Cities differ not only in their architectural appearance, infrastructure, planning and size, but also in the price that one has to pay for the opportunity to live here, and not anywhere else.
Today we bring to your attention the ten most expensive cities in 2012.
When compiling the rating, the experts took into account the cost of more than 160 products and services, such as clothing, food, transportation, rent and tuition fees in private schools.
10. Frankfurt, Germany. The fifth largest city in Germany is an important financial and transport center of the Eurozone. The number of inhabitants, including the suburbs, is about 2 million.
9. Singapore (Republic of Singapore)... The famous city-state in Southeast Asia, despite the lack of space, has an attractive investment climate and provides a high standard of living for a population of about 5 million people.
8. Melbourne, Australia. The state capital of Victoria and Australia's second largest city has a population of 4 million. The metropolis is considered the industrial, financial and commercial center of the continent.
7. Sydney, Australia. The largest city is also the most expensive to live in on the continent. Despite the high cost of the consumer basket, it is in Sydney that thousands of emigrants from all over the world arrive to settle in Australia. Today the population of the city is about 4.5 million people.
6. Paris (Paris), France. This European capital is not only the most important economic and cultural center of the state, but also has international significance, hosting the headquarters of organizations such as UNESCO, OECD and the International Chamber of Commerce. The number of inhabitants of this expensive but such attractive city today is 10.5 million people.
5. Oslo, Norway. The number of inhabitants of the capital of Norway is only approaching a million mark. The political and economic center of the country attracts mainly Norwegians of working age (70% of the population) as a place to live, who are able to provide themselves with a decent standard of living, regardless of high prices.
4. Osaka, Japan. The third largest city in Japan is traditionally considered the commercial and industrial capital of this island nation. Osaka's population today includes over 2.6 million people. Not every Japanese can afford to live permanently in this expensive metropolis, so many, working in Osaka, live in the suburbs. During business hours, the number of people in the city increases by 40 percent.
3. Geneva (Gen? Ve), Switzerland. The smallest of the cities included in our rating has a population of only 515 thousand people. Geneva today is a recognized world diplomatic and financial center. There are branches and headquarters of such organizations as the International Committee of the Red Cross, UN, WHO and many others.
2. Tokyo (Tokyo), Japan. The largest of the megalopolises of our ten with a population of 34 million people, including the suburbs. Officially, Tokyo is not a city, but a prefecture of 62 cities, towns and rural communities. When people talk about the city of Tokyo, they usually mean the administrative boundaries that existed before 1943. 13 million Japanese live within these boundaries of Tokyo. The capital of the Land of the Rising Sun is a recognized world financial, industrial and cultural center.
1. Zurich (Z? Rich), Switzerland.The most expensive city in the world today is home to just over a million people, including the suburbs. In addition to first place in our ranking, Zurich in 2011 was ranked second in the ranking of the 25 best cities in the world published by Monocle magazine, as well as silver in the list of the safest cities in the world. Zurich is one of the world's most important financial centers, where many banks and insurance companies are headquartered.