List of most expensive cities



This is a list of the world's most expensive cities, according to the Mercer Human Resource Consulting Cost of Living Surveys.[1] Various factors enter into a city's cost-of-living for expatriate employees, such as monetary value, consumer confidence, investment, interest rates, exchange rates of the country's currency, and housing costs.

This list does not account for cost-of-living savings accrued to local citizens through government-subsidized housing, health care, and education, differences in taxation, and many other factors irrelevant to expatriates. Cost of living may be much higher for expatriates than for local residents in a developing country, especially if expatriates expect a standard of living similar to a developed country.

Moscow

Tokyo

London

Oslo

Seoul

Hong Kong

Copenhagen

Geneva

Zurich

Milan

Osaka

Paris

Singapore

Tel Aviv

Sydney

Dublin

Rome

Saint Petersburg

Vienna

Beijing

Helsinki

New York City

Istanbul

Shanghai

Amsterdam

Athens

Sao Paulo

Mercer surveys

Surveys are taken in March of each year.

2008	City	2007	2006	2005	2004	2003	2002
1	Moscow, Russia	1	1	4	3	2	2
2	Tokyo, Japan	4	3	1	1	1	3
3	London, United Kingdom	2	5	3	2	7	10
4	Oslo, Norway	10	10	10	15	13	40
5	Seoul, South Korea	3	2	5	7	8	9
6	Hong Kong SAR, People's Republic of China	5	4	9	5	4	1
7	Copenhagen, Denmark	6	8	8	8	15	62
8	Geneva, Switzerland	7	7	6	6	6	28
9	Zurich, Switzerland	9	9	7	9	9	32
10	Milan, Italy	11	13	11	13	17	63
11	Osaka, Japan	8	6	2	4	3	6
12	Paris, France	13	16	12	17	23	74
13	Singapore	14	17	34	46	32	24
14	Tel Aviv, Israel	17	24	39	33	40	37
15	Sydney, Australia	21	19	20	20	67	95
16	Dublin, Ireland	16	18	13	14	21	73
16	Rome, Italy	18	21	17	21	41	99
18	St. Petersburg, Russia	12	12	15	10	12	8
19	Vienna, Austria	19	21	16	19	34	77
20	Beijing, People's Republic of China	20	14	19	11	5	4
21	Helsinki, Finland	22	25	20	23	36	79
22	New York City, United States	15	10	13	12	10	7
23	Istanbul, Turkey	38	15	22	18	42	44
24	Shanghai, People's Republic of China	26	20	30	16	11	5
25	Amsterdam, The Netherlands	25	41	24	26	52	102
25	Athens, Greece	29	56	41	50	71	111
25	São Paulo, Brazil	62	34	119	128	136	—
28	Madrid, Spain	26	53	46	61	86	117
29	Prague, Czech Republic	49	50	28	49	49	75
30	Lagos, Nigeria	37	31	96	111	90	—
31	Barcelona, Spain	31	56	43	56	81	—
31	Rio de Janeiro, Brazil	64	40	124	131	137	—
31	Stockholm, Sweden	23	36	18	22	48	94
34	Douala, Cameroon	24	27	22	25	31	65
35	Warsaw, Poland	67	62	27	76	54	—
36	Melbourne, Australia	74	74	68	67	111	127
37	Munich, Germany	39	65	37	43	62	—
38	Berlin, Germany	45	72	38	28	58	104
39	Brussels, Belgium	44	70	41	53	68	112
40	Frankfurt, Germany	40	61	34	42	65	—
41	Dakar, Senegal	33	45	36	47	56	—
42	Kiev, Ukraine	28	21	54	54	24	17
43	Luxembourg, Luxembourg	43	56	33	39	66	—
44	Almaty, Kazakhstan	30	52	75	74	72	—
45	Bratislava, Slovakia	31	49	31	44	56	—
46	Dusseldorf, Germany	45	62	32	40	63	—
46	Riga, Latvia	72	81	54	48	27	22
48	Mumbai, India	52	68	105	109	114	92
49	Zagreb, Croatia	59	79	48	59	75	—
50	Hamburg, Germany	57	77	49	58	83	—
51	Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire	35	45	26	24	35	72
52	Dubai, United Arab Emirates	34	25	73	83	63	45
53	Perth, Australia	84	93	93	94	126	137
54	Toronto, Canada	82	47	82	89	104	104
55	Los Angeles, United States	42	29	44	27	22	19
55	New Delhi, India	68	73	110	116	109	91
57	Algiers, Algeria	50	51	58	60	72	—
57	Brisbane, Australia	86	99	84	87	121	—
57	Lisbon, Portugal	73	88	66	71	94	118
57	Lyon, France	71	91	61	69	89	—
61	Budapest, Hungary	65	65	24	34	37	75
61	Shenzhen, People's Republic of China	53	44	63	30	18	13
63	Taipei, Republic of China	48	28	29	31	29	15
64	Vancouver, Canada	89	56	87	96	110	—
