Mercer's 2014 Quality of Living survey shows that Singapore is the only Asian city that ranked within the Top 30.

Singapore was the only Asian city named in the top 30 ranking of Mercer's Quality of Living list for 2014, indicating that it is the best city in the region in terms of quality of life. 

The list, once again led by Vienna, covers 223 cities. Mercer conducts this survey annually to help multinational firms and other employers compensate employees fairly when placing them on international assignments. Two common incentives include a quality-of-living allowance and a mobility premium. The former compensates for a decrease in the quality of living between home and host locations, while the latter compensates for the inconvenience of being uprooted and having to work in another country.

Singapore ranked 25 in the Mercer rankings, while Hong Kong, the region's other financial hub, ranked 71. Four Japanese cities made it to Asia's top 5: Tokyo, 43, Kobe, 47, Yokohama, 49, and Osaka, 57. The lowest ranking city in Asia is Dushanbe in Tajikistan at 209. 

The survey also noted the growth of so-called second-tier Asian cities, which are emerging as important places for business or multinational firms. These include Cheonan, South Korea (98), Pune, India (139) and Xian, China (141).

"In a world economy that is becoming more globalised, cities beyond the traditional financial and business centres are working to improve their quality of living so they can attract more foreign companies... 'Emerging' cities will become major players that traditional financial centres and capital cities will have to compete with," commented Slagin Parakatil, senior researcher at Mercer.

The countries in the global top four are, according to rank, Vienna, Zurich, Auckland and Munich. In North America, Vancouver took the lead, while in the Middle East and Africa it was Dubai. Pointre-a-Pointre in Guadeloupe topped the Central and South America list.