The world's most expensive cities

[Dark Carnival]

According to the Economist Intelligence Unit

1 Tokyo, Japan
2 London, UK
3 Moscow, Russia
4 Osaka, Japan
5 Hong Kong
6 Geneva, Switzerland
7 Seoul, South Korea
8 Copenhagen, Denmark
9 Zürich, Switzerland
10 St. Petersburg, Russia
11 Beijing, China
12 New York City, USA
13 Milan, Italy
14 Dublin, Ireland
15 Oslo, Norway
16 Shanghai, China
17 Paris, France
18 Istanbul, Turkey
19 Vienna, Austria
20 Sydney, Australia
21 Rome, Italy
22 Stockholm, Sweden
23 Helsinki, Finland
24 Abidjan, Ivory Coast
25 Douala, Cameroon
26 Amsterdam, Netherlands
27 Los Angeles, USA
28 Berlin, Germany
29 Hanoi, Vietnam
30 Shenzhen, China
31 Taipei, Taiwan
32 Guangzhou, China
33 Tel Aviv, Israel
34 Budapest, Hungary
35 Chicago, USA
36 Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
37 Beirut, Lebanon
38 San Francisco, USA
39 Luxembourg
40 Düsseldorf, Germany
41 Glasgow, UK
42 Frankfurt, Germany
43 Munich, Germany
44 Bratislava, Slovak Republic
45 Jakarta, Indonesia
46 Singapore
47 Dakar, Senegal
48 Riga, Latvia
49 Prague, Czech Republic
50 Athens, Greece
51 Birmingham, UK
52 White Plains, USA
53 Brussels, Belgium
54 Kiev, Ukraine
55 Miami, USA
56 Barcelona, Spain
57 Honolulu, USA
58 Hamburg, Germany
59 Zagreb, Croatia
60 Algiers, Algeria
61 Madrid, Spain
62 Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
63 Amman, Jordan
64 Kuwait City, Kuwait
65 San Juan, Puerto Rico
66 Casablanca, Morocco
67 Melbourne, Australia
68 Washington, USA
69 Lyon, France
70 Boston, USA
71 Lisbon, Portugal
72 Morristown, USA
73 Houston, USA
74 Almaty, Kazakhstan
75 Tallinn, Estonia
76 Warsaw, Poland
77 Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
78 Manama, Bahrain
79 Sofia, Bulgaria
80 Auckland, New Zealand
81 Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
82 Ljubljana, Slovenia
83 Dubai, United Arab Emirates
84 Mexico City, Mexico
85 Atlanta, USA
86 Wellington, New Zealand
87 Brisbane, Australia
88 Adelaide, Australia
89 Toronto, Canada
90 Seattle, USA
91 Vilnius, Lithuania
92 St. Louis, USA
93 Leipzig, Germany
94 Perth, Australia
95 Limassol, Cyprus
96 Vancouver, Canada
97 Accra, Ghana
98 Cleveland, USA
99 Cairo, Egypt
100 Denver, USA
101 Detroit, USA
102 Monterrey, Mexico
103 Kingston, Jamaica
104 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
105 Portland, USA
106 Panama City
107 Winston Salem, USA
108 Guatemala City, Guatemala
109 Mumbai, India
110 Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei
111 Lagos, Nigeria
112 Pittsburgh, USA
113 Montreal, Canada
114 Calgary, Canada
115 Tianjin, China
116 New Delhi, India
117 Dacca (Dhaka), Bangladesh
118 Lima, Peru
119 Bangkok, Thailand
120 Tunis, Tunisia
121 Nairobi, Kenya
122 Tehran, Iran
123 Santiago, Chile
124 Ottawa, Canada
125 Lusaka, Zambia
126 Johannesburg, South Africa
127 Colombo, Sri Lanka
128 São Paulo, Brazil
129 Bucharest, Romania
130 San José, Costa Rica
131 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
132 Karachi, Pakistan
133 Chennai (Madras), India
134 Caracas, Venezuela
135 Blantyre, Malawi
136 Quito, Ecuador
137 Bangalore, India
138 Manila, Philippines
139 Bogotá, Colombia
140 Harare, Zimbabwe
141 Buenos Aires, Argentina
142 Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
143 Montevideo, Uruguay
144 Asunción, Paraguay

[Star]

I didn't think London would be SO high! The good thing about living here is that you're always pleasently surprised by how cheap things are when you go elsewhere :D

[Weltmeister]

I didn't think London would be SO high! The good thing about living here is that you're always pleasently surprised by how cheap things are when you go elsewhere :D

I CAN imagine!

I am more shocked about Berlin being 28! I thought Berlin is even cheaper. I even thought it's cheaper than most other german cities. But Düsseldorf is even cheaper.

[olly]

I thought London would be number 1.

[Alex]

I thought London would be number 1.

I thought Merthyr Tydfil would be number 1.

