Melbourne, Vancouver and Vienna are the easiest cities in the world for
expatriates to live in, according to the latest hardship survey by the
Economist Intelligence Unit.
Port Moresby, capital of Papua New Guinea, has again been branded the worst
place to live.
The biggest climber in the chart was Hong Kong, rising 11 places in the
ranking, thanks to a 2 per cent rise in living standards.
The war in Iraq saw neighbouring Kuwait fall furthest in the rankings – down
10 places – although Harare suffered the greatest actual drop in living
standards as a result of ongoing political unrest.
The Economist Intelligence Unit’s Hardship Rating, which is part of the
Worldwide Cost of Living Survey, assesses conditions for expatriates in 130
cities around the world by looking at 12 factors grouped into three categories:
health and safety; culture and environment; and infrastructure.
Australian and Canadian cities feature prominently at the top of the
rankings, with five of the Australian cities surveyed appearing in the top 10.
