Achieving some semblance of a work-life balance is the holy grail for any millennial – well, that and coming up with a plan to get on the property ladder, of course. So it's interesting to check out a new report ranking 39 European cities according to the work-life balance they offer residents.
The report by SilverDoor Apartments ranks the cities according to four factors: average earnings, cost of living, number of paid leave days, and hours worked annually. Copenhagen comes out on top, with residents working an average of 1,711 hours a year and benefiting from 36 paid leave days.
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By contrast, London residents work an average of 2,002 hours a year and receive just 28 paid leave days. It's probably no great surprise, then, that the UK capital places 36th of 39 on the list.
Helsinki finishes second on the list, largely because of low working hours and a high number of leave days, and Barcelona places third, largely due to its relatively low cost of living.
Paris comes fourth thanks primarily to its favourable working hours: an average of 1,662 hours annually, with 36 paid leave days.
Luxembourg – which has previously been named the best city in Europe for earning more and working less – places 9th on the list. Athens is ranked last, largely due to its very low average monthly net salary of £638, which is around a quarter of London's £2,461.
On average, people work the most hours in Istanbul, Athens, Bratislava, London and Geneva, and the least hours in Rome, Paris, Copenhagen, Moscow and Helsinki.
Check out the top 10 European cities for work-life balance according to SilverDoor:
1. Copenhagen, Denmark
2. Helsinki, Finland
3. Barcelona, Spain
4. Paris, France
5. Moscow, Russia
6. Vienna, Austria
7. Lyon, France
8. Madrid, Spain
9. Luxembourg, Luxembourg
10. Prague, Czech Republic
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