Bucharest ranks 108th out of 215 cities in an international ranking of the best cities to live in, put together by human resources consultancy Mercer. The capital climbed three positions in the ranking based on the quality of life this year, leaving behind cities like Istanbul (114th) and Sofia (117th). Prague is the SE European city with the highest quality of life, so that it is 71st in the world ranking, while Warsaw ranks 85th. Although quality of life in Bucharest is lower than in Warsaw, rents are higher. As a result, an expat pays around 4,200 dollars (3,000 euros) a month for a flat in Bucharest, the same as an expat living in Prague, but several hundred euros less than if they were living in Warsaw, Mercer data reveals. The data for the living cost survey were collected in the first half of last year, with the trend of the market causing luxury home rents to increase by 5-15% since then. However, the real estate market is the only field that has a significant contribution to Bucharest ranking among the most expensive capitals in Central and South-Eastern Europe, as other goods and services are cheaper than in other business centres. For instance, expats pay 5,000 dollars in annual tuition for the primary school per child, unlike Prague where the same service costs a little more than 10,000 dollars per month. "Costs and quality of life have to be correlated with the salary level," says Oana Botolan, country manager of Consulteam, Mercer's representative on the domestic market.
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