World's Most Livable Cities: Monocle Magazine 'Quality of Life' Survey (PHOTOS)

Munich residents have a reason to toast themselves months before Oktoberfest this year, as the Bavarian city tops the list of Monocle Magazine's Quality of Life rankings for 2010 -- thus making it the world's "Most Liveable City."

According to Monocle Editor-in-Chief Tyler Brule, the fourth annual survey ranks cities based on a variety of different criteria, including social and economic circumstances for residents, public health, infrastructure, and ease and availability of local transport.

With two cities each in the Top 12, Germany and Australia certainly lead the pack. But other Europeans needn't fret as Asia scored only one spot, and the U.S. was shut out entirely, with its top-ranked city, Honolulu, slipping two slots from last year to #13.

Monocle's Europe-heavy results are comparable to an earlier survey conducted by global constituency firm Mercer, released in May, though they vary widely in their specifics (Madrid, #10 on Monocle's survey, comes in at a measly #48 on the Mercer survey).

See Monocle's pics for the world's top 12 cities to live, play and learn in the slideshow below:

1 of 12

#1 - Munich, Germany

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2009 rank: # 4 Mercer rank: #7

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2009 rank: # 4
Mercer rank: #7

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The Most Livable

Rank #2  |  Average: 4

Bit Of A Struggle Nirvana

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World's Most Liveable Cities

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World's Most Liveable Cities

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Comments

[neon-tiger]

03:34 PM on 06/27/2010

another best of the world list dominated by socialist democracies.

[xiaodashan]

12:40 PM on 06/22/2010

Tokyo liveable?...bollocks.(Especially after its very own Godzilla hits it-the massive Earthquake thats long due)

[Power2Truth]

09:58 AM on 06/22/2010

Cologne Citizen 16 minutes ago (9:22 AM)
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Just look what Obama alone gets from people who hate blacks. A newspaper did a cartoon with a dead monkey and asked: who is gonna write the next stimulus bill ? Get a grip. Racism is well and alive in the land of the fee and the home of the slave.
__________________________________________________________________

Cologne Citizen from Germany uses the lyrics of The Star-Spangled Banner" the national Anthem United States for anti-American racist remarks.
As in
“… in the land of the fee and the home of the slave.”

Not that the coward would ever say that into any American’s face.
In my experience little bootlickers for tips, small change.
But make disparaging remarks in German behind your back thinking that Americans don’t understand German.

[CologneCitizen]

10:14 AM on 06/22/2010

Land of the fee and home of the slave is a well known idiom in Europe for the overboarding American taxes and red tape, and the absence of long mandatory paid vacations which turns employees literally into slaves.

[Power2Truth]

10:22 AM on 06/22/2010

No, you lie...they speak German and not English.

This kind of hate speech, disrespect and lack of class may be Ok or common in Germany.
But not in the United States of America.
Learn some manners

[netzwerg]

10:22 AM on 06/22/2010

"Land of the fee and home of the slave" is a well known idiom for the US in the Netherlands as well.

[neon-tiger]

03:51 PM on 06/27/2010

"land of the fee home of the slave" thats a good one. what is free in the US? nothing. Sure we can say what we want. we can say our president is an idiot. So can 95% of the rest of the world. Freedom in America is a joke. I can't even drive my own car with out wearing a seat belt.

[KellyRyan]

03:55 AM on 06/22/2010

I admit, I'm shallow enough to prefer island living.

[CologneCitizen]

02:02 AM on 06/22/2010

American cities reflect overall American politics. Cities are "developed" for the profit of a few, not for their citizens. I have seen many houses torn down in US cities when they were not profitable anymore, or when room for speculation outlined a higher reward for the owners in the future. You don't let your places grow. The only criteria is your return on investment. There are some attempts to make inner cities more livable. Like the waterfront in St.Louis. But it does not a lot, it is artificial and will not last long when the short term profit is gone.

You have no chance. Your legislation is always in favor of making a buck, but not for beauty of architecture, quality of life for your people or having a general concept for a city that lasts longer than the period to get re-elected.

