there is a lot of history, splendid architecture, a rich cultural heritage and one of the centres of the international economy. From the Alps to Lake Geneva, passing through numerous parks, the metropolis is also endowed with a superb surrounding nature.

Copenhagen, Denmark

Denmark’s colourful capital is first known for its pretty houses and sailboats that line the banks of the canal and make Nyhavn a sight that is hard to forget. However, Copenhagen is much more than its architecture, starting with the importance of the environment – you can get around the city more by bicycle than by car – and its rise to become one of the world’s most important gastronomic capitals.

Basel, Switzerland

Basel is the last and third municipality in Switzerland to be among the top 10 cities with the best quality of life in the world. It is also a vision straight out of a historic film with its incredible architecture and nature that complements it perfectly. Historic buildings coexist with contemporary ones in this city of about 175,000 inhabitants and barely fewer museums, it is legitimate for it to proclaim itself the cultural capital of Switzerland.

Europe would, therefore, be the perfect destination to start a new life elsewhere. Switzerland and Germany, in particular, dominate the top positions in Mercer’s ranking with three cities in the top 10 respectively. However, it is the capital of Austria which has been in first place for another consecutive year and to see the pictures, it is not hard to believe that life is beautiful there!

Cover photo: mikecleggphoto/Instagram