Munich has 5th best quality of life worldwide

Every year the international consulting firm Mercer HR publishes a survey of the quality of life across 215 cities worldwide.

This year Munich comes in 5th, up from 10th last year.

The top 10 results are:

1= Geneva, Zurich
3= Vancouver, Vienna
5= Frankfurt, Munich, Düsseldorf
8= Auckland, Bern, Copenhagen, Sydney

The analysis was based on an evaluation of 39 quality of life criteria for each city, including political, social, economic, and environmental factors, personal safety and health, education, transport, and other public services.

Baghdad is the world's least attractive city. Other poor-scoring cities include Bangui in the Central African Republic, Brazzaville in Congo, and Khartoum in Sudan.

Press release: Mercer HR: World-wide quality of life survey

Top 50 list: Quality of Life Survey (pdf)

Beats me how they can put Frankfurt together with Munich!

Yeah thats a joke - no skiing in Frankfurt. Must lose 10 places on that basis.

Munich moved from #10 to #5 last year, so we should be #1 by 2006. Except, that is, when the footie hooligans come and start the riots so Munich will be back down at #100.

If I remeber corrctly Frankfurt was rated either 5th or 6th last year whilst Munich was in 10th.

I really can't understand it - personally I find Frankfurt one of the depressing cities I have ever seen - although I have only been there about 10 times and always on business so maybe I'm missing something?

When you look at the things they're rated on, it's not really so surprising that Frankfurt is up there too... here's the list from the website

Taken from the webite listed by Bob in the first entry. Economic environment - Frankfurt has the European Central Bank. Socio-cultural environment - pretty much the same as Munich if we're talking about censorship etc. Basically if you're a developed western democracy with relatively high standards of living you're going to be up top. Bear in mind they're comparing cities world wide...

I've lived in Frankfurt twice, once as a placement student and again working for the airline with the stork.
And it was fine.
You have fantastic airport and other transport access, I lived in a safe area (Sachsenhausen - Morfelder Landstr.), the shopping is good and it is easy to get around.
Am not saying that the place doesn't have disadvantages (it just isn't pretty apart from Am Römer, there's a huge drug and prostitution market), there are some real advantages. English is very widely spoken due to the amount of expats, there are several English theatre companies and cinemas, the opera is good, you can get probably the best sushi in Germany (fish comes straight off the plane and the places are always jammed full of Japanese), the gay scene is pretty big, the folk generally friendly and there are some great clubs.
Local drink is cider though - that *is* bad.
And they have KFC and we don't so that's a big plus.

Well as KFC is coming to Munich ( Post hangover KFC Yum! ) so we should be up to 4th next year

i lived in Frankfurt for a while years ago and I am in agreement that it's a fine enough place. For me the big advantage is that it's compact and easy to get around ..the negative thing being it's not very nice to look at compared with somewhere like Munich ... it's a also a commuter city so 'quite chilled' at the weekend ..and i prefer the Frankfurt cider to Strongbow, Diamond White et al :-)

Apfelwein is not Cider!!

Also lived in Frankfurt for a few years. It is only the centre of town which is a bit soulless with all the high rises, and the bahnhof viertel is horrible.

And so how many British cities are in the top 50?

Just the one - London. Has the same ranking as Madrid - risk of terrorism pulls you down it appears...
Don't know if any other British cities were even taken into account...

i reckon the west end of glasgow is the best place to live in the UK.

so there.

See another article here:

http://www.citymayors.com/features/quality_survey.html


Note: San Francisco is 25th

I wonder why?

That explains why I can't find Toytown Baghdad. Hmmm.

London is 39, eek!

Looking at the list is like reading figure skating scores

9.5 9.8 9.9 10 9.5 9.5

When the difference between first city and 20th city is less than a couple of percentage points, or when Munich and Frankfurt (which are clearly two very different places) receive identical marks, one has to ask "what's the point"?

I just cant believe East St. Louis did not make the list...

I'm a touch saddened not to see Newark, NJ up there. I believe that list may just be bologne.

Doesn't Frankfurt have the highest crime rate in Germany? Admittedly, a 'high' crime rate in Germany is nothing to be compared to one in the U.S. (take Detroit, for example), but still. I used to live in the Frankfurt area and find it hard to grasp that that city tied with München for 5th place. Obviously, they did not take city attractiveness and the 'friendliness' of the inhabitants into consideration. If they had, FFM would have most certainly tied with Bridgeport, Connecticut.

I heard on the radio that Munich is the safest city in Germany with Schwabing being the safest area. Frankfurt was the least safe in Germany. Glad I live here. Frankfurt just doesn't appeal.

Sorry but being working as a consultant for the past 6 years I have worked and lived in many cities around the globe -now in Munich. This list is just bullshit for naive people. Most of the cities in the world are ok to live as long as your wallet can affort it. For the cities appearing here on the top I guarantee you the wallet has to be thick in any case, which comes to my mind that in many other places you would live like a king with the same budjet. And the least and most stupid argument is the definition about quality of life. For sure my understanding about quality of life is very different than the guy's who made this list

Of course you know why Munich is so highly placed on the Mercer Survey don't you?