[lunarsnare]

07:12 AM on 06/22/2010

You have never lived in America
Don’t pay taxes here,.
Are no eligible to vote as a German Citizen.
But you stick you nose into our legislation, domestic policy?
Rather arrogant and pretentious to say the least

[CologneCitizen]

09:19 AM on 06/22/2010

What has a residency to do with the point most American inner cities are boring, crime infested or both ?

[Power2Truth]

07:30 AM on 06/22/2010

Please take your ignorant hate speech against our country somewhere else.

[CologneCitizen]

09:18 AM on 06/22/2010

Hate speech is what Limbaugh an friends do, point is your architecture if existing sucks, period.

[Talossa]

12:50 AM on 06/22/2010

Top Ten Livable Cities (personal experience only)

1. London
2. Paris
3. Toronto
4. New York
5. Washington, DC
6. Jerusalem
7. Stockholm
8. Madrid
9. Chur
10. Milwaukee :-)

[mssreader]

02:52 PM on 06/24/2010

Talossa, Interesting list you provide. I lived in London and go back whenever I can as it is my favorite city in the world but I'm not sure about the livable part. I am saddened to see the littered streets and undoubtedly one of the most expensive cities in the world. Toronto I agree with you on and NY though wonderful to visit as I used to spend 7 weeks a year there, I would not want to live there not in DC. I've not had an interest in visiting Spain, though I've traveled in Europe a lot, it's next on my list since Madrid appeared on the above list as well as yours. Stockholm I'm not surprised at as it's beautiful and the people overwhelmingly nice as they are in Scotland. I lived in San Francisco for years and it was wonderful back then but wouldn't choose to live there today. Vancouver is another wonderful city. DC, no way!

Not at all surprised to see any American city on the above list.

[teddy salad]

03:47 PM on 06/29/2010

Why wouldn't you live in San Francisco today? Are you a low-wage earner? Or is that too personal?

[Talossa]

12:25 AM on 06/22/2010

Aside from Paris and Madrid, is this a list of the world's most boring cities?

[BereftSkerrick]

09:46 AM on 06/23/2010

Melbourne maybe, but Sydney? Never!

[Talossa]

04:08 PM on 06/23/2010

Having never been to Australia I'll defer to you on that. My few run-ins with Australians have taught me to stay thousands of miles away from that continent. What a self-indulgent race of backstabbers!

[GSR]

09:14 AM on 06/25/2010

I have traveled widely. Melbourne is the only city I have been to which has a uniform standard of food across an extensive range of cuisines. I love NY and Paris but neither can compete with the quality of Melbourne's ethnic restaurant districts.

[mssreader]

02:52 PM on 06/24/2010

Talossa, NO!

[Strontium90]

03:37 PM on 06/21/2010

San Diego

[FREEDOM BELL]

02:05 AM on 06/22/2010

San Diego is the definition of unsophisticated.

[mssreader]

02:53 PM on 06/24/2010

Freedom, very, very true. Not too many sophisticated cities in the US.

[neon-tiger]

04:06 PM on 06/27/2010

San Diego is a great city except that all the people there are complete douches

[FREEDOM BELL]

07:25 PM on 06/27/2010

They are from the bottom of the barrel!!

[Strontium90]

03:36 PM on 06/21/2010

Love that photo of Paris. Why, look at all the green space!

[DramaKitteh]

08:05 PM on 06/21/2010

They have more Green Space than NYC.

[Talossa]

12:37 AM on 06/22/2010

You don't escape from Paris, you escape to it.

[mssreader]

02:54 PM on 06/24/2010

Talossa, I have to agree that as much as I don't like the French people, I have to say that I think Paris is the most beautiful city in the world that I'v been to anyway.

[netzwerg]

03:10 PM on 06/21/2010

Paris and Berlin are awesome, unless you have no money and have to live in the outskirts.

[Power2Truth]

07:03 AM on 06/22/2010

You mean like that?
http://i.ytimg.com/vi/urV6b1GuwT8/0.jpg

[netzwerg]

08:23 AM on 06/22/2010

Exactly.

[pdxcyclist]

02:33 PM on 06/21/2010

Where's Montreal and Portland, Oregon?!

