The annual Quality of Living City Ranking by Mercer has named Frankfurt among the top 10 best cities in the world for quality of life. How did other German cities fare?

Mercer Quality of Living Ranking 2024

The Mercer Quality of Living Ranking is an annual ranking of 241 international cities across five continents. The US consultancy company researches “the practicalities of daily life for [...] international employees and their families”, which forms the basis of the ranking.

Considering housing, recreation, socio-cultural environment, purchasing conventions, travel, traffic, air quality and access to education, Mercer’s ranking is designed to help governments and international companies determine compensation strategies for employees sent abroad.

The 2024 ranking saw Zurich come out on top, “fuelled by its outstanding public services, low crime rates and a lively cultural scene, all backed by efficient infrastructure and a dedication to sustainability,” according to Mercer. Vienna and Geneva followed in second and third place respectively.

Four German cities among top 20 for international quality of living

Sharing the position with Vancouver, Canada, Mercer ranked Frankfurt as the seventh-best international city for living quality in 2024. As the financial capital of Germany, the city has a wide range of job opportunities for international people and excellent public transport connections serve the major transport hub.

However, Frankfurt is also consistently ranked as one of the most expensive cities in Germany. According to a 2023 study by the German Economic Institute (IW), tenants in Frankfurt pay around 15,7 percent more for rental and living costs than the national average.

Munich, Düsseldorf and Berlin also managed to make it into the top 20 best international cities for living quality according to Mercer, coming in 11th, 16th and 19th place respectively. But overall, compared to 2023, German cities were the international cities which most significantly dropped down the 2024 ranking. Düsseldorf fell from 10th to 16th place and Stuttgart lost 20 places to sit 46th.

Mercer’s top 10 most liveable cities at a glance

In all, here are Mercer’s 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 full details of the survey visit the Mercer website.

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