The Korea Herald

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Vienna named world’s most livable city again

By Korea Herald

Published : Feb. 21, 2014 - 19:32

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VIENNA (Reuters) ― Vienna, Austria’s opulent capital, offers the best quality of life of any city in the world and Baghdad the worst, according to the latest global survey from the consulting firm Mercer.

German and Swiss cities also performed especially well in the annual quality of living rankings. Zurich, Munich, Dusseldorf and Frankfurt made the top 10.

Mercer’s survey helps companies and organizations determine compensation and hardship allowances for international staff. It uses 39 criteria, such as political stability, health care, education, crime, recreation and transport.

With a population of 1.7 million, Vienna topped the survey for the fifth year in a row, boasting a vibrant cultural scene alongside comprehensive health care and moderate housing costs.

The Austrian capital’s extensive public transport system costs just 1 euro a day for an annual pass.

Its Habsburg-era coffee houses, architecture, palaces, operas and other cultural institutions makes it a prime tourist destination.

Europe has seven of the world‘s top 10 cities in the 2014 survey. New Zealand, Australia and Canada each have a city in the top 10.