Top 50 Most Expensive Cities Worldwide

[TimeToRelax]

http://www.eca-international.com/showpressrelease.aspx?ArticleID=6940

"Strong currencies are pushing up the cost of living for staff assigned to major Asian locations, according to the latest Cost of Living Survey by ECA International, the world's leading knowledge and solutions provider for international human resources professionals.

Tokyo remains the most expensive location in Asia, due largely to the appreciation of the yen against other major currencies. Joining Japanese locations in the region’s top ten are the Chinese cities of Beijing and Shanghai as well as Hong Kong and Singapore.

"The strengthening of Asian currencies is the dominant factor contributing to the region being more expensive for visitors than it was 12 months ago," explains Lee Quane, Regional Director – Asia, ECA International. "In that period, the yuan has continued to strengthen while the yen has appreciated by almost 8% against the US dollar. Many Western currencies, including sterling, the euro and the Swiss franc, have weakened. As a result, people coming from these economies into Asia will notice a considerable difference in costs compared with 12 months ago."

Living costs for international assignees are affected by inflation, availability of goods and exchange rates, all of which can have a significant impact on expatriate remuneration packages. To help multinational companies calculate assignment salaries, ECA carries out a Cost of Living Survey twice a year comparing a basket of commonly purchased consumer goods and services in over 370 locations worldwide."




Five US cities made theTop 50 List:

Manhattan NY (17)

Honolulu HI (25)

New York NY (31)

Los Angeles CA (38)

Washington DC (46)

[King Cantona]

No San Francisco?............Really?........;).........

[GA_LP]

No San Francisco?............Really?........;).........I find it hard to believe that LA is more expensive than San Francisco, but who knows.

[mysticbeauty_nbeast]

I find it hard to believe that LA is more expensive than San Francisco, but who knows.

They're really close in price for homes' and land. Heck, most of California is on the same footing anymore..except for L.A. Most of California's home prices have bottomed out and equalizing out. (closer to 1980's pricing) Except for LA...home prices there are still far to high. 3 bed room 2 bathroom in a decent neighborhood will still run you around 600 grand...and it's no palace I assure you. :snooty:

San Fran and LA still run fairly close in housing and cost of living...while the rest of California saw a dramatic drop in home prices. Odd stuff.

~Mysty

[Samm]

I remember coming back from a stay in Japan to Seattle in 1971 and reading in the PI that Tokyo was the most expensive city in the world (at that time.) My reaction was one of disbelief, because while in Japan (including Tokyo) I had found the cost of food, lodging and travel to be very reasonable... cheaper in fact than Seattle. These sort of lists make assumptions and use criteria that encompass the cost of items that many people never encounter.

[captusa]

http://www.eca-international.com/showpressrelease.aspx?ArticleID=6940

"Strong currencies are pushing up the cost of living for staff assigned to major Asian locations, according to the latest Cost of Living Survey by ECA International, the world's leading knowledge and solutions provider for international human resources professionals.

Tokyo remains the most expensive location in Asia, due largely to the appreciation of the yen against other major currencies. Joining Japanese locations in the region’s top ten are the Chinese cities of Beijing and Shanghai as well as Hong Kong and Singapore.

"The strengthening of Asian currencies is the dominant factor contributing to the region being more expensive for visitors than it was 12 months ago," explains Lee Quane, Regional Director – Asia, ECA International. "In that period, the yuan has continued to strengthen while the yen has appreciated by almost 8% against the US dollar. Many Western currencies, including sterling, the euro and the Swiss franc, have weakened. As a result, people coming from these economies into Asia will notice a considerable difference in costs compared with 12 months ago."

Living costs for international assignees are affected by inflation, availability of goods and exchange rates, all of which can have a significant impact on expatriate remuneration packages. To help multinational companies calculate assignment salaries, ECA carries out a Cost of Living Survey twice a year comparing a basket of commonly purchased consumer goods and services in over 370 locations worldwide."




Five US cities made theTop 50 List:

Manhattan NY (17)

Honolulu HI (25)

New York NY (31)

Los Angeles CA (38)

Washington DC (46)

Why is Manhattan different than N.Y., N.Y. Manhattan IS New York, New York.

[BrittleBullet]

Why is Manhattan different than N.Y., N.Y. Manhattan IS New York, New York.

I was wondering the same thing...

Honolulu is hella expensive to live in though...