Expatulator’s April 2010 international cost of living index has named Tokyo as the most expensive city in the world in which to live.
How the results are calculated
The International cost of living index is calculated by pricing a basket of goods that incorporates consideration of expatriate shopping habits across 13 different categories. New York is used as the base city and the differences in cost of living across different cities throughout the world are then created by calculating the difference between the costs in each city as compared with New York. A city, for example, that is awarded a cost of living index of 150 is 50% more expensive for the basket of goods than New York, and therefore an individual who moved from New York to that particular city would need to earn 50% more than their current earnings in order to enjoy a life that is comparable to that they enjoy in New York.
April 2010 Cost of Living Index
The April 2010 cost of living index reveals that Tokyo is the most expensive city in the world to live and has the highest accommodation costs of all cities studied. Many Australian cities have risen in the rankings, including Sydney, which has moved from position 10 from a previous position of 15; Melbourne and Canberra, which have both moved six places to position 37 and 38 respectively, Perth, which has moved 13 places to position 46, Brisbane, which has moved 16 places to position 86 and Adelaide, which has moved a staggering 17 positions to be placed as the 145th most expensive city in the world in which to live.
However, the biggest increase in rankings has been observed in cities in South Africa with Johannesburg moving 36 positions from a former position of 217 to a new position of 181; Cape Town moving 53 positions from 246 to 193; Pretoria moving 23 positions from 233 to 210 and Durban moving 33 positions from 252 to 219. These new highs were due to the strengthened value of the South African Rand against the US dollar.
The opposite trend has been observed in the United Arab Emirates, with Dubai falling 8 places from position 18 to position 26 and Abu Dhabi falling from position 74 to 71. However, despite the relative fall in rankings, Dubai remains the most expensive city in the world for eating and drinking out and for the cost of hotel accommodation.
Top Ten most expensive cities in the world
1 Japan, Tokyo
2 Switzerland, Geneva
3 Brazil, Brasilia
4 Switzerland, Zurich
5 Norway, Oslo
6 Denmark, Copenhagen
7 Venezuela, Caracas
8 China, Hong Kong
9 Liechtenstein, Vaduz
10 Australia, Sydney
Top Ten Cheapest Cities in the World
273 Pakistan, Karachi
274 Ecuador, Quito
275 Cambodia, Phnom Penh
276 Sri Lanka, Colombo
277 Tajikistan, Dushanbe
278 Bhutan, Thimphu
279 Argentina, Buenos Aires
280 Yemen, Sanaa
281 China, Tianjin
282 Zimbabwe, Harare
Other Results
Most expensive city in the world for alcohol and tobacco=
1 South Tarawa, Kiribati
2 Comores, Moroni
3 Norway, Oslo
Most expensive city in the world for clothing=
1 Bahrain, Manama
2 Russia, Moscow
Most expensive city in the world for education=
1 Venezuela, Caracas
2 Brazil, Brasilia in Brazil.
Most expensive city in the world for groceries=
South Tarawa, Kiribati.
Most expensive city in the world for transport=
Norway, Oslo
Read the full article: http://www.xpatulator.com/outside.cfm?aid=240
