A recent survey by Mercer came up with unexpected results when considering the most expensive cities in the world to live in. You might first assume that London or New York would be up there, but Southeast Asia and even parts of Africa are much more costly than almost anywhere in Europe. It’s true that we’re living in a more expensive world than any of the generations before us, so how does your city fare against the rest of the world?
Hong Kong is currently the most expensive city in the world to live in. Tourism is a huge boom for Hong Kong (the city is the most visited on earth), as well as the fact that it’s one of the most financially stable cities in the world due to its free market practices. The property market is also at an all time high and due to the city’s increasing popularity doesn’t show any signs of slowing down anytime soon.
Lying on the west coast of Africa, Luanda is one of the smallest cities on this list but is still Africa’s most expensive city to live in. Huge infrastructural investment has been taking place thanks to growth from mining operations. To put the cost of living in perspective, a two-bedroom flat in the centre of the city will set you back an enormous £5,500 per month.
When a city’s known for having one of the highest qualities of life on earth, why wouldn’t you want to live there? Workers in Zurich are among the most well paid, earning on average around 36 euros per hour – hence the high quality of life. Thanks to it being the global centre for banking, living the good life definitely comes at a cost and is what ultimately makes this beautiful city one of the world’s most expensive.
Singapore has been named the “easiest place to do business” by the world bank, meaning that businessmen and women from all over the world flock to the world’s only island-state to earn their keep, in turn raising the cost of living and visiting the city.
Thanks to the strengthening of the Yen, Tokyo has massively jumped up the ladder when it comes to the world’s most expensive cities. Business is booming and the city – potentially the most popular in Asia – continues to be one of the most expensive places in the world to visit.
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