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List of most expensive cities for expatriate employees

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These are lists of the world's most expensive cities for expatriate employees (not residents), according to the Mercer,{{cite web |url=http://www.mercerhr.com/summary.jhtml?idContent=1095320&originUrl=/home.jhtml |title=Mercer's 2013 Cost of Living Survey City Rankings – Global Overview |publisher=Mercer |date=July 23, 2013 |access-date=January 22, 2014 |archive-date=May 5, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210505200109/http://www.mercerhr.com/summary.jhtml?idContent=1095320&originUrl=/home.jhtml |url-status=dead }} ECA International and Xpatulator.com{{cite web |url=http://www.xpatulator.com/cost-of-living-article/Overall-Cost-of-Living-Rankings-July-2014_508.cfm |title=Cost of Living Rankings for 2014 |publisher=Xpatulator |access-date=July 1, 2014 |archive-date=January 27, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230127202833/https://www.xpatulator.com/cost-of-living-article/Overall-Cost-of-Living-Rankings-July-2014_508.cfm |url-status=dead }} cost-of-living surveys. Other surveys from online collaborative indices, such as Numbeo,{{cite web |url=http://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/rankings.jsp |title=Cost of Living Index for 2012 |publisher=Numbeo |access-date=January 25, 2013}} Expatistan,{{cite web |url=http://www.expatistan.com/cost-of-living/index |title=Expatistan Cost of Living Index |publisher=Expatistan |access-date=January 25, 2013}} or Eardex[http://www.eardex.com Eardex] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231211220443/http://www.eardex.com/ |date=2023-12-11 }}. Retrieved January 25, 2013. are not covered by this article.

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, 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.

Mercer

File:Hong Kong Island Skyline 2009.jpg SAR]]

File:Panorama of Ashgabat.jpg, Turkmenistan]]

File:Skyscrapers_of_Shinjuku_2009_January.jpg, Japan]]

File:Singapore Merlion-at-Marina-Bay-01.jpg]]

Mercer's Cost of Living surveys are taken in March of each year. The survey covers 207 cities around the world and measures the comparative cost of over 200 items in each location, including housing, transport, food, clothing, household goods and entertainment. It is designed to help multinational companies and governments determine compensation allowances for their expatriate employees. New York is used as the base city and all other cities are compared against it. The cost of housing plays an important part in determining where cities are ranked.

Two main factors determine a city’s ranking in Mercer’s survey – the relative strength of the relevant currency against the US dollar over the prior 12 months and price movements over the prior 12 months compared to those in New York City as the base.

class="wikitable sortable"

|+Top ten locations surveyed (2023){{Cite web|title=Cost of Living City Ranking 2023|url=https://www.mercer.com/insights/total-rewards/talent-mobility-insights/cost-of-living/|access-date=2024-05-10|language=en}}

! scope="col"|Rank

! scope="col" style="width:100px;"|City

! scope="col" style="width:170px;"|Country or Region

1Hong Kong{{HKG}}
2Singapore{{SIN}}
3Zürichrowspan="3" | {{SUI}}
4Geneva
5Basel
6New York{{USA}}
7Bern{{SUI}}
8Tel Aviv{{ISR}}
9Copenhagen{{DNK}}
10Nassau{{BHS}}

class="wikitable sortable"

|+Top ten locations surveyed (2022){{Cite web|last=Gilchrist|first=Karen|date=2022-06-29|title=These are the most expensive places to work abroad in 2022|url=https://www.cnbc.com/2022/06/29/these-are-the-most-expensive-places-to-work-abroad-in-2022.html|access-date=2023-01-09|website=CNBC|language=en}}

! scope="col"|Rank

! scope="col" style="width:100px;"|City

! scope="col" style="width:170px;"|Country or Region

1Hong Kong{{HKG}}
2Zürichrowspan="4" | {{SUI}}
3Geneva
4Basel
5Bern
6Tel Aviv{{ISR}}
7New York{{USA}}
8Singapore{{SIN}}
9Tokyo{{JPN}}
10Beijing{{CHN}}

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|+Top ten locations surveyed (2021){{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-57564902 |title=Turkmenistan's capital tops list of most expensive cities for expats|work=BBC News |date=22 June 2021 |access-date=July 8, 2021}}{{Cite web|last=McKeever|first=Vicky|date=2021-06-23|title=These are the most expensive cities for working abroad in 2021|url=https://www.cnbc.com/2021/06/23/these-are-the-most-expensive-cities-for-working-abroad-in-2021-.html|access-date=2022-02-16|website=CNBC|language=en}}