65	Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates	45	30	64	62	39	27
66	Birmingham, United Kingdom	41	69	47	51	76	89
66	Calgary, Canada	92	71	98	114	116	—
68	Limassol, Cyprus	74	118	100	95	106	—
69	Glasgow, United Kingdom	36	60	40	41	74	80
70	Guangzhou, People's Republic of China	68	54	65	32	18	11
71	Bucharest, Romania	78	114	103	129	122	—
72	Montreal, Canada	98	80	107	113	120	—
73	Adelaide, Australia	96	108	89	88	124	—
74	Tehran, Iran	118	125	129	122	111	—
75	Miami, United States	51	39	57	55	27	25
76	Tallinn, Estonia	90	96	60	75	60	—
77	Honolulu, United States	64	67	61	57	32	23
78	Auckland, New Zealand	99	100	69	80	115	140
78	San Francisco, United States	54	34	50	38	30	21
80	Beirut, Lebanon	63	32	52	37	25	18
81	Casablanca, Morocco	80	88	59	66	69	—
82	Jakarta, Indonesia	55	48	71	45	38	53
82	Ljubljana, Slovenia	93	106	76	82	100	—
84	Chicago, United States	58	38	52	35	25	20
85	Ottawa, Canada	109	90	122	124	127	—
85	Vilnius, Lithuania	97	116	91	91	85	—
87	Bogota, Colombia	112	130	133	139	142	—
88	Amman, Jordan	77	62	67	63	46	30
89	Caracas, Venezuela	129	136	138	134	128	55
89	White Plains, United States	70	43	45	52	20	16
91	Hanoi, Vietnam	56	32	50	29	14	11
92	Santiago, Chile	102	91	128	123	134	—
93	Wellington, New Zealand	111	105	76	86	117	142
94	Kuwait City, Kuwait	80	78	72	64	43	32
95	Leipzig, Germany	107	123	85	93	106	—
96	Accra, Ghana	76	75	91	97	98	—
97	Sofia, Bulgaria	108	111	81	79	83	—
98	Houston, United States	83	76	70	73	46	36
99	Boston, United States	79	84	79	70	54	—
100	Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam	60	37	56	36	16	14
101	Cairo, Egypt	93	93	97	99	102	51
101	Lusaka, Zambia	101	41	123	125	129	—
103	Nairobi, Kenya	102	107	119	121	105	—
104	San Juan, Puerto Rico	75	35	42	65	43	35
105	Bangkok, Thailand	95	127	125	119	125	—
106	Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia	106	114	117	104	97	—
107	Washington, D.C., United States	85	83	78	68	51	41
108	Mexico City, Mexico	104	81	95	84	77	28
109	Atlanta, United States	87	86	83	85	61	—
110	Manila, Philippines	137	141	143	138	135	—
111	Morristown, United States	87	84	80	72	53	—
112	Manama, Bahrain	91	87	86	78	43	32
113	Seattle, United States	102	102	103	90	80	—
114	Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei	114	118	113	110	103	—
115	Denver, United States	115	97	94	100	69	—
115	Lima, Peru	117	118	118	118	108	—
117	Chennai (Madras), India	133	137	138	133	132	135
118	Bangalore, India	134	139	141	137	138	139
119	Riyadh, Saudi Arabia	110	98	88	77	50	31
120	Kingston, Jamaica	121	109	105	103	77	—
120	St. Louis, United States	115	103	102	92	82	—
122	Guatemala City, Guatemala	107	93	108	108	98	—
123	Tianjin, People's Republic of China	130	128	131	115	101	—
124	Panama City, Panama	124	121	114	106	91	—
125	Blantyre, Malawi	127	129	130	135	140	141
126	Jeddah, Saudi Arabia	113	100	89	81	58	—
127	Detroit, United States	118	122	101	101	79	—
128	Portland, United States	123	111	112	105	92	—
129	Cleveland, United States	118	110	109	98	87	—
130	Colombo, Sri Lanka	130	132	132	127	118	—
131	Monterrey, Mexico	122	103	115	102	96	38
132	Dhaka, Bangladesh	125	131	127	117	94	—
133	Pittsburgh, United States	128	113	111	112	88	—
133	Tunis, Tunisia	135	133	126	120	119	—
135	Winston-Salem, United States	126	124	119	107	93	—
136	Montevideo, Uruguay	140	138	140	143	139	—
137	Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic	132	126	99	142	122	—
138	Buenos Aires, Argentina	139	142	142	141	141	133
139	San José, Costa Rica	138	134	135	130	113	—
140	Johannesburg, South Africa	136	117	116	126	133	144
141	Karachi, Pakistan	142	140	136	132	130	—
142	Quito, Ecuador	141	135	137	136	131	—
143	Asunción, Paraguay	143	144	144	144	144	143
—	Harare, Zimbabwe	—	143	134	140	143	26

