Mercer (http://www.mercer.com/summary.htm?siteLanguage=100&idContent=1128060) has released its 2010 quality of life city rankings. (See http://www.articles.totallyexpat.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/QoL-2010-Rankings.pdf for the 221 city list.) The only cities of the former Soviet Union found in the top 100 are the capitals of the Baltic States with Vilnius (79) ahead of Riga (91) and Tallinn (89). Europe dominates the top 44, the first of the three US cities found there being Honolulu at 31. The US, including New York City, dominates between 45 and 69. Central Europe, aside from most of the listed cities from the former Yugoslavia, runs between 70 and 114 alongside non-Western European and non-US cities. After 114 comes the rest of the world including Eastern Europe.

While Atlanta GA is only ten cities above Vilnius, it scores 95.8 points out of 100 compared to the 88.6 points for Vilnius, so it is clear that even at 79, Vilnius has a high quality of life. To give a bit of perspective, Zagreb and Tel Aviv at 102 (out of 221) were given 80 points, Cairo at 126 was given 71.9 points, Sarajevo at 157 was given 60.4 points, and Tehran at 183 was given 50.4 points.

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