Where is the best place to live? Studies and rankings regularly examine this question. A study by the management consultancy Mercer investigation carried out assesses the quality of life of expatriates in 241 major cities worldwide. Living conditions are analyzed based on 39 factors grouped into ten categories: political and social environment, economic environment, sociocultural environment, medical and health aspects, schools and education, public services and transportation, leisure, consumer goods, housing, and the environment.
The results of the Quality of Living City Ranking 2023 are for the Bavarian state capital quite encouraging. Munich ranks seventh, making it one of the ten most livable cities for expatriates. In addition to Munich, two other German cities make it into the top ten: Frankfurt ranks sixth, and Düsseldorf ranks tenth.
Worldwide, Vienna ranks first in the quality of life rankings, followed by Zurich. Auckland and Copenhagen are in third and fourth place, respectively. Geneva rounds out the top five. Among the world's largest metropolises with a population of over ten million, Paris (32nd overall) ranked first, followed by New York City (40th overall) and London (45th overall).
In addition to quality of life, Mercer also evaluated the cities' environmental performance. Canberra tops the rankings, citing the Australian capital's effective measures to reduce air pollution and improve water quality and availability. Oslo, Adelaide, Helsinki, and Ottawa also received high ratings for a range of sustainability efforts.
