New Delhi, Mar 4: The charm and grandeur of Indian cities may be incredible, but they are not the preferred places to live for Asian expats, according to a survey which has ranked Chennai at 126 out of 254. However, the southern metropolis found better favour when it comes to Asian cities with a ranking of 26, said the survey. Singapore maintains the highest quality of life in the world for Asian expatriates, according to the latest Location Ranking Survey on expatriate living conditions by international HR consultancy ECA International. Chennai has been ranked highest among Indian cities at 138 position followed by Bangalore (153), Mumbai (156), New Delhi (169) and Kolkata (193) as the best place to live for Asians in the world.

Among Asian cities, Chennai has been ranked at 26 place followed by Bangalore and Mumbai at 29 and 30th positions. New Delhi and Kolkata are at the 36th and 40th ranks respectively, the survey revealed. In the survey of 254 locations globally Baghdad has been ranked the lowest. "Globally, Baghdad remains the least favourable location to live, followed by Kabul, Karachi and Port-au-Prince. Risk to personal security and the lack of suitable facilities for expatriates makes these locations the least desirable," ECA International General Manager in Hong Kong Lee Quane said.

The annual, ECA Internationals Location Ranking Survey compares living standards in 254 locations globally according to categories including climate, air quality, health services, housing and utilities, isolation, social network and leisure facilities, infrastructure, personal safety and political tensions.