Quality of Living: Top 50 cities 2007

[drillinto]

http://www.mercerhr.com/referencecontent.jhtml?idContent=1128060

 

[Realist]

I find it hard to believe Sydney is in the top 10. Or Tokyo and London and New York are even on the list.

The cost of living is too high for one. Traffic, stress etc. all add up.

In all seriousness Canberra is probably your best bet in Australia, it is boring though.

I've been to Zurich which is supposedly #1. Was there last year. It is one of the more boring places. But I'd agree it is pretty wealthy, there's no poor people that's for sure.

 

[wayneL]

I find it hard to believe Sydney is in the top 10. Or Tokyo and London and New York are even on the list.

The cost of living is too high for one. Traffic, stress etc. all add up.

In all seriousness Canberra is probably your best bet in Australia, it is boring though.

I've been to Zurich which is supposedly #1. Was there last year. It is one of the more boring places. But I'd agree it is pretty wealthy, there's no poor people that's for sure.

Right at the bottom

Quality of Living vs. the quality of life

The Quality of Living index is based on several criteria used to judge whether an expatriate is entitled to a hardship allowance. A city with a high Quality of Living index is a safe and stable one, but it may be lacking the dynamic je ne sais quoi that makes people want to live in world-renowned cities such as Paris, Tokyo, London or New York. Sometimes you need a little spice to make a city exciting. But that "spice" may also give a city a lower ranking.

What makes one person's quality of life better or worse cannot be quantified in an objective index. Therefore, Mercer's Quality of Living report reflects only the tangible aspects of living in a city on expatriate assignments, and leaves the question of the quality of one's life to those living it!

 

[Realist]

It is pretty subjective.

Zurich and Geneva have about as much excitement as Canberra.

Sydney is a great city if you are in your 20's. Once you've got mortgage pressures it aint so much fun.

 

[Realist]

I'd have thought for its size, isolation, excitement and opportunities at the moment Perth is severely overpriced and should be nowhere on the list. Yet it comes 21st.

Of anywhere in Aus Perth would be the last place I'd move to now. It has the cost of Sydney but 1/4 of the opportunities.

 

[CanOz]

It is pretty subjective.

Zurich and Geneva have about as much excitement as Canberra.

Sydney is a great city if you are in your 20's. Once you've got mortgage pressures it aint so much fun.

You mean Harbin is not on the list?

 

[chops_a_must]

I'd have thought for its size, isolation, excitement and opportunities at the moment Perth is severely overpriced and should be nowhere on the list. Yet it comes 21st.

Of anywhere in Aus Perth would be the last place I'd move to now. It has the cost of Sydney but 1/4 of the opportunities.

I'm surprised Melbourne is not ahead of Sydney. I can't stand Sydney, and most people I talk to are the same.

Perth has a lot of opportunities... if you have something (remotely perhaps) to do with the mining industry. For everyone else, it's totally sucking balls.

 

[Kimosabi]

I'm surprised Melbourne is not ahead of Sydney. I can't stand Sydney, and most people I talk to are the same.

Perth has a lot of opportunities... if you have something (remotely perhaps) to do with the mining industry. For everyone else, it's totally sucking balls.

You need to work out how to massage some more dollars out of your clients back pockets...

 

[wayneL]

I'd have thought for its size, isolation, excitement and opportunities at the moment Perth is severely overpriced and should be nowhere on the list. Yet it comes 21st.

Of anywhere in Aus Perth would be the last place I'd move to now. It has the cost of Sydney but 1/4 of the opportunities.

Whilst I agree, the survey is done from the point of view of executive placements and in no way reflects the reality for Joe Sixpack.

 

[robandcoll]

Of anywhere in Aus Perth would be the last place I'd move to now. It has the cost of Sydney but 1/4 of the opportunities

You want to make money and have a real quality lifestyle - Perth would have to be it. Even better head South along the freeway and then you hit lifestyle at its best - Mandurah

 

[chops_a_must]

You want to make money and have a real quality lifestyle - Perth would have to be it. Even better head South along the freeway and then you hit lifestyle at its best - Mandurah

Yep. With historic levels of unemployment up there with the worst in Australia, you certainly can't go wrong...

 

[wayneL]

You want to make money and have a real quality lifestyle - Perth would have to be it. Even better head South along the freeway and then you hit lifestyle at its best - Mandurah

Horses for courses... I would prefer to slit my wrists than live anywhere near Mandurah.

 

[Taurisk]

I'd have thought for its size, isolation, excitement and opportunities at the moment Perth is severely overpriced and should be nowhere on the list. Yet it comes 21st.

Of anywhere in Aus Perth would be the last place I'd move to now. It has the cost of Sydney but 1/4 of the opportunities.