[Edward]

I agree with the top 2 (without a shadow of a doubt) but I'm somewhat surprised to see Paris so low down on the list.

New York is steadily getting more expensive with each passing year.

[rmbod]

Seems odd that Edinburgh isn't listed knowing how expensive the city is!

[Weltmeister]

I agree with the top 2 (without a shadow of a doubt) but I'm somewhat surprised to see Paris so low down on the list.

New York is steadily getting more expensive with each passing year.

Really? I thought New York would be so cheap right now. Oh, wait I guess that's only true for € countries. Since the € became stronger than the $ New York became cheaper for us.

[Edward]

Well, I'm go according to Sterling and comparing prices over the last five years. It still isn't overly expensive but there's definitely been a hike [in prices] across the board.

[cwej]

new York shocked me in how expensive it was. I like the fact London is so high - it makes me feel EXCLUSIVE. :D

[Steve]

I didn't think London was that high :o

[Kate]

MOSCOW?? I always assumed it would be dirt cheap there! *crosses off to-visit list*

[Kate]

Prague more expensive than Birmingham?? Where in Birmingham can you get a pint for 50p?

No really please do tell me...

[cwej]

Prague more expensive than Birmingham?? Where in Birmingham can you get a pint for 50p?

No really please do tell me...

I think when they do these lists they take lots of things into account NOT just alcohol consumption... ;)

[Kate]

Just an example :p I'd be interested to know what they do take into account though... I can't think of anything in Prague that's more expensive than over here...

[cwej]

I dunno. Never been there.

[Alex]

Just an example :p I'd be interested to know what they do take into account though... I can't think of anything in Prague that's more expensive than over here...

Worcester sauce?

[Kate]

:oi:

[cwej]

A bus to Lemington Spa.

[Kate]

Actually they should do a list based on beer prices alone, that would help my holiday plans no end :D

[cwej]

LOL!! Estonia, Croatia and Czech Republic are the 3 best for that I believe.

[RaspberrySwirl]

Just an example :p I'd be interested to know what they do take into account though... I can't think of anything in Prague that's more expensive than over here...


I think usually when they do such lists they take into account the costs of living in a house/flat etc not only shopping and food.

[Kate]

Maybe property in Birmingham is super-cheap then... it is a bit crap after all

[RaspberrySwirl]

20 Sydney, Australia

22 Stockholm, Sweden



That's a bit surprising, I thought everything was way cheaper in Sydney.

[Loufoque]

MOSCOW?? I always assumed it would be dirt cheap there! *crosses off to-visit list*
It is. Russia in general that is. Not for the locals but for anyone used to European prices, it's NOTHING. I must have only spent about two hundred pounds there in a MONTH doing just about every expensive touristy thing possible.

[Halli]

I thought Copenhagen would be top 5.

[Kate]

It is. Russia in general that is. Not for the locals but for anyone used to European prices, it's NOTHING. I must have only spent about two hundred pounds there in a MONTH doing just about every expensive touristy thing possible.
Hmm :confused: Maybe they take into account the richness/poorness of the country as a whole and compare it to that. That would explain Prague as well...

[funky]

new York shocked me in how expensive it was. I like the fact London is so high - it makes me feel EXCLUSIVE. :D

New York is SO much cheaper than London... SO much cheaper...

[Cherish1984]

What about Monte Carlo... ?

[Pipo]

Monterrey 102?
FLOP CITY :shy:

[TomH]

That's a bit surprising, I thought everything was way cheaper in Sydney.

property isn't!

WHy are people surprised at London?

[Pipo]

A pound is like 2 US dollars for God's sake!

[Steve]

property isn't!

WHy are people surprised at London?
I knew it was expensive, I just didn't think it would have been the second most expensive in the world

[Dark Carnival]

I thought everyone would agree on the top 2. It's a fact around th world.

[Star]

I heard about this on the news tonight;

Tubes and buses hit by fare hike (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/4307770.stm)

Good thing I have an oyster card then!

[Edward]

Livingston is a wanker!

[Star]

TOTALLY though, those prices are ridiculous! I guess it's fine for those who use the tube on a regular basis, but people like tourists are REALLY going to be stung travelling around London!

[cwej]

New York is SO much cheaper than London... SO much cheaper...

No it's not... :confused: But that's probably cos you won't go ANYWHERE that isn't A-list celebrity in London... You Kool Kat you... :horny:

[lolly]

TOTALLY though, those prices are ridiculous! I guess it's fine for those who use the tube on a regular basis, but people like tourists are REALLY going to be stung travelling around London!


But the tourists don't have any say in electing him, do they?

And I found New York to be cheaper than London. Not in terms of clubbing, because I don't DO that.

But in terms of hotel prices, eating out, cinema etc it was noticeably cheaper.

[cwej]

Oh yes cinema was cheaper... shows were the same price though roughly. Didn't really eat out cos I was on my own so it was lots of subway and Mcdonalds... :D