Austria's capital, Vienna, has once again topped the list in the Mercer's annual survey as the most livable city in the world, while the Iraqi capital of Baghdad remains the worst.
According to the survey of 231 cities, 8 of the 10 most pleasant cities are located in Europe, with Germany and Switzerland having three cities each in the top 10. New Zealand, Canada and Australia each have one, Reuters reported.
Vienna, which has a population of 1.8 million, has held the top rank for a ninth year in a row, mainly due to its vibrant cultural scene, comprehensive healthcare and moderate housing costs.
Switzerland's Zurich follows the Austrian city at a close second, while New Zealand's Auckland and Germany's Munich come in at a joint third.
Offering the highest quality of living in North America is Vancouver, which came in at fifth place. Singapore retains its position as the Asian city with the highest quality of living, ranking 25th globally.
Dubai, which ranked 74th on the list, has continued to rank as the city offering the highest quality of living in the Middle East, while the Mauritius capital of Port Louis, at 83rd place, was the highest ranking African city.
"The best liveable cities can attract executives in multinational businesses, like Singapore which is the top ranked Asian city in Mercer's 2018 quality of living ranking. There are few success stories like Singapore, which went from third world economy to first world within a single generation and is primed for the future of work," said Mercer's Mario Ferraro.
London has fallen one rank this year to 41st place, a year before Britain is expected to leave the European Union.
"Cities in the UK continue to rank highly for quality of living, and remain attractive destinations for multinationals and their employees," said Kate Fitzpatrick, Mercer's Global Mobility Practice Leader for Britain and Ireland.
The report has noted that most of the improvements in living standards over the past 20 years were in eastern European cities such as Sarajevo, which came in at 159th place, and Bratislava at 80th.
Baghdad has been at the bottom of the list for a decade due to the waves of conflict and sectarian violence that have swept the city since the American-led invasion in 2003. Seven years into Syria's civil war, Damascus has been ranked six places above Baghdad, while Yemen's capital Sanaa, also devastated by conflict, ranked two places above the Iraqi capital.
