Dublin has been ranked 35th in a "quality of life" survey of 215 cities worldwide. The survey, by Mercer consultants, placed Dublin before cities such as London, New York, Rome, Boston and Madrid.
Vancouver and Zurich were estimated to have the best quality of life, followed closely by Vienna, Copenhagen, Geneva and Sydney.
Quality of life was calculated with a detailed evaluation of 39 key factors including political stability, medical and educational services and recreational facilities. This information is used by governments and companies determining appropriate allowances for staff transferred abroad.
European cities accounted for 17 of the top 30 cities perceived to have the best quality of life.
According to the findings, the world's least desirable cities were Brazzaville and Pointe Noire in Congo, followed closely by Khartoum in Sudan.
Belgrade and Sarajevo were two of the few European cities to be listed in the bottom 50 countries. Overall, the cities perceived to have the poorest quality of life were in African and South American countries.
Frustrated Dublin commuters may be surprised to hear that their city was ranked 7th in Europe and 37th worldwide in terms of public transport and traffic. Dublin was ranked higher than cities such as New York, London, Washington and Frankfurt where transport and traffic was concerned.
The leading cities in the public transport rankings were Copenhagen, Oslo, Singapore and Vancouver. Madras and Bangalore in India were deemed to be least attractive in terms of public transport and traffic.
And while Dubliners may expect their city to top the poll where recreation is concerned, the city was only ranked 73rd in this survey. Recreational ranking was based on the number and variety of: restaurants, musical and theatrical performances, cinema and health, leisure and sports facilities.
Los Angeles was the city deemed to have the best recreational facilities, followed by New York, Sydney and Washington. Brazzaville in Congo came bottom of the list.