I live in Perth, have lived in Sydney and know several of the winning European cities intimately. Perth has in the last 5 to 10 years become a beautiful city, it has some intrinsically beautiful features but they have been added to; planning is better, buildings are built with a thought to their historic neighbours; individuals care about their houses - so; much less neglect than was seen in the past. Excitement is only to be had in a few areas, i.e. Fremantle, Northbridge. The theatre and concert circuit exists, but not permanently, so one has to get to shows if and when they're on. People seem to live a great lifestyle, traffic isn't too bad, a lot has recently been done for public transport, the air is very clean and the beaches are fabulous, however isolation is the big problem, in my view - I'm sharetrading so I can take the odd plane ride for myself and my granddaughters over to the Eastern States for a show or two.

In Europe I have always noticed that the people seem to be happier in the smaller cities; and I visit a daughter in London regularly, have relatives in Switzerland and Austria; so I speak from experience.

Living simply means, having a job in the first place, then getting to and from work easily in the least amount of time and not paying a fortune for rent and food, and having fresh food. Perth is definitely catching up on the rents, because of the mining boom. The smaller cities also do well on the fresh food front; i.e. I found it extremely difficult to get any really fresh fruit and vegetables in London recently.
Living also means having exciting places to go to at night-time and this depends very much on your age as well - Perth is not so interesting in that respect in my opinion (and I am a grandmother, with a good memory, though); and I need to get away from time to time into the really big smoke of either Sydney, Melbourne or London and Paris; just so I can appreciate my 'smaller' Perth.

Cheers

Taurisk

 

[spottygoose]

Love Sydney - much better than Canberra, Melbourne or Perth. However, for quality of life you can't beat the Gold Coast!

 

[Julia]

I see that they quote the best cities in North America as:

Vancouver (3rd)
Toronto (15th)
Ottawa (tied for 18th)
Montreal (22nd)
Calgary (24th)


Obviously they must overlook the climate factor. I couldn't live in any of these places just on account of their cold winters.

In the past, Melbourne has been nominated as a top city, and I'd make the same comment about the weather as above.

Perhaps some people just don't care what the weather is like?

 

[Realist]

You want to make money and have a real quality lifestyle - Perth would have to be it. Even better head South along the freeway and then you hit lifestyle at its best - Mandurah

Perth is damn expensive now. It would have been great to move there 4 years ago I agree. Now it is just far too overpriced.

A mate of mine moved to Mandurah 4 years ago from Sydney, apparently he gets excited when going to a Sydney pub with pokies now! Hahaha.

He does fishing and stuff that he never did in Sydney, but it sounds damn boring.

Sydney is the best city without question if you are in your 20's, like share accomodation, work in a professional job and like to eat and drink out.

Once you get a family and mortgage it aint so great though.

It's wearing thin on me, the recent rental crisis does not help, the cost of driving a car with all the toll roads and parking and stamp duties & insurance don't help. And the joy of spending $700K on a crappy apartment all add up to stress. The job scene is good but competitive and people are rude and will backstab at any opportunity. Also women are far too into looks and money - no substance.

Once you've worked in Sydney been to all the bars and restaurants and got your career going and saved some money it is not silly ot move elsewhere and buy a house (as opposed to a crappy apratment).

 

[Realist]

I see that they quote the best cities in North America as:

Vancouver (3rd)
Toronto (15th)
Ottawa (tied for 18th)
Montreal (22nd)
Calgary (24th)


Obviously they must overlook the climate factor. I couldn't live in any of these places just on account of their cold winters.

In the past, Melbourne has been nominated as a top city, and I'd make the same comment about the weather as above.

Perhaps some people just don't care what the weather is like?

I'd love snow over winter. Snowboarding etc. all good.

To suggest a city is better cause it does not snow is unfair, a white xmas and sitting in a pub around a fire watching it snow outside would be awesome.

 

[spottygoose]

For me - weather does make a city. I couldn't stand a miserable cold climate. I love a nice balmy summer and a warm winter. Rainy, cold weather year round is depressing - London, Melbourne - fun to visit, depressing to live in.

 

[Realist]

Weather is relative though. Most people do not realise this.

If you live in Brisbane then you do not go to the beach in September when it is 26 degrees, you wait till it hits 30 in October.

If you live in Auckland and it is 22 degrees in December it is regarded as a nice day and off to the beach you go.

I know as I have lived in a few different cities including Brisbane and Auckland.

If you live in Canberra or Sydney and it is a cold day in August say 9 degrees, off to the snow you go.

If you lived in Canada and thought about going skiing when it is 9 degrees people would think you are crazy.

It seriously is relative, your body adjusts. If you think Brisbane or the Gold Coast is awesome to live in cause of the weather you are quite simply wrong.

The other point I'd like to make is a winter is essential. For one it makes you appreciate summer. I've had a year of summer and it did my head in. Having seasons is a great thing - can you imagine 12 months of cricket and no football?

 

[robandcoll]

Chops I think you go it wrong

Yep. With historic levels of unemployment up there with the worst in Australia, you certainly can't go wrong...

2.2% unemployment rate.

I live 70 metres from the beach and pay $260.00 per week for a 4 X 2.

Reality check with the Perth (WA) housing prices. Nothing is moving and infact it is coming down.