Friday, February 22, 2008
Zurich, according to William M. Mercer, a London-based consulting firm, is the city with the highest quality of life in the world for 6 consecutive years. They analyzed 215 cities based on 39 different criteria, including leisure and relaxation, safety, cleanliness, political and economical stability, and medical care (Manila is 123). Well, since this is where I live, I guess, life cannot get better than this. Actually, in the same survey, Switzerland together with Germany are the only countries with 3 cities in the top 10 (Zurich-1, Geneva-2, Berne-9) . Well, I guess , it really doesn't get better than this.
What do these criteria translate to in everyday life? Well, the Zurich Lake, around which the city is built is so clean, I won't be surprised if one can directly drink from it. The trains and trams arrive precisely on time (to the second!). The city vacuums (!) the street everyday. The swiss franc is one of the most stable currencies in the world. Everyone has health insurance. Very low crime rate (in fact probably there is none at all that sometimes the big news of the day is that of man caught peeping in the women's changing room of a department store!).
Though famous for being an overly expensive city (9th in the world in terms of cost of living), it also gives the world's highest salaries. It's so expensive here that if one is earning less than 3500 sfr (3200 USD), one is considered to be living below the poverty line.
To be continued....
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