Advertisement

Singapore is Asia's top city in quality of living: survey

Singapore skyline

Singapore may be the world's most expensive city, but it offers the best quality of life in Asia, according to a survey.

Of the 230 countries assessed in the Mercer 2015 Quality of Living rankings list, Singapore ranks 26th overall and no. 1 in Asia.

The second highest-ranking Asian city is Tokyo, placing 44th in the global ranking.

On the Southeast Asia front, after Singapore comes Kuala Lumpur, ranking 84th on the global list.

Other major cities in Southeast Asia are Bangkok, Manila and Jakarta, ranking 117th, 136th and 140th, respectively.

“The survey results show that Asia-Pacific is a hugely diverse and dynamic region,” said Mario Ferraro, Global Mobility Leader for Asia, Middle East and Africa (AMEA) at Mercer. “Within the same region there are some stark differences in quality of living, which organisations should take into account when deploying expatriates across borders.”

Vienna is the city with the world’s best for quality of living, while the lowest-ranking city is Baghdad, according to the survey.

The annual Quality of Living survey is conducted by Mercer to help multinational companies and other employers compensate their employees fairly when placing them on international assignments. The data for this list was analysed mostly between September and November of 2014, and the assessments take into account political, economic and environmental developments.