World's 10 best cities to live in

Liveability surveys among cities across the world always draw public attention as people are ever keen to know which are the best places to live in.

Therefore, when a recent Economic Intelligence Unit's Global Liveability Survey came up with Melbourne as the best city in the world to live, it hit the headlines as did the news that India's business capital Mumbai had been placed at 116th position.

The survey, an annual exercise, assessed living conditions in 140 global cities.

Mumbai just moved one place up from its previous year's ranking.

London was ranked 53, while at 26 position, Honolulu was the top US city to figure in the list.

The cities were gauged on five categories -- political and social stability, healthcare, culture and environment, education and infrastructure.

They were scored out of 100 and the report noted that the top 10 cities were only separated by 1.8 percentage points.

Click NEXT to know more about world's 10 best cities to live. . .

Rank 1: Melbourne

Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia.

Today, it is a centre for the arts, commerce, industry, education, entertainment, sport and tourism.

Melbourne, often referred to as the 'cultural capital of Australia', ranked in the top 10 Global University Cities by RMIT's Global University Cities Index (since 2006) and the top 20 Global Innovation Cities by the 2thinknow Global Innovation Agency (since 2007).

The metropolis is home to the world's largest tram network.

. . .

Rank 2: Vienna

Vienna, the capital of Austria, with approximately two million inhabitants, is situated on the banks of the Danube.

Tourism generates impressive revenue for Vienna and a majority of the population works in the services sector.

Small and medium businesses are predominant in Vienna, which Austria's biggest economic centre.

The city being the capital of Austria houses many national administrative agencies, universities, schools and embassies.

Vienna is also home to international organisations and agencies.

The International Atomic Energy Agency, the United Nations Industrial Development Organization and other international associations are located in Vienna.

. . .

Rank 3: Vancouver

It is the eighth largest city in Canada.

A city with beautiful scenery and a mild climate, Vancouver boasts of a high standard of living.

With the heavily forested Stanley Park and its many popular beaches, Vancouver, British Columbia is a city that clearly values its relationship with nature.

Current highlights in Vancouver include the greenest building code in North America, district renewable energy projects, and a brand-new Curbside Compost Programme.

In addition, the city continues to meet and exceed greenhouse gas reduction targets.

. . .

Rank 4: Toronto

Toronto is considered an alpha world city according to the Globalization and World Cities (GaWC) study group.

Toronto was ranked 12th in the world and 4th in the Americas for economic innovation in the Innovation Cities Top 100 Index by 2thinknow.

It is also a major centre of higher education and research, home to several universities and colleges.

According to Forbes, Toronto is the world's 10th most economically powerful city and the fastest growing financial centre among the G7 nations, along with London.

. . .

Rank 5: Calgary

Calgary is best known for winter sports and ecotourism.

Economic activity in Calgary is mostly centred on the petroleum industry, agriculture, and tourism.

In 1988, Calgary became the first Canadian city to host the Olympic Winter Games.

A modern cosmopolitan city, it still retains much of its traditional culture.

. . .

Rank 6: Sydney

Sydney, the business gateway to Australia,  is a cosmopolitan city that is surrounded by beautiful beaches, world heritage sites and bountiful wine regions.

It is the largest and most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales.

Sydney has grown to become a wealthy and prosperous city over the years.

The largest economic sectors in Sydney include property and business services, retail, manufacturing, and health and community services.

. . .

Rank 7: Helsinki

Helsinki is Finland's major political, educational, financial, cultural and research centre.

It is one of the cleanest cities in Europe and ranks high in health and sanitation.

About 70 per cent of foreign companies operating in Finland have settled in the Helsinki region.

. . .

Rank 8: Perth

Perth is Australia's fourth largest city, with a growth rate consistently above the national average.

It is a hotspot for business, entertainment, nightlife, culture and arts.

Perth's economy has been changing in favour of the service industries since the 1950s.

By virtue of its population and role as the administrative centre for business and government, Perth dominates the Western Australian economy.

. . .

Rank 9: Adelaide

Adelaide is the capital and most populous city of South Australia, and is the fifth-largest city in the continent.

Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.28 million.

It is famous for festivals, sporting events, food, wine and culture.

. . .

Rank 10: Auckland

The Auckland metropolitan area, in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country.

Auckland has scenic locales, beautiful beaches, best holiday destinations, great food and wine, shopping and exciting nightlife.

The city scores high on international lifestyle surveys.

Auckland has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world.