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This article was first published 12 years ago

World's best and worst cities to live in

Last updated on: November 30, 2011 08:20 IST

Image: World's best and worst cities to live in

European cities are the best places to live in, finds the Mercer 2011 Quality of Living Survey.

They represent over half the cities amongst the top 25 in the ranking.

The highest-ranking Asian cities are Singapore (25) and Tokyo (46). Hong Kong (70), Kuala Lumpur (76), Seoul (80) and Taipei (85) are other major Asian cities ranked in the top 100.

Here's a look at the world's best and worst cities to live in ....

1. Vienna (Austria)

Vienna is the capital and largest city of Austria. The city has excellent infrastructure, safe streets and a good public health system.

This city rates high on quality of life in various surveys. Home to many universities and professional colleges, Vienna is Austria's hub of education.

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World's best and worst cities to live in

Image: Zurich.

2. Zurich (Switzerland)

Zurich is the largest city in Switzerland. It is a hub for railways, roads, and air traffic.

Zurich is also a leading global city and ranked among the world's largest financial centres.

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World's best and worst cities to live in

Image: Auckland.

3. Auckland (New Zealand)

The Auckland metropolitan area in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country.

In 2010, Auckland was classified as a Beta World City in the World Cities Study Group's inventory by Loughborough University.

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World's best and worst cities to live in

Image: Munich.

4. Munich (Germany)

Munich is the capital city of Bavaria, Germany. Munich is the third largest city in Germany, after Berlin and Hamburg. About 1.35 million people live within the city limits.

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World's best and worst cities to live in

Image: Dusseldorf.

5. Dusseldorf (Germany)

Dusseldorf is the capital of the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia and centre of the Rhine-Ruhr metropolitan region.

It is an important international business and financial centre known for its fashion and trade fairs.

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World's best and worst cities to live in

Image: Vancouver.

6. Vancouver (Canada)

Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, with over 2.3 million residents.

It is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country and the most populous in Western Canada.

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World's best and worst cities to live in

Image: Frankfurt.

7. Frankfurt (Germany)

Frankfurt is the largest city in the German state of Hesse and the fifth-largest city in Germany. It is the financial and transportation centre of Germany and the largest financial centre in continental Europe.

Frankfurt is considered an alpha world city as listed by the Loughborough University group's 2010 inventory.

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World's best and worst cities to live in

Image: Christoffe Jonin of FF Blue Sky Team jumps out of a helicopter with a parachute, above the city of Geneva.
Photographs: Frederic Lucas/Reuters.

8. Geneva (Switzerland)

The second-most-populous city in Switzerland, Geneva is a global city, a financial hub and a worldwide centre for diplomacy.

Geneva is considered the third best European financial centre after London and Zurich.

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World's best and worst cities to live in

Image: Bern.

9. Bern (Switzerland)

Bern is the fourth most populous city in Switzerland. The Bern agglomeration, which includes 43 municipalities, has a population of 349,000.

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World's best and worst cities to live in

Image: Copenhagen.

10. Copenhagen (Denmark)

The capital city of Denmark, Copenhagen is a major regional centre of culture, business, media, and science.

Click NEXT to find out more about the world's worst cities to live in...


World's best and worst cities to live in

Image: Khartoum.

Khartoum, Sudan (Rank 217)

Khartoum is the capital and largest city of Sudan. Khartoum has the highest concentration of economic activity in the country. Mercer has ranked the city as the 5th worst to live in.

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World's best and worst cities to live in

Image: Port-au-Prince.

Port-au-Prince, Haiti (Rank 218)

Port-au-Prince is the capital and largest city of the Caribbean nation of Haiti. Port-au-Prince was hit by an earthquake on January 12, 2010, causing huge destruction. It has been ranked as the 4th worst city to live in by Mercer.

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World's best and worst cities to live in

Image: NDjamena.

N'Djamena, Chad (Rank 219)

One of the worst places to live in, N'Djamena is the capital of Chad. N'Djamena is also the third-most expensive city for expats.

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World's best and worst cities to live in

Image: Bangui.

Bangui, Central African Republic (Rank 220)

Bangui is the capital of and largest city in the Central African Republic. Several of the neighbourhoods of Bangui are in low-lying areas and are prone to flooding. It is the second worst place to live in, according to the Mercer survey.

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World's best and worst cities to live in

Image: Baghdad.
Photographs: Reuters.

Baghdad, Iraq (Rank 221)

War-ravaged Iraqi capital Baghdad is the world's worst city to live in.