There are millions of places in the world that one could choose to live.  Some are obviously eliminated if you have the choice, places like Antarctica, Death Valley, and deep in the jungle.  But with all of the great places left, how do you choose when buying a home internationally?  Fortunately there are tons of surveys about the best places to live and make an investment in. Now some of the lists were compiled by looking at quality of life while some where things like personal safety and air quality, but they still managed to top the lists.

Zurich, Switzerland stay very close to the top, and was number one a couple of times.  Looking at it with a quality of life stand point, Zurich is one of the wealthiest cities in Europe and has plenty of scenic hills and mountains.  Plus it is rich with history, and it shows.  The buildings still hold the old styles and canals and rivers run through the city.  As far as air quality and personal safety it's on top.  Even the weather is great.  While it can get pretty cold (low 20's) in the winter, it never gets really hot, topping out at around 80 degrees.  Even if you are looking for an investment property, Zurich would be a great place.

Another place seeming to sit high in the ranks is Auckland, New Zealand.  This city is more “city-like” than some of the others on the lists.  One of the things you will notice instantly about Auckland is you'll be secluded.  Not that the city itself is small or spread out, but the entire country is a couple thousand miles away from most of the rest of the world.  Now this may be a perk for someone buying a home internationally, but it is something to consider.  As far as the weather there goes, though it is incredibly mild.  The average temperature throughout the year doesn't swing any more than 20-30 degrees, from 50's to 80's.  Plus the scenery is unbeatable. 

Other places that have ranked near the top on the “best places in the world” are cities like Geneva, Honolulu, and Vancouver.