With a score of 108.6 points Vienna has passed Zurich to take the top spot as the world’s city with the best quality of living, according to the Mercer 2009 Quality of Living Survey.

Geneva retains its position in third place, while Vancouver and Auckland are now joint fourth in the rankings. Cities are ranked against New York as the base city with an index score of 100. Mercer’s Quality of Living ranking covers 215 cities and is conducted to help governments and major companies place employees on international assignments. The scores attributed to each factor allow for city-to-city comparisons to be made. The result is a Quality of Living Index which compares the relative differences between any two locations.

Mercer evaluates local living conditions in all the 420 cities it surveys worldwide. Living conditions are analysed according to 39 factors, grouped in 10 categories:

• Political and social environment (political stability, crime, law enforcement, etc.)
• Economic environment (currency exchange regulations, banking services, etc.)
• Socio-cultural environment (censorship, limitations on personal freedom, etc.)
• Health and sanitation (medical supplies and services, infectious diseases, sewage, waste disposal, air pollution, etc.)
• Schools and education (standard and availability of international schools, etc.)
• Public services and transportation (electricity, water, public transport, traffic congestion, etc.)
• Recreation (restaurants, theatres, cinemas, sports and leisure, etc.)
• Consumer goods (availability of food/daily consumption items, cars, etc.)
• Housing (housing, household appliances, furniture, maintenance services, etc.)
• Natural enviroment (climate, record of natural disasters).

(Quelle: Mercer: http://www.mercer.at/summary.htm?siteLanguage=1000&idContent=1173105)