SDA Movers

List of most expensive cities for expatriate employees

This is a list of the world’s most expensive cities, according to the Mercer Human Resource Consulting Cost of Living Surveys. Various factors enter into a city’s cost-of-living for expatriate employees, such as monetary value, consumer confidence, investment, interest rates, exchange rates of the country’s currency, and housing costs.

This list does not account for cost-of-living savings accrued to local citizens through government-subsidized housing, health care, and education, differences in taxation, and many other factors irrelevant to expatriates. Cost of living may be much higher for expatriates than for local residents in a developing country, especially if expatriates expect a standard of living similar to a developed country.

Moscow

Tokyo

London

Oslo

Seoul

Hong Kong

Copenhagen

Geneva

Zurich

Milan

Osaka

Paris

Singapore

Tel Aviv

Sydney

Dublin

Rome

Saint Petersburg

Vienna

Beijing

Helsinki

New York City

Istanbul

Shanghai

Amsterdam

Athens

Sao Paulo

Contents

1 Mercer surveys
- 1.1 Three most expensive cities by region (as of March 2008)
2 Economist Intelligence Unit 2006 survey
3 Sources
4 See also
5 References

Mercer surveys

Surveys are taken in March of each year.

2008
City
2007
2006
2005
2004
2003
2002

1
Moscow, Russia
1
1
4
3
2
2

2
Tokyo, Japan
4
3
1
1
1
3

3
London, United Kingdom
2
5
3
2
7
10

4
Oslo, Norway
10
10
10
15
13
40

5
Seoul, South Korea
3
2
5
7
8
9

6
Hong Kong SAR, People’s Republic of China
5
4
9
5
4
1

7
Copenhagen, Denmark
6
8
8
8
15
62

8
Geneva, Switzerland
7
7
6
6
6
28

9
Zurich, Switzerland
9
9
7
9
9
32

10
Milan, Italy
11
13
11
13
17
63

11
Osaka, Japan
8
6
2
4
3
6

12
Paris, France
13
16
12
17
23
74

13
Singapore
14
17
34
46
32
24

14
Tel Aviv, Israel
17
24
39
33
40
37

15
Sydney, Australia
21
19
20
20
67
95

16
Dublin, Ireland
16
18
13
14
21
73

16
Rome, Italy
18
21
17
21
41
99

18
St. Petersburg, Russia
12
12
15
10
12
8

19
Vienna, Austria
19
21
16
19
34
77

20
Beijing, People’s Republic of China
20
14
19
11
5
4

21
Helsinki, Finland
22
25
20
23
36
79

22
New York City, United States
15
10
13
12
10
7

23
Istanbul, Turkey
38
15
22
18
42
44

24
Shanghai, People’s Republic of China
26
20
30
16
11
5

25
Amsterdam, The Netherlands
25
41
24
26
52
102

25
Athens, Greece
29
56
41
50
71
111

25
São Paulo, Brazil
62
34
119
128
136
—

28
Madrid, Spain
26
53
46
61
86
117

29
Prague, Czech Republic
49
50
28
49
49
75

30
Lagos, Nigeria
37
31
96
111
90
—

31
Barcelona, Spain
31
56
43
56
81
—

31
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
64
40
124
131
137
—

31
Stockholm, Sweden
23
36
18
22
48
94

34
Douala, Cameroon
24
27
22
25
31
65

35
Warsaw, Poland
67
62
27
76
54
—

36
Melbourne, Australia
74
74
68
67
111
127

37
Munich, Germany
39
65
37
43
62
—

38
Berlin, Germany
45
72
38
28
58
104

39
Brussels, Belgium
44
70
41
53
68
112

40
Frankfurt, Germany
40
61
34
42
65
—

41
Dakar, Senegal
33
45
36
47
56
—

42
Kiev, Ukraine
28
21
54
54
24
17

43
Luxembourg, Luxembourg
43
56
33
39
66
—

44
Almaty, Kazakhstan
30
52
75
74
72
—

45
Bratislava, Slovakia
31
49
31
44
56
—

46
Dusseldorf, Germany
45
62
32
40
63
—

46
Riga, Latvia
72
81
54
48
27
22

48
Mumbai, India
52
68
105
109
114
92

49
Zagreb, Croatia
59
79
48
59
75
—

50
Hamburg, Germany
57
77
49
58
83
—

51
Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire
35
45
26
24
35
72

52
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
34
25
73
83
63
45

53
Perth, Australia
84
93
93
94
126
137

54
Toronto, Canada
82
47
82
89
104
104

55
Los Angeles, United States
42
29
44
27
22
19

55
New Delhi, India
68
73
110
116
109
91

57
Algiers, Algeria
50
51
58
60
72
—

57
Brisbane, Australia
86
99
84
87
121
—

57
Lisbon, Portugal
73
88
66
71
94
118

57
Lyon, France
71
91
61
69
89
—

61
Budapest, Hungary
65
65
24
34
37
75

61
Shenzhen, People’s Republic of China
53
44
63
30
18
13

63
Taipei, Republic of China
48
28
29
31
29
15

64
Vancouver, Canada
89
56
87
96
110