! scope="col"|Rank

! scope="col" style="width:100px;"|City

! scope="col" style="width:170px;"|Country or Region

1Ashgabat{{TKM}}
2Hong Kong{{HKG}}
3Beirut{{LBN}}
4Tokyo{{JPN}}
5Zürich{{SUI}}
6Shanghai{{CHN}}
7Singapore{{SIN}}
8Geneva{{SUI}}
9Beijing{{CHN}}
10Bern{{SUI}}

class="wikitable sortable"

|+Top ten locations surveyed (2020){{cite web |url=https://www.mercer.com/newsroom/2020-cost-of-living.html |title=Mercer's 2020 Cost of Living - City Rankings|publisher=Mercer |access-date=June 9, 2020}}

! scope="col"|Rank

! scope="col" style="width:100px;"|City

! scope="col" style="width:170px;"|Country of Region

1Hong Kong{{HKG}}
2Ashgabat{{TKM}}
3Tokyo{{JPN}}
4Zürich{{SUI}}
5Singapore{{SIN}}
6New York{{USA}}
7Shanghai{{CHN}}
8Bernrowspan="2" | {{SUI}}
9Geneva
10Beijing{{CHN}}

class="wikitable sortable"

|+Top ten locations surveyed (2019){{cite web |url=https://www.mercer.com/newsroom/mercers-25th-annual-cost-of-living-survey-finds-cities-in-asia-most-expensive-locations-for-employees-working-abroad.html|title=Mercer's 25th annual Cost of Living Survey finds cities in Asia most expensive locations for employees working abroad.|publisher=Mercer |access-date=January 9, 2023}}

! scope="col"|Rank

! scope="col" style="width:100px;"|City

! scope="col" style="width:170px;"|Country or Region

1Hong Kong{{HKG}}
2Tokyo{{JPN}}
3Singapore{{SIN}}
4Seoul{{KOR}}
5Zürich{{SUI}}
6Shanghai{{CHN}}
7Ashgabat{{TKM}}
8Beijing{{CHN}}
9New York{{USA}}
10Shenzhen{{CHN}}

class="wikitable sortable"

|+Top ten locations surveyed (2018){{Cite web|last=Neild|first=Barry|date=2018-06-28|title=World's most expensive cities for expats in 2018 revealed|url=https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/most-expensive-cities-expats-2018/index.html|access-date=2022-01-09|website=CNN|language=en}}

! scope="col"|Rank

! scope="col" style="width:100px;"|City

! scope="col" style="width:170px;"|Country or Region

1Hong Kong{{HKG}}
2Tokyo{{JPN}}
3Zürich{{SUI}}
4Singapore{{SIN}}
5Seoul{{KOR}}
6Luanda{{ANG}}
7Shanghai{{CHN}}
8N’Djamena{{CHA}}
9Beijing{{CHN}}
10Bern{{SUI}}

class="wikitable sortable"

|+Top ten locations surveyed (2017){{cite web |url=https://www.imercer.com/content/mobility/rankings/infographic/index.html |title=Mercer's 2017 Cost of Living - City Rankings|publisher=Mercer |access-date=May 27, 2021}}

! scope="col"|Rank

! scope="col" style="width:100px;"|City

! scope="col" style="width:170px;"|Country or Region

1Luanda{{ANG}}
2Hong Kong{{HKG}}
3Tokyo{{JPN}}
4Zürich{{SUI}}
5Singapore{{SIN}}
6Seoul{{KOR}}
7Geneva{{SUI}}
8Shanghai{{CHN}}
9New York{{USA}}
10Bern{{SUI}}

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|+Top ten locations surveyed (2016){{cite web |url=https://www.imercer.com/content/mobility/rankings/col2016-rankings.html |title=Mercer's 2016 Cost of Living - City Rankings|publisher=Mercer |access-date=May 27, 2021}}https://www.mercer.com/content/dam/mercer/attachments/global/Talent/cost-of-living/gl-2016-cost-of-living-mobility-survey-mercer.pdf {{Bare URL PDF|date=March 2022}}

