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2024-07-29 08:00:00, Aktualitet CNA

Tirana e ndotur në drejtimin e Veliajt/ Renditet ndër të fundit

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Who wouldn't want to improve their quality of life? While there are many things you can do at home to improve your daily life, sometimes it all depends on where you live.

Tirana ranks last (74) in Europe for capital cities, according to the Quality of Life index compiled by Numbeo, leaving only the Russian city of Novosibirsk behind in the total list of 75 cities in Europe.

The Albanian capital received a total rating of 98.5 points (the lower the worse), entering the cities where the quality of life is low. The most negative element that penalizes the Albanian capital is pollution, which is considered very high, in second place, leaving behind only the Russian city of Novosibirsk.

High property prices in relation to incomes are another element that lowers the capital in the ranking. Tirana is rated as the 13th most expensive out of 72 cities, in the ratio of price to income.

Measured by purchasing power, an apartment in the capital costs more than in Munich, Rome, Athens, London, Vienna, Berlin. In Europe, the most expensive city in relation to purchasing power is Milan, taking the place of Moscow, which has passed third.

The second most expensive is Lisbon, the fourth is Belgrade, followed by Kiev and Paris. According to the index, the "Price to Income Ratio" is a basic measure of the affordability of buying apartments, with a lower ratio indicating better affordability.

It is usually calculated as the ratio of average apartment prices to average household disposable income, expressed as years of income.

For Albania, this ratio is 15.7, from 20.3 for Milan, the most expensive, or 8.2 for Turin, among the cheapest, and 5.5 for the cheapest, Glasgow in the United Kingdom. So in Albania you have to work 15.7 years to buy an apartment, from 14.3 to work in Rome, or 14.3 in London.

Health care is another negative factor, ranking the capital last in Europe. This index calculates, among other things, the speed of performing examinations, modern equipment for diagnosis and treatment of diseases.

Even for traffic, Tirana ranks among the cities where the most time is spent in traffic, in 11th place. The record is held by Moscow, London, Paris, Bucharest, Hungary.

For security, Tirana is in the middle, in 47th place, while Paris and Athens are considered the most unsafe in Europe. The safest are The Hague and Munich.

The Albanian capital ranks best in cost of living, with the purchasing power index placing it second cheapest after Odesa in Ukraine.

Numbeo's Quality of Life Index is an "evaluation of the overall quality of life in a city or country," the website explains in its methodology. The index examines several variables, including "purchasing power, pollution levels, housing affordability, cost of living, safety, quality of health care, travel time and climate conditions."

The list is also based on survey responses, which capture the real-world experiences of those living in each country.

In the end, all of this is compiled, each factor is given a weighted score, and countries with a higher index value have a better quality of life. As of the mid-2024 review, The Hague (Den Haag), a city located near the North Sea in the Netherlands, tops the list. And it is a position, held for more than a year.

In the region, Novi Sad and Belgrade, Serbian cities are ranked 57th and 67th respectively for quality of life, while Skopje is ranked 69th.

As the findings show, The Hague scored an overall score of 223.8, with the highest marks in climate, healthcare and safety. It's a place where everyone can find their joy, thanks not only to its wonderful historic center, but as The Hague International Center pointed out, it's also close to green outdoor spaces and sandy beaches. And, it is close to major airports such as Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (AMS), with many options for international trains nearby as well as many local public transit options.

As for the rest of the list, the top spots were dominated by European destinations, with Luxembourg in second place, followed by Eindhoven, Netherlands; Rotterdam, Netherlands; Zurich, Switzerland; Copenhagen, Denmark; Vienna, Austria; Helsinki, Finland; Geneva, Switzerland; and Frankfurt, Germany. The first place outside the European Union went to Perth, Australia, in 14th place.

The first US destination to make the list is Austin, in 15th place. Seattle and Tampa also scored highly, ranking 20th and 21st, respectively./ Monitor Magazine