After two years of winning silver, Zurich has now been rated as the best city in the world for quality of life by Mercer. The pension and investment firm’s Quality of Living City Ranking saw three other Swiss cities secure places in the top 10.

Quality of Living City ranking returns for 2024

To create the study, Mercer ranked 241 cities from five continents around the world by the quality of life they offer residents. The study is designed to be a guide for both workers and companies as to the best places to relocate, so they can benefit from the highest standards of living.

Mercer’s team of experts analysed quality of life data for each city using New York as the benchmark. Each location was rated via 39 different factors including housing, personal safety, connectivity, education, traffic, recreation, infrastructure, air quality and economy, among many others. 

The very best cities were considered those which “stand out for their exceptional living standards, robust infrastructure and vibrant cultural scenes.”

Zurich places first in quality of life ranking for 2024

This year, Zurich was rated as the best city in the world for quality of life. 2023 first-place winner Vienna took second place, with Geneva rounding out the podium places.

The Swiss metropolis was given high praise for its “outstanding public services, low crime rates and a lively cultural scene, all backed by efficient infrastructure and a dedication to sustainability.” Interestingly, Zurich may have its airport to thank for claiming the top spot this year: Mercer argued that the addition of new direct flights this winter and next summer will be very useful in attracting expat workers.

Four Swiss cities among the 10 best for quality of life

Thanks to similar factors, Geneva saw its score improve by two places in 2024 to rank third. What’s more, both Bern and Basel rose four positions compared to 2023, now ranking ninth and 10th respectively. 

The biggest winners in the 2024 ranking were Amsterdam (sixth) and the Nordic capitals of Stockholm (18th) and Helsinki (26th), with each of them rising by eight places compared to 2023. By contrast, German cities saw the largest drops in 2024, with Düsseldorf falling from 10th to 16th and Stuttgart losing 20 places to sit 46th. Nevertheless, four cities in Germany still found themselves in the top 10.

In terms of the opposite side of the ranking, Sanaa in Yemen, Bangui in the Central African Republic and the Iraqi capital Baghdad placed bottom in 2024.

Zurich: High living standards at a high price

However, Mercer noted that alongside quality of life, “Cost of living also plays a significant role in its appeal to both employees and corporations.” In this regard, Zurich was rated as having the third highest cost of living of all cities analysed, just behind Hong Kong and Singapore - however, it must be borne in mind that Swiss salaries typically compensate for the higher cost.

When it comes to a balance of cost of living and quality of life, Auckland in New Zealand becomes very attractive, being rated as the fifth best for quality of life and only the 111th most expensive city analysed. By contrast, along with being second worst for quality of life, Bangui was rated as having the 14th highest cost of living.

10 best cities for quality of life in 2024

In all, here are the top 10 cities for quality of life in 2024:

• 1. Zurich, Switzerland
• 2. Vienna, Austria
• 3. Geneva, Switzerland
• 4. Copenhagen, Denmark
• 5. Auckland, New Zealand
• 6. Amsterdam, the Netherlands
• =7. Frankfurt, Germany
• =7. Vancouver, Canada
• 9. Bern, Switzerland
• 10. Basel, Switzerland

For more information about the study, check out the Mercer website.