Singapore - Singapore is once again the safest and best city to live in for expatriate staff in the Asia-Pacific region.

According to Mercer’s 2008 Quality of Living survey, Singapore has the best quality of living and highest personal safety amongst other Asian cities. Singapore is 32 on the global rankings, two places higher than last year.

Singapore also ranked higher than other cosmopolitan cities in Asia such as Tokyo (35), Hong Kong (70) and Kuala Lumpur (75), excluding Australia and New Zealand.

Managing director of ASEAN Mercer Su-Yen Wong said Singapore’s rise in the ranking reflects its strengths against other cities in the region “in terms of political and social environment, medical and health considerations, public services and transportation, and housing”.

Nonetheless, there is still room for Singapore to improve on its current ranking.

Wong suggested that Singapore could further improve by enhancing its socio-cultural environment, recreation options and natural environment with help from the recently released Leisure Plan by the Urban Redevelopment Authority.

“If Singapore continues to enhance its quality of living, we believe that the city will continue to rate favourably among expatriates looking to relocate to the region,” Wong said.

However, as Singapore boosts its quality of living, the rising costs of housing and international education might just bring the city’s ranking down a few notches.

Wong says, “The decreasing availability of specific expatriate housing might pose an issue. The pressure on international school vacancies is also cause for increasing concern.”

Singapore also claimed the number one spot for personal safety ranking in Asia. Some of the lowest ranked cities for personal safety in Asia include Jakarta, Pakistan and the Philippines.

According to Slagin Parakatil, senior researcher at Mercer, personal and family safety is of paramount importance to employees when considering international assignments. “Cities that are or are perceived as unsafe may experience difficulties in attracting the best people and skills.”

Parakatil listed border conflicts, internal issues and high levels of crime as factors that cause certain countries to be less appealing destinations for a relocation.

Zurich retains its 2007 title as the highest ranked city while Baghdad, ranking 215, retains its position at the bottom of the list, both in quality of living and personal safety.