Yesterday we brought you the news that the 2010 Mercer Quality of Living Survey has finally been released. This year it has extended its analysis of global cities and now compares 221 cities in the world to help expatriates and would-be expats to determine where in the world they would be better off living.
We also covered the top 5 cities yesterday and analysed their pros and cons so that if you’re looking for a place to move to where you can live, work and have a good quality of life, you can take the findings of the survey and add a bit of perspective to the list.
We covered Vienna in Austria, Zurich and Geneva in Switzerland, Canada’s Vancouver and Auckland in New Zealand and looked at the positives and negatives of living in each city. Today we’re going to run down from position 6 to 10 in Mercer’s survey and help you determine what’s possibly good and no so good about living in Dusseldorf, Frankfurt, Munich, Bern and Sydney.
Dusseldorf - The one thing that is very striking about the top 10 list of best cities in the world to live is that the vast majority are German speaking…so if you want to live in the best places in the world you are going to have to learn to speak German! Dusseldorf is of course no exception, but it is also a relatively international city with up to 17% of residents being of foreign origin.
Dusseldorf is a hub for fashion, advertising, finance and telecommunications and was a strong employment centre until the recent global economic downturn. You can get to Belgium and the Netherlands by car easily from Dusseldorf, you can access the rest of Europe easily from the airport which makes it a good centre to base yourself in, but as a stand alone city it is described by some expat residents as being a little too conservative!
There is a real rivalry between Dusseldorf and Koln (Cologne) with those who prefer the latter accusing Dusseldorf of being snobby and stuck up, and those who prefer Dusseldorf pointing out that the residents of their city are well educated, well dressed, more affluent and have access to better employment options! Where the truth lies is very much a personal preference issue!
There is a large Japanese population in Dusseldorf, there is plenty of culture in the city, it is clean, relatively affluent and the cost of living is relatively affordable by west European standards.
Frankfurt - Frankfurt is Germany’s banking centre and it also has one of the most important airport hubs in Europe making it hugely accessible – and making the rest of the world hugely accessible from Frankfurt too!
Perhaps the best things about this city are the towns that one can commute to and from on the excellent train links from Frankfurt’s main station – such as Koenigstein, Wiesbaden and Gelnhausen which are all stunning, historic places to live. Because you see, Frankfurt itself is very far from attractive! It’s largely an ugly city with a few high-rise buildings housing big banks!
It does have an Altstadt (old town area), some attractive restaurant lined leafy cobbled streets, and a fantastic Christmas market, a decent amount of quality shops and quite a few events throughout the year, but it isn’t a particularly beautiful or interesting city.
There is a strong expat community in and around Frankfurt however, and the city has a decent summer climate, (better than the UK anyway), and as the world lifts itself out of recession slowly but surely, employment prospects are likely to improve.
Munich - The vast majority of expats who live in Munich really rate the city because it provides them with a perfect blend of everything! Munich is beautiful, it is accessible, countries like Italy, Switzerland, the Czech Republic, Austria and Lichtenstein are all close enough for weekends away. There is a lot of culture in Munich, Bavaria is beautiful, you can ski in the winter, swim in rivers and lakes in the summer. You can party in Munich, you can relax, there are strong employment options and it has a very strong expatriate community.
However, on the negative side Munich residents are accused of being snooty, the cost of living is high, there is a lot of tourism, the Oktoberfest can turn the city into a no go area – and despite the size of the city it doesn’t feel like living in a happening metropolis – which can be seen as either positive or negative depending on your outlook and perspective. Other positives are that infrastructure is good, shopping options are great and there is a very strong expatriate vibe in Munich.
Bern - In yesterday’s article covering the top 5 cities to live in in the world according to Mercer’s survey we covered Zurich and Geneva which are, like Bern, located in Switzerland of course. And we also covered the general pros and cons about the country such as the cost of living (a negative), the cleanliness, efficiency and infrastructure, (all positives) and generalised about the Swiss a little (hard to get to know, not always welcoming)! So, rather than covering old ground, let’s look at what’s unique about Bern.
For a start the cost of living is cheaper – relatively speaking for Switzerland – particularly if you move outside the city limits and are prepared to commute in for work. So that’s a plus point in this city’s favour for sure as Switzerland on the whole is always slated for its cost of living.
Bern is a very small city, with all the sites and attractions accessible on foot…in fact, it’s more like a large town than a leading city of the world. Bern is quiet compared to the more cosmopolitan centres in Switzerland too, so it may be more suited to expatriate families rather than professional singles and couples who want decent nightlife and entertainment offerings when they move abroad.
There are fewer expats in Bern than in the other 2 leading cities in Switzerland, and learning German will be required if you want to settle in and settle down. There are excellent education and healthcare facilities in this city and at the end of the day, aesthetically and culturally Bern has a lot going for it.
Sydney - Taking the final spot in the top 10 list of best cities to live in in the world if you’re looking for quality of life is Sydney in Australia. Perhaps one of the most visited cities in the world by international tourists, Sydney is also an exciting and vibrant place to live. The city has many very different residential regions and areas to choose from depending on what you want from city life. For example you can go for exclusive waterfront living in a cosmopolitan area, beach bum living or pure suburban family life perhaps!
The cost of living in Sydney is expensive compared to the rest of Australia (particularly for housing) but cheap compared to much of Europe and certainly London. The standard of living is certainly high – and the work life balance in Sydney is well weighted in favour of family/social life outside of work. The weather is good for much of the year, there are beaches, restaurants, cultural attractions, mountains, sports and much, much more to keep everyone happy.
Education and health care are good, accessibility is good in terms of the available infrastructure and airport access – although of course, Sydney and Australia are a long way from anywhere!
Traffic in the city is a problem, as stated housing costs are high and the quality of housing will be poor if you can’t either afford to spend a lot on renting a decent place or move well out of the city’s main centres to find somewhere to call home. At the moment it is harder to get a visa for relocation to Australia because they have cut back on the skills shortage list – but that is not necessarily a barrier to everyone.
In Conclusion
The cities in Mercer’s top 10 list all allegedly offer their residents a good quality of life – however, as we have shown there are pros and cons even in these much lauded locations. In other words, any location you choose to live in abroad has to suit your requirements for it. You need to visit and spend time in any location before you commit to relocating there – and don’t view a country with your rose coloured glasses on! You will still have to work, commute, put the rubbish out, shop for groceries and wash up no matter where in the world you live – so nowhere will be paradise!