—

65
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
45
30
64
62
39
27

66
Birmingham, United Kingdom
41
69
47
51
76
89

66
Calgary, Canada
92
71
98
114
116
—

68
Limassol, Cyprus
74
118
100
95
106
—

69
Glasgow, United Kingdom
36
60
40
41
74
80

70
Guangzhou, People’s Republic of China
68
54
65
32
18
11

71
Bucharest, Romania
78
114
103
129
122
—

72
Montreal, Canada
98
80
107
113
120
—

73
Adelaide, Australia
96
108
89
88
124
—

74
Tehran, Iran
118
125
129
122
111
—

75
Miami, United States
51
39
57
55
27
25

76
Tallinn, Estonia
90
96
60
75
60
—

77
Honolulu, United States
64
67
61
57
32
23

78
Auckland, New Zealand
99
100
69
80
115
140

78
San Francisco, United States
54
34
50
38
30
21

80
Beirut, Lebanon
63
32
52
37
25
18

81
Casablanca, Morocco
80
88
59
66
69
—

82
Jakarta, Indonesia
55
48
71
45
38
53

82
Ljubljana, Slovenia
93
106
76
82
100
—

84
Chicago, United States
58
38
52
35
25
20

85
Ottawa, Canada
109
90
122
124
127
—

85
Vilnius, Lithuania
97
116
91
91
85
—

87
Bogota, Colombia
112
130
133
139
142
—

88
Amman, Jordan
77
62
67
63
46
30

89
Caracas, Venezuela
129
136
138
134
128
55

89
White Plains, United States
70
43
45
52
20
16

91
Hanoi, Vietnam
56
32
50
29
14
11

92
Santiago, Chile
102
91
128
123
134
—

93
Wellington, New Zealand
111
105
76
86
117
142

94
Kuwait City, Kuwait
80
78
72
64
43
32

95
Leipzig, Germany
107
123
85
93
106
—

96
Accra, Ghana
76
75
91
97
98
—

97
Sofia, Bulgaria
108
111
81
79
83
—

98
Houston, United States
83
76
70
73
46
36

99
Boston, United States
79
84
79
70
54
—

100
Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
60
37
56
36
16
14

101
Cairo, Egypt
93
93
97
99
102
51

101
Lusaka, Zambia
101
41
123
125
129
—

103
Nairobi, Kenya
102
107
119
121
105
—

104
San Juan, Puerto Rico
75
35
42
65
43
35

105
Bangkok, Thailand
95
127
125
119
125
—

106
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
106
114
117
104
97
—

107
Washington, D.C., United States
85
83
78
68
51
41

108
Mexico City, Mexico
104
81
95
84
77
28

109
Atlanta, United States
87
86
83
85
61
—

110
Manila, Philippines
137
141
143
138
135
—

111
Morristown, United States
87
84
80
72
53
—

112
Manama, Bahrain
91
87
86
78
43
32

113
Seattle, United States
102
102
103
90
80
—

114
Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei
114
118
113
110
103
—

115
Denver, United States
115
97
94
100
69
—

115
Lima, Peru
117
118
118
118
108
—

117
Chennai (Madras), India
133
137
138
133
132
135

118
Bangalore, India
134
139
141
137
138
139

119
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
110
98
88
77
50
31

120
Kingston, Jamaica
121
109
105
103
77
—

120
St. Louis, United States
115
103
102
92
82
—

122
Guatemala City, Guatemala
107
93
108
108
98
—

123
Tianjin, People’s Republic of China
130
128
131
115
101
—

124
Panama City, Panama
124
121
114
106
91
—

125
Blantyre, Malawi
127
129
130
135
140
141

126
Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
113
100
89
81
58
—

127
Detroit, United States
118
122
101
101
79
—

128
Portland, United States
123
111
112
105
92
—

129
Cleveland, United States
118
110
109
98
87
—

130
Colombo, Sri Lanka
130
132
132
127
118
—

131
Monterrey, Mexico
122
103
115
102
96
38

132
Dhaka, Bangladesh
125
131
127
117
94
—

133
Pittsburgh, United States
128
113
111
112
88
—

133
Tunis, Tunisia
135
133
126
120
119
—

135
Winston-Salem, United States
126
124
119
107
93
—

136
Montevideo, Uruguay
140
138
140
143
139
—

137
Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
132
126
99
142
122
—

138
Buenos Aires, Argentina
139
142
142
141
141
133

139
San José, Costa Rica
138
134
135
130
113
—

140
Johannesburg, South Africa
136
117
116
126
133
144

141
Karachi, Pakistan
142
140
136
132
130
—

142
Quito, Ecuador
141
135
137
136
131
—

143
Asunción, Paraguay
143
144
144
144
144
143

—
Harare, Zimbabwe
—
143
134
140
143
26

(survey does not include Harare anymore because of severe economic crisis in Zimbabwe)

Three most expensive cities by region (as of March 2008)

North America