The Best Student Cities list, published this week by Quacquarelli Symonds (QS), is dominated by European cities - London, Vienna, Zurich, Berlin and Dublin all make it into the top 10.

Few things have more impact on our wellbeing and state of mind than what we eat. One of the key selling points of serviced apartments is the freedom they provide to eat what you want, and the control they give guests over what goes into their food. But when you’re living and working abroad, it can still take time to learn the best places to buy food. In this article, Samantha Cox, of SilverDoor, advises on some of the best places to shop for food in some of the world’s key business cities. Make sure your relocatees have this information.

Most major business centres have supermarkets where you can source familiar ingredients, but it would be a shame to miss out on what can be a highlight of living in another country. In many cities, markets and local shops are the centre of communities and a major part of everyday life, and living like a local is a sure-fire way of feeling more comfortable abroad.

Here are some of the best places to browse and barter in business cities across the world:

The USA's improving economic climate has led to an increase in charitable donations, a new study has revealed.

The annual Philanthropy 50 list reveals that donors gave $10.4 billion in 2011, up from $3.3 billion the previous year. The 2011 figure was the lowest since the Chronicle of Philanthropy began publishing the report in 2000. The list does not record gifts from anonymous donors, which the Chronicle has previously reported totaled $546 million in 2011.

Now in its fourth year, Expat Explorer surveyed 3,385 expats from over 100 countries, an increase in reach from 2010. It covers every aspect of life overseas, from managing finances, and the economic benefits of relocating, to lifestyle issues and raising children abroad, and provides HSBC Expat with valuable insights into the expat population and the challenges and opportunities expats face in moving and living abroad.

Survey highlights

The survey found that 97% of expats in Egypt believe that their economy has deteriorated since 2010, as do 92% in Bahrain and 80% in Japan. Expats in these countries are also more likely than average to report that their economy is weak: Egypt 77%, Bahrain 40%, and Japan 40%.

The question sounds like the catchphrase of a dystopian novel. "Do you trust your government?" Fiction, however, this is not.

A study published this week has revealed that trust in political institutions has dropped drastically worldwide in the past year.

Popular residential areas in Central Moscow (continued)

Patriarshy Ponds

We recommend considering this area:

• If you want to be in a premium and fashionable location
• As a possible option for families with children

Patriarshy Ponds is a relatively small residential area to the west of the Kremlin – located between the Arbat/Kroporkinskaya and Tverskaya areas. It is one of the most elite neighbourhoods in Moscow – and, when it comes to rentals, one of the most expensive.

The area is a brand in itself. Many expats coming to Moscow want to live in Patriarshy Ponds, even without knowing much about the area, because they have been told it is the place to be.

Though the area has only one big supermarket – Aliye Parusa, on Bolshaya Bronnaya street – it has lots of cafés and restaurants.

Bear in mind that this area has a very limited number of modern buildings, so if underground parking and a premium-class entrance are your priorities, the apartment search will be not easy.

Carried out on behalf of Lloyds TSB International bank, the survey, which covered British citizens in the ten most popular destinations for expats – Australia, Spain, the USA, Canada, France, New Zealand, South Africa, Germany, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Hong Kong – found that they are far happier in their new countries than they were at home.

As well as overall happiness, the survey examined expats’ perceptions of quality of life in their new countries, cost of living, and financial wellbeing.

Employment practices, as we all know, vary greatly from country to country. Susan Javaheri, of Newcomer's Immigration & Relocation Sweden, has been kind enough to provide us with some insight into how business is done in her country. 

A Swedish manager thinks of himself more as a coach than a commander, delegating responsibility and authority throughout the organization. In workplaces of all kinds, people are expected to take initiatives for improving the job and assume responsibility for solving unexpected problems. In Sweden, people at all levels are expected to participate in decisions that affect them.

One of the major issues facing expatriates coming to Moscow is the price of rental properties. Next to Tokyo, Moscow is the world’s most expensive city, and it is principally the cost of rent that makes it number two on the list.

Tenants’ options may be limited in terms of their budget, but principally they can decide to live:

• In the city centre (apartments only), close to all the infrastructure and leisure activities Moscow has to offer
• Further outside the city, in a residential compound (for example, Pokrovsky Hills, Rosinka, and others), where they are more likely to find a house and green spaces for their children to play in

Many expatriates opt for a combination of these options: they live in an apartment, but in one of the areas close to international schools and parks, such as Sokol, Krylatskoe or Leninsky Prospect.

European cities offer the best quality of life to expat workers, according to the latest research conducted by consultancy firm Mercer.

In a ranking of the most liveable cities in the world, European cities represent over half of the top 25. The study picks out Vienna as having the best living standard in the world, closely followed by Zurich, Auckland, Munich, Düsseldorf and Vancouver.