If you think Moscow is the most expensive city in the world, then look at the other metropolitan areas that have appeared in the new ranking from The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU).
In its annual survey, the EIU takes into account the cost of more than 160 products and services in 133 cities around the world, including food, clothing, household items, private school fees, recreation and utilities. The index of life in New York was taken as a basis, which was assigned an index of 100.
The Cost of Living ranking of the most expensive cities in the world was developed to help companies calculate living costs for expats (foreign workers) and business travelers.
10. Tel Aviv, Israel
It is the only city in the Middle East to make it to the top ten. Unlike Europe, whose currencies have weakened against the dollar, cities in the Middle East have grown relatively more expensive over the past year.
EIU experts explain this by the fact that many currencies in the Middle East are pegged to the dollar, which is pushing cities in this region to rise in the ranking of the cost of living, as well as sharply increasing rental housing for foreign professionals.
9. New York, USA
Part of New York's ranking in the top 10 most expensive cities in the world is due to 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 rankings,” the report said. This allowed New York City to climb six positions in the 2019 Cost of Living at once.
New York is the most expensive place in the world to get a women's haircut ($ 210) and buy a men's business suit ($ 2,729).
8. Copenhagen, Denmark
High costs for transport, leisure and personal hygiene were the reasons for the Danish capital to be included in this list.
However, Denmark consistently ranks high in World Happiness Reportand you can't estimate the price of happiness, right?
7. Seoul, South Korea
Seoul has been ranked as the most expensive city for staple shopping. A kilo loaf of bread will cost $ 15. A bottle of wine costs about $ 27. Clothes and shoes are also expensive in Seoul.
High prices in the capital of the Republic of Korea may be attributed to the strength of the won (South Korean currency) and high import tariffs.
6. Osaka, Japan
Japan's Venice, cut by many rivers and canals, prides itself on being the commercial capital of Japan since the 16th century. And in terms of the high cost of living, Osaka even surpassed the real Japanese capital Tokyo, "jumping" up by six points at once compared to 2018. Food and transportation are especially expensive.
5. Geneva, Switzerland
While overall life in Geneva is less expensive than Zurich, a 2018 USB Price and Earnings study found that Geneva is more expensive when it comes to food. A family of three pays an average of $ 705.80 a month for food, compared to $ 629.30 a year in Zurich. And housing in Geneva is on average $ 240 more expensive per month than in Zurich.
4. Zurich, Switzerland
The Swiss center of banking and finance fell two places, although the townspeople are unlikely to be upset by this.
Zurich has some of the highest spending on household, personal care, recreation and entertainment. The EIU assumes that this reflects a “large premium on discretionary spending” - that is, expenses not covered by the rules, regulations and obligations of a particular company.
3. Paris, France
Paris has consistently ranked in the top 10 since 2003. For example, the average cost of a women's haircut in Paris is $ 119.04, compared to $ 73.97 in Zurich and $ 53.46 in Osaka, Japan.
That being said, the French capital offers good value for money when buying alcohol, vehicles and tobacco.
2. Hong Kong
"Fragrant Harbor" (which is how Hong Kong is translated from the Chinese) is known for its wealth and futuristic architecture. But even those who don't have billions of dollars in stock will like it. This city is full of cheap, delicious food, first-class museums, promising nightlife and beautiful parks.
But for expats, Hong Kong is really expensive, because a two-bedroom apartment costs about $ 7,500 a month, and a liter of gasoline costs more than $ 2. Therefore, in Hong Kong, most people use public transport, metro and buses.
1. Singapore
For the first time in the history of the cost of living report, three cities shared the palm with the same number of points.
Singapore's emergence on the list is not surprising given that it has been crowned the world's most expensive city for the past five straight years. However, he remains one of the the most politically and economically stable places on earth.
The place of the city-state in the ranking 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 each.
In addition to being the most expensive city in the world in 2019, Singapore is also one of the most popular cities for tourists. In 2018, it was ranked third in the annual list of the largest cities for international tourism according to Euromonitor International.
And the cheapest city for foreign workers has been named Caracas, Venezuela, where inflation approached 1,000,000% last year, forcing the government to launch a new currency.
Which city was the most expensive in Russia
The economic sanctions imposed on Russia have also affected the cost of living in its cities. Moreover, the most expensive city in Russia - Moscow - did not enter the first hundred, having moved to 102nd place from the 86th line. It was assigned an index of 55, which is almost half the "model" New York index.