The Cities With The Best Quality Of Life Were Ranked & 5 Canadian Spots Made The Cut

A recent ranking of the cities with the best quality of life in 2023 were ranked and not one, not two but five Canadian cities managed to make the cut. In fact, each Canadian destination that made the list appeared in the top 25, with one city ranking in the top 10.

Mercer, an American consulting firm, ranked a total of 241 cities from across five continents using a methodology developed by Mercer's team of professionals. The ranking assessed living conditions across the globe, taking into consideration factors such as housing, medical care, infrastructure, culture and recreation, education availability of goods and services, climate, sanitation and the prevalence of disease and violence.

Vienna, Austria was ranked first, with Zurich, Auckland, Copenhagen and Geneva all rounding off the remainder of the top five.

So, how did Canada perform when it comes to worldwide cities with the best quality of life?

The first Canadian city to appear on the ranking was none other than Vancouver, British Columbia, which ranked eighth overall. The west coast city is known for its love of nature, recreation and stellar education system thanks to institutions such as the University of British Columbia and Simon Fraser University.

Toronto was the next Canadian city to appear on the list, ranking 17th overall. Ottawa tied with Berlin in the 18th spot, while Montreal landed in the 20th position.

Calgary, Alberta was the last and final Canadian destination to make the ranking — landing 23rd overall. With five Canadian cities making the list, all of which appeared in the top 25, it's safe to say Canada has much to be proud of.

Wondering which other cities made the cut? Here's the complete top 20 of the cities with the best quality of life in 2023, per Mercer:

1. Vienna, Austria
2. Zurich, Switzerland
3. Auckland, New Zealand
4. Copenhagen, Denmark
5. Geneva, Switzerland
6. Frankfurt, Germany
7. Munich, Germany
8. Vancouver, Canada
9. Sydney, Australia
10. Dusseldorf, Germany
11. The Hague, Netherlands
12. Wellington, New Zealand
13. Bern, Switzerland
14. Basel, Switzerland
15. Amsterdam, Netherlands
16. Luxembourg, Luxembourg
17. Toronto, Canada
18. Berlin, Germany
19. Ottawa, Canada
20. Montreal, Canada

This article's cover image was used for illustrative purposes only.