These rankings are not for the price of living in the cities. They are for the price of living as a Western expat in the cities.I live in Hong Kong, as an expat, and there's a pretty big difference between the price of a Western expat lifestyle and a local lifestyle. Western-furnished and -designed buildings are more expensive to live in, imported food costs more, eating out at non-Chinese (i.e. 'foreign' food) places costs more, etc. In my experience, living here for a year after living in London for 7 years, Hong Kong is much cheaper - with the exception of alcohol, buying/running a car, and rental, all of which are comparable between London and Hong Kong. Public transport is a lot cheaper here, decent food is cheaper, things like phone costs are cheaper...These lists are - or were - designed for companies planning to pay employees, normally reasonably senior employees, as expats. It's standard to get various benefits added onto the basic pay, things like subsidised (or free) childcare or schooling, one or more trips 'home' per year, maybe even the cost of a live-in 'helper' (i.e. housekeeper or maid) - it's not a comparison of the average cost of living in the cities, it's the cost of paying someone, and probably their family, to live there.
Indeed, very insightful. This is the reason Moscow climbed to the first place - no way all those 10 million Russians living there are paying $3000 for their apartment.
I still believe Tokyo to be the most expensive; I keep hearing of other cities who have supposedly taken that mantle, and every survey I hear has a different city as the new 'most expensive'.
I can't believe LA is ranked so low... I lived as an 'Ex Pat' (I'm from rural upstate NY... LA might as well be a different country) on an extended project in Irvine for a year from 2000 to 2001, rent on my unfurnished 3br apartment was $3400 a month way back then.
mirunitJun 26, 2006
In Moscow, the apartment will run you $3,000, the coffee $5.27, the paper $3.40, and the burger with fries $3.87. Wow that is insane.
kylehJun 27, 2006
What about the United Arab Emirities? or w/e its called..
vmlinuzJun 27, 2006
These rankings are not for the price of living in the cities. They are for the price of living as a Western expat in the cities.I live in Hong Kong, as an expat, and there's a pretty big difference between the price of a Western expat lifestyle and a local lifestyle. Western-furnished and -designed buildings are more expensive to live in, imported food costs more, eating out at non-Chinese (i.e. 'foreign' food) places costs more, etc. In my experience, living here for a year after living in London for 7 years, Hong Kong is much cheaper - with the exception of alcohol, buying/running a car, and rental, all of which are comparable between London and Hong Kong. Public transport is a lot cheaper here, decent food is cheaper, things like phone costs are cheaper...These lists are - or were - designed for companies planning to pay employees, normally reasonably senior employees, as expats. It's standard to get various benefits added onto the basic pay, things like subsidised (or free) childcare or schooling, one or more trips 'home' per year, maybe even the cost of a live-in 'helper' (i.e. housekeeper or maid) - it's not a comparison of the average cost of living in the cities, it's the cost of paying someone, and probably their family, to live there.
figvamJun 27, 2006
Indeed, very insightful. This is the reason Moscow climbed to the first place - no way all those 10 million Russians living there are paying $3000 for their apartment.
whizzbangJun 27, 2006
Dublin is only 18th? I'm surprised!
synaesthesiaJun 27, 2006
I still believe Tokyo to be the most expensive; I keep hearing of other cities who have supposedly taken that mantle, and every survey I hear has a different city as the new 'most expensive'.
davek67Jun 18, 2007
I can't believe LA is ranked so low... I lived as an 'Ex Pat' (I'm from rural upstate NY... LA might as well be a different country) on an extended project in Irvine for a year from 2000 to 2001, rent on my unfurnished 3br apartment was $3400 a month way back then.