! scope="col"|Rank

! scope="col" style="width:100px;"|City

! scope="col" style="width:170px;"|Country or Region

1Hong Kong{{HKG}}
2Luanda{{ANG}}
3Zürich{{SUI}}
4Singapore{{SIN}}
5Tokyo{{JPN}}
6Kinshasa{{COD}}
7Shanghai{{CHN}}
8Geneva{{SUI}}
9N’Djamena{{CHA}}
10Beijing{{CHN}}

class="wikitable sortable"

|+Top ten locations surveyed (2015){{cite web |url=https://www.imercer.com/content/2015-cost-of-living-infographic.aspx |title=Mercer's 2015 Cost of Living - City Rankings |publisher=Mercer |access-date=October 17, 2015 |archive-date=September 7, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150907022649/https://www.imercer.com/content/2015-cost-of-living-infographic.aspx |url-status=dead }}

! scope="col"|Rank

! scope="col" style="width:100px;"|City

! scope="col" style="width:170px;"|Country or Region

1Luanda{{ANG}}
2Hong Kong{{HKG}}
3Zürich{{SUI}}
4Singapore{{SIN}}
5Geneva{{SUI}}
6Shanghairowspan="2" | {{CHN}}
7Beijing
8Seoul{{KOR}}
9Bern{{SUI}}
10N’Djamena{{CHA}}

ECA International

File:Zürich.jpg, Switzerland]]

File:Geneve 2005 001 Ork.ch.jpg, Switzerland]]

File:Basel_-_Münsterpfalz1.jpg, Switzerland]]

File:The Zytglogge clock tower.jpg, Switzerland]]

Every March and September, ECA International calculates the cost of living for expatriates in almost 400 cities around the world. The survey does not include certain living costs such as accommodation, utilities (electricity, gas, water costs), car purchase and school fees. These are usually compensated for separately in expatriate packages from cost of living allowances.

class="wikitable sortable"

|+Top 20 cities surveyed (2023){{Cite web|title=Hong Kong falls one place to become the second-most expensive location in the world|url=https://www.eca-international.com/news/june-2023/hk-falls-one-place-to-2nd-most-expensive-location}}

! scope="col"|Ranking

! scope="col"|City

! scope="col"|Country or Region

1New York{{USA}}
2Hong Kong{{HKG}}
3Geneva{{SUI}}
4London{{UK}}
5Singapore{{SIN}}
6Zürich{{SUI}}
7San Francisco{{USA}}
8Tel Aviv{{ISR}}
9Seoul{{KOR}}
10Tokyo{{JPN}}

class="wikitable sortable"

|+Top 20 cities surveyed (2022){{Cite web|title=Hong Kong continues its reign as the most expensive location in the world

|url=https://www.eca-international.com/news/june-2022/hk-continues-reign-as-most-expensive-location|access-date=2023-01-09|website=www.eca-international.com}}

! scope="col"|Ranking

! scope="col"|City

! scope="col"|Country or Region

1Hong Kong{{HKG}}
2New York{{USA}}
3Geneva{{SUI}}
4London{{UK}}
5Tokyo{{JPN}}
6Tel Aviv{{ISR}}
7Zürich{{SUI}}
8Shanghairowspan="2" | {{CHN}}
9Guangzhou
10Seoul{{KOR}}

class="wikitable sortable"

|+Top 20 cities surveyed (2021){{Cite web|title=Hong Kong remains the most expensive location in the world|url=https://www.eca-international.com/News/June-2021/Hong-Kong-remains-the-most-expensive-location-in-t|access-date=2022-02-16|website=www.eca-international.com}}

! scope="col"|Ranking

! scope="col"|City

! scope="col"|Country or Region

1Hong Kong{{HKG}}
2Tokyo{{JPN}}
3Geneva{{SUI}}
4New York{{USA}}
5London{{UK}}
6Zürich{{SUI}}
7Tel Aviv{{ISR}}
8Seoul{{KOR}}
9Shanghairowspan="2" | {{CHN}}
10Guangzhou

class="wikitable sortable"

|+Top 20 cities surveyed (2020){{Cite web|title=Singapore remains in the top 20 most expensive locations in the world, despite impact of Covid-19|url=https://www.eca-international.com/News/July-2020/Singapore-remains-in-the-top-20-most-expensive-loc|access-date=2022-02-16|website=www.eca-international.com}}

