Swiss cities are much-loved among expats. Zurich and Geneva regularly score well in an annual quality of life survey. But there is another city in Europe that apparently cannot be beaten.
In a recent survey, Zurich emerged as one of the two cities with the highest cost of living in the world, along with Singapore. But in terms of quality of life, the city on the Limmat has once again had to settle for second place.
Vienna is unbeatable in the annual expatriate survey by consulting firm Mercer. The city, Mercer concludes, is renowned for its rich history, impressive architecture, and vibrant cultural scene.
Political Stability
The Danube metropolis has topped the survey 11 times. This survey asks professionals seconded by their companies for their assessment of the quality of life based on criteria such as living costs, political stability, infrastructure, the healthcare system, and its cultural and recreational life.
Zurich is ranked second, ahead of New Zealand’s capital Auckland. Geneva comes in fifth place behind Copenhagen. Frankfurt, Munich, Vancouver, Sydney, and Duesseldorf round off the top ten.
Pandemic Puts Survey on Hold
European cities dominate the top rankings of the list. Bern and Basel still make it to positions 13 and 14. Cities like Singapore (ranked 29), San Francisco (37), New York (40), Hong Kong (77), and Dubai (79) stand no chance, even against cities like The Hague, Amsterdam, Wellington, and Luxembourg (positions 11 to 16).
Mercer suspended the survey during the pandemic in 2020 and 2021.
