If you think that Moscow is the most expensive city in the world, then look at other cities that have appeared in the new rating from The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU).
In its annual study, the EIU takes into account the cost of more than 160 items of products and services in 133 cities around the world, including food, clothing, household items, tuition fees in private schools, leisure and utilities. Based on the index of life in New York, which was assigned an index of 100.
The Cost of Living rating of the most expensive cities in the world was designed to help companies calculate living expenses for expats (foreign workers) and business travelers.
10. Tel Aviv, Israel
This is the only Middle Eastern city to fall into the "dear top ten." Unlike Europe, whose currencies weakened against the dollar, the cities of the Middle East over the past year have become relatively more expensive.
EIU experts explain this by the fact that many currencies in the Middle East are pegged to the dollar, which pushes cities in this region to grow in the rating of high cost of living, and also dramatically increases rental housing for foreign specialists.
9. New York, USA
Part of New York's entry into the top 10 most expensive cities in the world is associated with exchange rates.
“The strengthening of the dollar last year meant that cities in the US as a whole became more expensive, especially compared to last year’s rating,” the report said. This allowed New York to rise immediately to six positions in the 2019 Cost of Living.
New York is the most expensive place in the world where you can make a women's haircut ($ 210) and buy a men's business suit ($ 2,729).
8. Copenhagen, Denmark
High costs of transportation, recreation and personal hygiene were the reasons for the inclusion of the capital of Denmark on this list.
However, Denmark has always been high on the World Happiness Report, and you cannot appreciate the price of happiness, right?
7. Seoul, South Korea
Seoul received the title of the most expensive city for the purchase of basic foodstuffs. A kilogram loaf of bread will cost $ 15. A bottle of wine costs about $ 27. Clothing and shoes are also expensive in Seoul.
High prices in the capital of the Republic of Korea may be related to the strength of won (South Korean currency) and high import tariffs.
6. Osaka, Japan
Japanese Venice, rugged by many rivers and canals, is proud to be the trading capital of Japan since the 16th century. And in terms of the high cost of life, Osaka even surpassed the real Japanese capital of Tokyo, “jumping” up six points at once compared to 2018. Food and transportation are especially expensive.
5. Geneva, Switzerland
Even though life in Geneva is generally less expensive than in Zurich, a USB Price and Earnings study in 2018 showed that Geneva costs more when it comes to food. A family of three pays an average of $ 705.80 per month for food, compared with $ 629.30 per year in Zurich. And housing in Geneva is on average $ 240 more expensive per month than in Zurich.
4. Zurich, Switzerland
The Swiss center for banking and finance fell into two positions, although it is unlikely that the townspeople are upset by this.
Zurich has one of the highest expenses for household, personal care, leisure and entertainment. The EIU suggests that this reflects a “large premium to discretionary expenses” —that is, expenses not covered by the rules, regulations and obligations of a company.
3. Paris, France
Paris has always been in the top ten since 2003. For example, the average cost of a haircut in Paris is $ 119.04, compared with $ 73.97 in Zurich and $ 53.46 in the Japanese city of Osaka.
At the same time, the French capital offers good value for money when buying alcohol, vehicles and tobacco.
2. Hong Kong
“Fragrant Harbor” (which is what the name Hong Kong translates from Chinese) is known for its wealth and futuristic architecture. But even those who do not have billions of dollars in reserve will like it. This city is full of cheap, delicious food, first-class museums, promising nightclubs and beautiful parks.
But for expats, Hong Kong will really be expensive, because a two-bedroom apartment costs about $ 7,500 a month, and a liter of gasoline is more than $ 2. Therefore, in Hong Kong, most people use public transport, subway and buses.
1. Singapore
For the first time in the history of the report on the cost of living, three cities immediately shared the palm, gaining the same amount of points.
Singapore’s appearance on the list is not surprising, given that it has been crowned as the most expensive city in the world for the past five years in a row. At the same time, it remains one of the most politically and economically stable places on Earth.
The place of a city-state in the rating is partially reduced to one specific category: it is the most expensive place in the world where you can buy and operate a car. According to CNN, the Singapore government regulates car ownership by issuing a limited number of permits. They are valid for 10 years and cost up to $ 37,000 apiece.
In addition to the fact that Singapore is the most expensive city in the world in 2019, it is also one of the most popular cities for tourists. In 2018, he took third place in the annual list of the largest cities for international tourism according to Euromonitor International.
And the Venezuelan Caracas was named the cheapest city for foreign workers, where inflation last year approached 1,000,000%, forcing the government to launch a new currency.
Which city turned out to be the most expensive in Russia
Economic sanctions imposed on Russia also affected the cost of living in its cities. Moreover, the most expensive city in Russia - Moscow - did not enter the first hundred, moving to 102 place from the 86th line. He was assigned an index of 55, which is almost half less than the "model" index of New York.
