This Fairytale City Has Just Been Named Best In The World For Quality Of Living

Vienna, Austria’s grand and illustrious capital, has topped consulting firm Mercer’s List of cities offering the highest quality of life for the eighth year in a row.

Other world capitals like London, Paris, Tokyo and New York City didn’t even make the top 30 (we can all the blame the cost of living for that unsurprising revelation). The big winners? Germany, the Scandis, Canada, New Zealand and Australia came out on top.

The point of the survey is to help companies determine hardship allowances for international staff. Mercer takes things like political stability, healthcare, education, crime rates and quality of transport into account.

Vienna topped the list for its amazing cafe culture, museums, theatres and operas. Rents in comparison to other cities are very low, and of course, the city is is drop-dead gorgeous.

Baghdad was ranked the lowest city in the world because of the waves of sectarian violence that has swept the country since the US-led invasion in 2003.

Here are the top 10 cities:

1. Vienna, Austria…

2. Zurich, Switzerland…

3. Auckland, New Zealand…

4. Munich, Germany…

5. Vancouver, Canada…

6. Dusseldorf, Germany…

7. Frankfurt, Germany…

8. Geneva, Switzerland…

9. Copenhagen, Denmark…

10. Basel, Switzerland and Sydney, Australia…

Want more travel news? You can now go on tours to the Titanic from 2018!

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.