Don’t have the reference, but I believe that one of the most universal determinants of happiness is the length of your commute, i.e. in cities across the world people who commute longest are least happy.

I’ve done commutes ranging from 10 minutes walk to 90 minutes by bus, with lots in between, and strongly recommend that minimising your commute should be a top priority.

There’s no point living in a nice place if you don’t see it five days out of seven. Live somewhere convenient and “commute to the country” on the weekend.

You can’t get that time back.