The City of Vancouver made a couple of lists recently. The list that we are most familiar with is the Worldwide Quality of Living Survey. Vancouver consistently places in the top 3 with a third place finish again as determined by Mercer Consulting in their survey published in April 2007. Each city’s score is determined by “quality-of-life” criteria. Education, the environment, personal safety, the political and social environment, access to health care and public transportation are all factors considered in the evaluation. Not surprisingly, Baghdad ranks lowest on the list.

The list that we may not be so familiar with is the World’s Most Overpriced Real Estate, published by Forbes Magazine. The list is compiled using a modified version of the price to earnings ratio. Where did Vancouver rank? Our fair city finished in sixth spot behind Monaco, Rome, Paris Madrid and Los Angeles. I guess there is a price to pay to live in one of the best cities in the world.