MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Buenos Aires the best city in the region, The Economist finds

Founded in 1580, the Argentine capital topped the list for the third consecutive year

Buenos Aires was once again picked by The Economist as the most liveable city in South America according to the outlet's usual scale measuring environmental, cultural, and infrastructural issues in addition to stability and medical care. The Argentine capital topped the list for the third year in a row, standing out for its highly regarded UBA (University of Buenos Aires) among other perks.

Right across the River Plate in neighboring Uruguay, Montevideo came in second, outpacing the larger BA in environmental matters but falling slightly behind in other issues.

Santiago de Chile remained in this place despite falling one notch in the global ratings. The Chilean capital also stood out for its educational and healthcare standards coupled with hefty investments in modernization.

San Juan, in Puerto Rico, was a distant fourth thanks to its ability to blend the old world with numerous displays of 21st-century development.

Lima, the capital of Peru, was fifth, outpacing Brazil's São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro on the list of most livable enclaves in the continent.

According to The Economist, Europe remained the best place on Earth to be given its considerable number of cities ranking high on their scale: Vienna achieved perfect scores in four of the five categories of the index, failing only in the offer of sporting events. The region outnumbers any other part of the planet in the top-ten segment. In addition, the survey detected changes in living standards in Asian cities.