Having spent time in eight of them, I must point out that The Economist must use a panel of people that want to sell their houses in Melbourne.

Melbourne cannot be first! I quote two learned authorities:

Ms. Bette Midler to a Sydney Audience: "Melbourne is proof there is life after death"

Ms. Ava Gardner while making the movie "On the Beach" which deals with a post-nuclear war scenario, and was shot in and around Melbourne: "Melbourne is a great place to make a movie about the End of the World"

I rest my case

I was surprised that Barcelona did not rate a mention; looking at their criteria I can see, maybe, why. And, after all the purpose of the exercise is to suggest salary allowances that would need to be paid to make people relocate to those cities.

Another point.

Various correspondents responding to this post have suggested that Australia has a large number of reptiles, mammals, insects, plants and fish all bent on eating any tourist. This is not the case. Australia's fauna and flora is very discerning and will only think of sinking a fang into only the choicest morsels. So you lot are safe.

I would like to point out that apart from some experiences in darkest north-western Tasmania, I have only seen one, very small and very frightened, snake in the nearly forty years I have lived in Australia. Half that time I was a geologist working in the bush, so I got to where the beasties are supposed to be. I do not recommend darkest north-western Tasmania, however. Trying to cross a rocky creek when every exposed rock had a brown or red-bellied black snake sitting on it considering me for lunch was not the best of my life experiences.