[Talossa]

12:36 AM on 06/22/2010

The only things I remember from my brief trip to Portland (1986) was the phenomenal amount of garbage in the streets downtown and the gigantic hives of homeless people living underneath bridges along the railway. I hope things have improved since then.

[neon-tiger]

04:09 PM on 06/27/2010

those aren't homeless, thats the local style. Hipster/lumberjack LOL

[NewHavenCountyCT]

02:40 PM on 06/22/2010

Montreal - I've lived there and think it's not that great a place to live overall. It's fun if you are young and want to party, but downtown Montreal is full of strip joints and pan-handlers and not exactly the kind of place you'd want to take your kids shopping.

[Saidas]

12:30 PM on 06/21/2010

Monocle magazine? It must have a readership of well near 100.

WTF are most of these choices? Vancouver, BC has won top honor for many, many years by real surveys and its not even on the Top Ten list here.

[santiago sherwood]

12:48 PM on 06/21/2010

Portland, OR and Seattle are nicer than most of the cities they listed. I think Monocle is a eurocentric we hate north america mind set., OR it was written by people in an office of places they think would be cool to visit some day when they get a passport.

[lunarsnare]

08:35 AM on 06/22/2010

Seattle is magic.

[mssreader]

02:57 PM on 06/24/2010

santiago, I've lived in Seattle, had to move due to the 4 seasons of grey, and think it is the most European city in the USA. The culture and lifestyle are wonderful. Glad you mentioned Seattle. Portland is lovely but don't think it's on many tourist's list. Vancouver is better and you can always ferry to Victoria which is a little gem in itself.

[AbeMartin]

08:42 AM on 06/21/2010

The problem that comes by peering at the world through a monocle is that you get a flat, two dimensional view of everything. The Editor-In-Chief could have come to the same inane conclusion by making his selection from picture postcards.

[lunarsnare]

07:36 AM on 06/21/2010

The criterion of this statistic is based on.
If you a rich white person or a tourist,
If you have a well paying job and if you enjoy the European lifestyle which is not everybody’s cup of tea.
But not reflective of the most livable cities in the world at all…..since it excludes most other criterion and is short on many other details.

If you where stuck in Munich’s or Berlin’s vast hochhaus ghettos on unemployment with little to no chance of paid employment, unable to afford transportation to get your family out of there……
You would definitely not consider these places as the most livable as they offer little to no opportunity for regular blue color working class people.

[netzwerg]

03:06 PM on 06/21/2010

Please stay out of Europe, especially the Netherlands and Germany!!! Stay in the greatest country ever the USA, you have everything there and much bigger Disneylands and Six Flags Parks!!! NO NEED to come to Europe (unless forced by your employer).

[lunarsnare]

08:29 AM on 06/22/2010

What you really mean....
Do not report.

[CologneCitizen]

01:54 AM on 06/22/2010

Maybe Munich and Berlin got in there because they have less ghettos than the American cities.

[Kiranitisme]

06:53 AM on 06/21/2010

USA is melting point of constant distinction between white, black and brown. You do not find it in Europe.

[lunarsnare]

07:14 AM on 06/21/2010

That's correct manypeople of color in Western European cities live somewhat segregated in their designated ares ...definitely not a melting pot like in the US.

In the US we are aware of our diversity but do segregate or treat them or each other as second class citizens.
In fact because of this racial inequality racial tensions are rising in Europe.cities.
Setting the cars on fire in France
Riot police in the major cities. .

[lunarsnare]

07:16 AM on 06/21/2010

Oops Typo, I meant to say do NOT segregate

[A Thomas]

12:10 PM on 06/21/2010

We had a Riot over the Laker's winning. There was a Riot when West Virgina beat Va Tech in Football Game, when the NY Rangers won the Stanley Cup, riots happen for all kinds of reasons... The riots in France are over Class Warfare being carried out by the Sarkosy Government.

Racial tensions? There some Anti-Muslim rhetoric in Western Europe and even a few laws passed that would give the ACLU heartburn. But that's hardly is equal for the 100's of years of terror in America, which continues to this day, do you know who JT Ready is? He's the new poster boy for the Ultra Right and that's putting it mildly.