In consulting firm Mercer’s 19th Quality of Living survey released last March 14, Singapore topped the list of best country in Asia for expats to live. Globally, it placed 25th of 231 cities. Neighbouring cities namely Osaka, Yokohama, Kobe, and Tokyo followed behind, ranking 60th, 51st, 50th, and 47th all over the world, respectively.
Other Asian countries on the list were Hong Kong taking the 71st spot, Kuala Lumpur at 86th, Shanghai at 102nd, Bangkok at 131st, Manila at 135th, and Jakarta at 143rd.
Singapore’s ranking, according to Mercer, was attributed to ample availability and impressive quality of its housing, wide array of consumer products, internal stability, and low occurrence of natural calamities.
The city-state’s infrastructure also emerged top on the list for infrastructure ranking, getting ahead of Frankfurt and Munich, which both placed second. In Asia, Hong Kong emerged at the sixth place, while Sydney placed eighth. This ranking was based on every city’s supply of basic services such as potable drinking water, telephone and communications, as well as reliable electricity. Public transportation and ease of traffic flow were also some of the factors considered.
Mercer noted that infrastructure plays a vital role in multinational companies’ decision-making with regards to ideal places to establish offices abroad and send expatriate workers. In a statement, Slagin Parakatil, Principal at Mercer, said issues such as efficient communication, cleanliness of surroundings, ease of travel and access to public services, and personal safety greatly influence success of foreign deployment.
He further added that a well-developed infrastructure poses a great advantage for cities trying to entice foreign investors, international talents, and multinational firms.
This survey, conducted annually, aims to help organization and companies build their compensation structure and allowances for staff abroad. According to Mercer’s website, there are dozens of criteria considered such as transport, recreation, crime, political stability, education, and health care.