(survey does not include Harare anymore because of severe economic crisis in Zimbabwe)

Three most expensive cities by region (as of March 2008)

North America

Rank	City	Cost of Living Index
1	New York City	▬ 100
2	Toronto, Canada	▲ 88.1
3	Los Angeles	▲ 87.5

South America

Rank	City	Cost of Living Index
1	São Paulo, Brazil	▲ 97
2	Rio de Janeiro, Brazil	▲ 95.2
3	Bogota, Colombia	▲ ?

Europe

Rank	City	Cost of Living Index
1	Moscow	▲ 142.4
2	London	▼ 125.0
3	Oslo	▲ 118.3

Middle East & North Africa

Rank	City	Cost of Living Index
1	Tel Aviv	▲ 105
2	Istanbul	▲ 99.4
3	Dubai	▲ 89.3

Sub-Saharan Africa

Rank	City	Cost of Living Index
1	Lagos	▲ 95.9
2	Douala	▲ 95.1
3	Dakar	▲ 92.2

Far East

Rank	City	Cost of Living Index
1	Tokyo	▲ 127.0
2	Seoul	▼ 117.7
3	Hong Kong	▼ 117.6

South & South-East Asia

Rank	City	Cost of Living Index
1	Singapore	▲ 109.1
2	Mumbai	▲ 90.3
3	New Delhi	▲ 87.5

Oceania

Rank	City	Cost of Living Index
1	Sydney	▲ 104.1
2	Melbourne	▲ 94.2
3	Perth	▲ 88.5 [1]

Economist Intelligence Unit 2006 survey

According to a survey released in January 2006 by The Economist Group:

2006 Rank	City	2005 Rank
1	Oslo, Norway	3
2	Tokyo, Japan	10
3	Osaka/Kobe, Japan	8
4 (tie)	Reykjavík, Iceland	2
4 (tie)	Paris, France	4
6	Copenhagen, Denmark	5
7	London, United Kingdom	7
8	Zurich, Switzerland	6
9	Geneva, Switzerland	8
10	Helsinki, Finland	10
11	Brussels, Belgium	11
12	Toronto, Canada	12

Sources

• Vadgama's Dictionary of Interesting Facts
• The Mercer 2008 Cost of Living Survey [2]
• Finfacts Ireland [3]
• BBC News article referring to the survey [4]
• MCMXCIII News article about the survey [5]
• CNNMoney.com article about the survey by the Economist Intelligence Unit [6]
• The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) [7]
• Global/Worldwide Cost of Living [8]

See also

• List of cities by quality of living
• Global city
• Expatriate
• Worldwide ERC

References