This is the best city in the world for quality of life

Travel


This is the best city in the world for quality of life

By Harriet Hall

Updated 8 years ago

Muggy, smoggy, congested, overpriced, sprawling and stressful. Ring a bell?

For many, London can be a hard city to get along with  - but it turns out we’ve got a lot to be thankful for. Because our capital city has just been revealed as the best in the world for quality of life, in a new study.

Conducted by PWC, the study asked pollers from 16 countries worldwide, to rate 30 cities on their culture, entertainment, infrastructure, health and general happiness.

London came out on top, dubbed the most ‘dynamic city’ thanks to its health service, legal system and top notch infrastructure – which were all considered superior to its competitors.



Second in the running was the city of love, Paris, which scored best for culture, tourist attractions and food. New York came third, but lead in economic influence and ease of access to the centre.

However, the city that never sleeps lost out on a top spot due to its unaffordable living costs and high levels of traffic congestion.

Singapore scored the third spot, while Toronto came in fourth - a surprising fall from grace having been recently voted most liveable city.

Lagos came bottom of the list, with Jakarta, Mumbai and Bogotá also coming low.

However, the results were voted for by a group of 5,200 adults who were all well-educated and with high net worths.

Additionally, the poll – although released now – was conducted by consultancy firm PwC in December 2015, before the Brexit vote, which has put significant risk to London’s status as a leading financial centre.



A separate study was also conducted by PwC, to compare the perceived results of the first study, with quantifiable factors – to determine whether these cities really did live up to their reputations.

London also came to the top of this list, but Paris slipped to fourth place, beaten by Singapore and Toronto. Amsterdam came in fifth, and New York slipped down to sixth place.

This latest research contradicts the recent annual Global Liveability Ranking, which placed London way down in 53rd place as a result of petty crime and a growing terror threat. London also didn't make it into the top 10 most peaceful countries in the world.

BEST PERCEIVED CITIES

1. London

2. Paris

3. New York

4. Amsterdam

5. Sydney

6. Berlin

7. Tokyo

8. Toronto

9. Stockholm

10. Los Angeles

BEST QUANTIFIABLE CITIES

1. London

2. Singapore

3. Toronto

4. Paris

5. Amsterdam

6. New York

7. Stockholm

8. San Francisco

9. Hong Kong

10. Sydney

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