Living alone might seem daunting at first, but it’s actually packed with perks. You never have to worry about anyone stealing your snacks, can sing your heart out in the shower without judgement, have full control of the TV remote, and can rock your PJs – or even your birthday suit – 24/7. More people are embracing this freedom than ever before, with one in four Aussie households now occupied by just one person.
There’s no denying that living alone can be pretty isolating at times too, which is why the home loan experts at Compare The Market have put together a list of the best places for living solo worldwide. They looked at 11 factors, from social perks, like the number of bars and gyms, through to safety and financial aspects, including average income and utility costs.
Canberra came out on top as the highest-scoring city for living solo in Australia. Despite its reputation as a rather sleepy city, Canberra has a vibrant social scene, boasting the most gyms per 100,000 people (42.15) out of anywhere in the world, and the third most bookstores, perfect for those quieter solo outings.
Those working in Canberra should have enough dough for socialising too, with an average annual salary of $93,694, making it the seventh highest among the countries surveyed. However, it’s worth noting that Canberra has the highest mortgage credit interest rate out of any country in the top ten, at 7.81 per cent.
Overall, Europe dominated the list of best cities for solo living, with Canberra being the only non-European city to crack the top ten. Swiss cities Geneva and Zurich ranked first and second, thanks to their high average income of $147,055 and low mortgage interest rate, which is less than a third of Canberra’s at 2.42 per cent. So, whether you’ve just had your heart broken or are craving a fresh (solo) start, maybe it’s time to move to Switzerland?
Here are the ten best cities for singles to live:
- Geneva, Switzerland
- Zurich, Switzerland
- Helsinki, Finland
- Canberra, Australia
- Oslo, Norway
- Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Copenhagen, Denmark
- Graz, Austria
- Manchester, UK
- Nicosia, Cyprus
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