Neither Paris nor London: This is the European city ranked the best place in the world for expats in 2024
Thinking of a change of scenery? The ranking of the best cities in the world for quality of life has just been published. Here are the top destinations.
The growing option to work remotely in many companies and the rise of digital nomads are prompting many Americans to consider the adventure of moving to another part of the world. If this sounds like you and you’re thinking of a change of scenery but haven’t decided on a destination, this might help.
The global consulting firm Mercer has published its Quality of Living City Ranking for this year, featuring a list of more than 240 cities worldwide. To compile the ranking, Mercer evaluated various factors, including “housing, recreation, socio-cultural environment, purchasing conventions, travel, traffic, air quality, and access to education.”
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What’s surprising is that the city ranked number one isn’t one of the most visited destinations. In fact, it’s not even one of the first cities that come to mind when thinking about Europe. We’re talking about Zurich, Switzerland.
What does Zurich have to offer?
According to the report, Zurich is the best city in the world for quality of life for several reasons, including “its outstanding public services, low crime rates, and a lively cultural scene, all backed by efficient infrastructure and a dedication to sustainability.”
Additionally, as Mercer’s ranking notes, Zurich “has enhanced its airport connections, increasing the number of flights to and from other continents.”
The top 10 cities for quality of life in 2024
The top 10 spots on the list are almost entirely dominated by European cities. Eight out of the ten are in Europe, with Switzerland emerging as the ideal destination. In fact, four of the world’s top 10 cities for quality of life in 2024 are located in Switzerland.
- Zurich, Switzerland
- Vienna, Austria
- Geneva, Switzerland
- Copenhagen, Denmark
- Auckland, New Zealand
- Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Frankfurt, Germany (tied with Vancouver)
- Vancouver, Canada (tied with Frankfurt)
- Bern, Switzerland
- Basel, Switzerland
The first North American city on the list is Vancouver, Canada, tied for seventh place with Frankfurt. To find the first U.S. city, we have to go down to 32nd place, where we find Boston.
Next is San Francisco, ranked 36th. Honolulu is in 39th place, Los Angeles comes in at 44th, followed by New York, which ranks 45th.
The 10 worst cities in the world to move to
The lowest-ranking spots on the list are held by cities that, at the moment, might not be the best places to consider relocating to.
- Tripoli, Libya
- Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso
- Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo
- Damascus, Syria
- N’djamena, Chad
- Port-Au-Prince, Haiti
- Sanaa, Yemen
- Bangui, Central African Republic
- Baghdad, Iraq
- Khartoum, Sudan
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*This article was written in Spanish and translated with the help of AI.
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