It's all us Toytowners!

Its all economics based. If it was based on culture, people, the atmospheric point of living and the location... Sydney shits all over Munich!

And I live in both cities.

Forgot to add, I agree with "Clark.K".

Sorry robbieinmunich, it's an oxymoron to use 'sydney' and 'culture' in the same sentence.

No, but you can use Sydney and 'shits' in the same sentence. Well done to all involved!

Although,actually, I agree with you wholeheartedly, it is definately a better city to live in than Munich.

Far too many Australians in Sydney, couldn't possibly live there!

Far too many Australians in Sydney? Walk down Kings Cross, all you hear is Poms.

Walk down Oxford Street, all you hear is gay Poms.

@mightypies, another reason to stay away...double not gonna live there now!

Seriously. These stats are formulaic and always leave out the most important thing about a city; the feel, the pulse, the electricity for lack of better terms.

I'm reminded of the UN stats that rated Norway the most livable country on Earth and the Norwegian politician who stated someting like, "obviously they've never been to Norway."

Yeah, most Scandinavian cities are quite cold, metaphorically (and literally!) speaking. I lived in Stockholm many years, and I always thought of it as "clinical" - super clean & safe, indeed one of the highest standard of livings anywhere, but just lacked soul compared to many other cities, including Munich.

It will probably move up to 4th position next year once the KFC has opened up.

My wife, who is a native of Munich, tells me that Munich fails the EU environmental limits, especially in air pollution.

Munich is great when you are young and single, but when clean fresh farm air appeals its time to move out.

@Jeremy

Does anyone relocate on the basis of "air"? Do you wake up in the morning, stick your head out the door and say "Honey, grab the kids...this air don't taste right".

I live in the country and I gotta tell ya - a few times of the year around here and the air smells bloody awful.

Nope but if you live right next to a beergarden and the smell of tobacco wafts into your bedroom when you want to go to sleep then yes your air quality is compromised.

Also if you live 300m from the Mittlerer Ring as well then yes this is a reason to not want to stay about.

If you have an interest in astronomy as I do and the light pollution buggers up your potential viewing evening then yes this is a reason to get out.

If you have been brought up on fresh sea air then yes this is a reason to go.

I lived in dusty Dhahran for five years. I had an X ray done on my lungs and there was lots of desert dust on them over my time there. Nope air quality is a persuasive reaosn to go. Amongst other reasons.

@Jeremy, what else do you expect when you move into a large city, next to a beer garden right by an arterial route?

Lets just say we didn't have a choice in the matter. Then lets just say we ARE moving out of Munich to the countryside, south of Munich.

South of Munich - good choice sir! I am stuck West 'cos of the outlaws but south is clearly the place to be. Lakes, nearer the hills, nearer Austria - game on.

whwere abouts is south, give us a clue.

Holzkirchen to be precise. Near to Dietramszell, Hackensee (naked lake!), Kleinhartpenning, Nordic ski runs everywhere, forest trails all over for mountain biking, jogging paradise...

Time for a Toytown Breakout!

(stop jeremy stop!)

LMAO, you've got to be joking!! Honestly, I can't think of a city with +1.3 million residents that has fresher, cleaner air than here in Munich ... can you?

Think what you want, laugh if you want, I don't think the air is that good myself. Enjoy the Feinstaub, don't bother me. Sheiss egal.

I'm from Sydney. I loved that city, but its increasingly shoddy public transport really let it down. I reckon Munich is a better place to live, almost for that reason alone. Gawd I miss the beaches, though. The beer gardens here however almost make up for the beaches.
Did I mention that the beaches in Sydney are fabulous?

Jeremy, hate to bust your bubble, but have you noticed the big antennas near Holzkirchen? Or the big motorway?

Everywhere has its problems. But if you want to go to the country because you want the quiet and to live closer to the mountains, go for it. But don't think it's necessarily better in terms of health for you.

@ginmunich

Big call saying the beer gardens almost make up for the beaches. It's the only thing I really miss here is a decent beach. THats what summer was all about really. Beer gardens are good, but you can't have nearly enough fun in one as opposed to a beach.

Yes, Shideney has some decent beaches - visiting rellos up there we used to always pop down to Bronte for a morning dip.

?? controlled by aliens ??

@jeremy

you really like the smell of cow dung? I always put a hanky over my face while driving past certain areas. Don't know how people can eat with that smell hanging in the air the whole time!

Ever tasted honey from country hives? Chap we know has hundreds of them, even showed us one of them. Fascinating.

Not necess cowdung but the smell of fresh cut hay and the sound of the village church bells - chiils you out and slows life down.

Antennas we're checking out via that webmap from DK the other day. Traffic noise is worst at Föching, seen a few houses there but its too loud.

In my wife's company almost everyone once they get a child moves out of Munich.

@jeremy


Nope. City girl. I can imagine hay to smell nice. But fertilizer?