| Introduction - Mercer Human Resource | | | | the police go on calls in groups of four |
| Consulting has released their 2007 findings. | | | | squad cars. They have awful smog. Their cost |
| These are surveys which rate cities according | | | | of living is insane with many homes selling |
| to certain criteria they elect to use. They | | | | for over three million dollars. Their traffic |
| use New York City as a baseline with a rating | | | | jams are world class. Their public schools |
| of 100 for their surveys. Cities coming in | | | | are beyond bad, they are not safe. They have |
| under that are worse and over that are | | | | police with metal detectors in their schools. |
| better. Mercer is a well-respected source of | | | | Then we can get into drug addiction, gang |
| this information. | | | | violence, and on the list grows. How in the |
| | | | world could this be a nice place to live |
| Panama Standings for Quality of Living - | | | | beats me. So what is Mercer thinking anyway? |
| Mercer uses 39 criteria to determine quality | | | | |
| of living. These criteria include social, | | | | Panama Cost of Living - Panama has not made |
| economic, crime, police, banking, currency | | | | it into the top fifty most expensive cities |
| and related controls, censorship by the | | | | to live in. In 2007 Panama ranked 124 out of |
| government, personal freedoms, medical | | | | 143, which is fairly low. San Paulo and Rio |
| facilities, doctors and pharmacies, | | | | de Janeiro were the most expensive cities in |
| education, transportation, public services, | | | | Latin America with positions 62 and 63. |
| weather, climate, and other criteria. It is | | | | Asuncion Paraguay continues to hold place 143 |
| not based on the number of bars, restaurants, | | | | as the cheapest place to live. Following |
| ballparks etc although these are factors in | | | | closely is Buenos Aires in position 139, |
| the equation. It is not a surprise that | | | | Montevideo Uruguay in position 140 and Quito |
| Baghdad is the worst city in this survey with | | | | Ecuador in position 141. Mercer does this |
| a score of 14.5. Zurich hit the number one | | | | survey using 200 different criteria such as |
| spot for quality of life with a score of | | | | cost of husing, food, medical, transportation |
| 108.1 and Geneva comes in close with a score | | | | and so forth. |
| of 108. Vancouver and Vienna follow with a | | | | |
| score of 107 tied for third place. Panama | | | | Discussion - Panama is going through a |
| comes in with a score of 82.9 situating it in | | | | housing boom. Most of the new homes are not |
| 92nd place. So mercer feels that there are 91 | | | | yet completed or occupied. This would mean |
| better cities to live in. | | | | they are not yet included into the study. If |
| | | | one puts a deposit on a home paying $3500 a |
| For a frame of reference Budapest came in | | | | sq. meter this is not a completed transaction |
| with a score of 90.2 giving is 74th place. | | | | and thus would not be included in any |
| Detroit came in 64th place with a score of | | | | statistics concerning real estate prices |
| 96.1. Pittsburg came in with a score of 99.7 | | | | which are based on actual sales, not based on |
| giving it 52nd place. The craziest thing yet | | | | deposits. When these new projects get |
| is Los Angeles, which came in with a score of | | | | certificates of occupancy then we will see |
| 98.3 giving it 55th place. Detroit, Los | | | | the cost of living spike up sharply. Housing |
| Angeles is extremely dangerous place. Their | | | | is the largest expenditure one generally |
| homicide and violent crime rates are through | | | | makes. This will then rack Panama up there in |
| the roof. In certain sections of Los Angeles | | | | the cost of living index. |