The Beautiful Vienna, Austria

No. 1: Vienna, Austria
Mercer score: 108.6*2008

rank: 2GDP: $325 billion (2008 est.)**

Population: 1,664,146 (total city); 8,210,281 (total country)Life expectancy: 79.5

The rankings are based on a point scoring index established by Mercer Consultings 2009 Quality of Living Survey, with Vienna scoring 108.6 and Baghdad scoring 14.4. Cities are compared with New York as the base city, with an index score of 100. The quality-of-living survey covers 215 cities and is conducted to help governments and major companies place employees on international assignments. The survey also identifies those cities with the highest personal safety ranking based on internal stability, crime, effectiveness of law enforcement, and relationships with other countries.**The World Factbook. Gross domestic product is denominated in international dollars, which is based on Purchasing Power Parity.