The 2008 Quality of Living Survey of Mercer Human Resource Consulting places again Zurich on the top spot, followed by another city of Switzerland, Geneva, which shares the second place with Vienna (Austria). At the top, thing are somehow similar to the 2007 ranking for quality of living: Vienna is the city which slightly moved up, but still being closely followed by the Canadian Vancouver.

The quality-of-living rating has been established based on 39 factors. It is important to remark that how welcome expatriates are feeling in these cities has been a major factor.

1. Zurich

The largest city in Switzerland, with a population close to one million in the agglomeration area, Zurich is situated on Lake Zurich, where the lake meets the Limmat River, north of the country.

2. Geneva

Geneva is located between the Alps and the Jura mountains, at the extreme south-west of Switzerland and the Lake Geneva. It is a piece of enclosed land encircled by France. Part of Lake Geneva (called the Little lake) is under the jurisdiction of the Geneva District.

2. Vienna

Vienna, the capital of Austria, with 2 million inhabitants, is situated on the banks of the Danube. The influx of visitors from all over the world has made Vienna the most popular urban tourist destination in Austria. Vienna is also a dream city for anyone with a romantic streak or an interest in history.

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Here is the public list of the top 50 cities with the best quality of life, according to the 2008 Mercer survey:

1. Zurich (Switzerland)   2. Geneva (Switzerland)   2. Vienna (Austria)   4. Vancouver (Canada)   5. Auckland (New Zealand)   6. Dusseldorf (Germany)   7. Frankfurt (Germany)   7. Munich (Germany)   9. Bern (Switzerland)   10. Sydney (Australia)   11. Copenhagen (Denmark)   12. Wellington (New Zealand)   13. Amsterdam (Netherlands)   14. Brussels (Belgium)   15. Toronto (Canada)   16. Berlin (Germany)   17. Luxembourg (Luxembourg)   17. Melbourne (Australia)   19. Ottawa (Canada)   20. Stockholm (Sweden)  21. Perth (Australia)  22. Montreal (Canada)  23. Nurnberg (Germany)  24. Oslo (Norway)  25. Calgary (Canada)

25. Dublin (Ireland)  27. Hamburg (Germany)  28. Honolulu (United States)  29. Adelaide (Australia)  29. Helsinki (Finland)  29. San Francisco (United States)  32. Paris (France)  32. Singapore (Singapore)  34. Brisbane (Australia)  35. Tokyo (Japan)  36. Lyon (France)  37. Boston (United States)  38. London (United Kingdom)  38. Yokohama (Japan)  40. Kobe (Japan)  41. Milan (Italy)  42. Barcelona (Spain)  43. Madrid (Spain)  44. Chicago (United States)  44. Lisbon (Portugal)  44. Osaka (Japan)  44. Washington (United States)  48. Portland (United States)  49. New York (United States)  50. Seattle (United States)

 

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Tags: 2008, Best Quality of Life, Geneva, Mercer Consulting, Surveys, Switzerland, Vienna, Worldwide Surveys, Zurich

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