! scope="col"|Ranking

! scope="col"|City

! scope="col"|Country or Region

1Ashgabat{{TKM}}
2Zürichrowspan="4" | {{SUI}}
3Geneva
4Basel
5Bern
6Hong Kong{{HKG}}
7Tokyo{{JPN}}
8Tel Avivrowspan="2" | {{ISR}}
9Jerusalem
10Yokohama{{JPN}}

class="wikitable sortable"

|+Top 20 cities surveyed (2019){{Cite web|title=Singapore enters the top 15 most expensive locations in the world|url=https://www.eca-international.com/News/June-2019/Singapore-enters-the-top-15-most-expensive-locatio|access-date=2022-02-16|website=www.eca-international.com}}

! scope="col"|Ranking

! scope="col"|City

! scope="col"|Country or Region

1Ashgabat{{TKM}}
2Zürichrowspan="2" | {{SUI}}
3Geneva
4Hong Kong{{HKG}}
5Baselrowspan="2" | {{SUI}}
6Bern
7Tokyo{{JPN}}
8Seoul{{KOR}}
9Tel Aviv{{ISR}}
10Shanghai{{CHN}}

class="wikitable sortable"

|+Top 20 cities surveyed (2018){{Cite web|title=Hong Kong now the most expensive location in East Asia for expatriates|url=https://www.eca-international.com/News/December-2018/Hong-Kong-now-the-most-expensive-location-in-East|access-date=2022-02-16|website=www.eca-international.com}}

! scope="col"|Ranking

! scope="col"|City

! scope="col"|Country or Region

1Ashgabat{{TKM}}
2Genevarowspan="4" | {{SUI}}
3Zürich
4Basel
5Bern
6Hong Kong{{HKG}}
7Seoul{{KOR}}
8Tokyo{{JPN}}
9Oslorowspan="2" | {{NOR}}
10Stavanger

class="wikitable sortable"

|+Top 20 cities surveyed (2017){{Cite web|title=Swiss cities dominate list of most expensive locations in the world for expats|url=https://www.eca-international.com/News/June-2017/Swiss-cities-among-most-expensive-in-the-world|access-date=2022-02-16|website=www.eca-international.com}}

! scope="col"|Ranking

! scope="col"|City

! scope="col"|Country or Region

1Luanda{{ANG}}
2Hong Kong{{HKG}}
3Zürichrowspan="4" | {{SUI}}
4Geneva
5Basel
6Bern
7Tokyo{{JPN}}
8Seoul{{KOR}}
9Caracas{{VEN}}
10Khartoum{{SUD}}

class="wikitable sortable"

|+Top 20 cities surveyed (2016){{Cite web|title=Kinshasa tops the global rankings of most expensive cities for expatriates|url=https://www.eca-international.com/News/June-2016/Kinshasa-tops-the-global-rankings-of-most-expensiv|access-date=2022-02-16|website=www.eca-international.com}}

! scope="col"|Ranking

! scope="col"|City

! scope="col"|Country or Region

1Kinshasa{{COD}}
2Zürichrowspan="4" | {{SUI}}
3Geneva
4Basel
5Bern
6Freetown{{SLE}}
7Tokyo{{JPN}}
8Luanda{{ANG}}
9Hong Kong{{HKG}}
10Shanghai{{CHN}}

class="wikitable sortable"

|+Top 20 cities surveyed (2015){{cite web |url=https://www.eca-international.com/news/june-2015/hong-kong-now-more-expensive-than-tokyo-for-expatr |title=Hong Kong now more expensive than Tokyo for expatriates |publisher=ECA International |date=June 11, 2015 |access-date=September 4, 2016}}

! scope="col"|Ranking

! scope="col"|City

! scope="col"|Country

1Juba{{SSD}}
2Luanda{{ANG}}
3Zürichrowspan="4" | {{SUI}}
4Geneva
5Bern
6Basel
7Kinshasa{{COD}}
8Shanghairowspan="2" | {{CHN}}
9Beijing
10Seoul{{KOR}}

See also

References

{{Reflist}}

{{Cities}}

{{Lists of Real Estate superlatives}}

{{Most Expensive}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Most Expensive Cities For Expatriate Employees}}

Category:Cities-related lists of superlatives

Category:Moving and relocation

Category:Economies by city

Cities For Expatriate Employees

Category:Expatriates