BEIJING -- A survey has found that 61.3 percent of people prefer small cities with less pressure and more comfort, while 35.5 percent prefer big cities with higher pressure but more opportunities, China Youth Daily reported Tuesday.

The survey was based on the answers of 2,004 respondents. The top three factors affecting satisfaction in city life were listed as level of consumption, social security and income level.

These were followed by housing price, air quality and natural environment, and public order.

"Satisfaction in life is close to the connotation of what people usually call 'happiness,'" Yao Yongling, economics professor at Renmin University, told China Youth Daily.

"Each person has his or her own requirements for happiness. They have to choose a suitable residence by taking into consideration their own preferences and life and career plan," Yao said.

In the survey, 46 percent of respondents lived in large metropolitan cities such as Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou, 47.4 percent in smaller cities, 5.4 percent in towns and counties, and 1.1 percent in rural areas.