Top 10 World's Most Expensive Cities
I keep writing my blogs about random things and this time, it is about the world's most expensive cities to live in. We all know that places like Zurich, Singapore and Tokyo are highly expensive and buying a house in these places is a dream come true. Here are some more places to complete my list of top 10 world's most expensive cities.
1. Luanda (Angola)
When we talk about Africa, expensive cities are not what can come to the mind. Yet, Luanda, an African city (from Angola) is considered one of the most expensive places to live in the world. According to ECA International, Angola was the most expensive city to live, in 2009. The irony in this city is that though the city has a high poverty rate, it still remains an expensive city for the expatriates to maintain their standards of living.
2. Tokyo (Japan)
It may not be new that buying a house in Tokyo, Japan can only be a dream for even some of the richest tycoons. Thought the consumer price index in the city is falling since 2009, Japan's capital still remains one of the most expensive cities to live in this world. Just to give you an idea, the monthly rent for a 2-bedroom apartment would be an average of $4,300.
3. Zurich (Switzerland)
Switzerland is one of the most expensive countries in the world. Then how can be the largest city of Switzerland be less expensive? According to the Economist Intelligence Unit, it is one of the most priciest cities to live in the world. According to Mercer, Zurich ranked second in quality of life in the entire world in 2010. Naturally, you can expect the city to be probably the most expensive cities to life in.
4. Geneva (Switzerland)
Geneva is another important city in Switzerland. It is home to the United Nations. And it is also one of the most expensive cities to live in the world. Geneva is an important city when it comes to technology and banking. As such it attracts professionals as well as tourists worldwide. Mercer ranked Geneva third in the quality of life after Zurich, in 2010.
5. Oslo (Norway)
Oslo is the capital of Norway, another expensive country in the world. As such, you can expect the capital to be highly expensive as well. Oslo is a major hub for finance, shipping and trade. It won't come as a surprise that Oslo is a highly expensive city considering that a quick lunch would cost you $45 and a loaf of bread would cost $5.
6. Sydney (Australia)
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia. It is also the capital of New South Wales. Sydney ranks in the top global cities and truly is international. Sydney also has a high quality of living. Mercer ranked Sydney in the top 10 most livable cities in the world. It is considered one of the top 10 fashion capitals of the world. With all this, Sydney naturally becomes one of the most expensive cities to live in.
7. Moscow (Russia)
Many people don't relate rich cities and Russia. People still look Russia as one of the most corrupt countries in the world. However, keeping corruption aside, Russia is home to some of the most beautiful places in the world. And of course, it is also home to some of the most expensive cities in the world such as Moscow and St. Petersburg. The capital of Russia, Moscow, is indeed one of the most expensive cities to live. To give you a rough idea, a meal at an inexpensive restaurant would cost you an average of $16 and the monthly rental of a single bedroom house would average $1,500.
8. Singapore (Singapore)
Singapore is naturally one of the countries/cities that come to mind when talking about expensive cities. Singapore is one of the cleanest cities you can find on earth. It also attracts expatriates all over the world as it is a major financial and trade hub. Singapore is the fourth leading financial center in the world. With a high GDP PPP per capita of $59,936,, it is one of the wealthiest countries in the world. With the high standard of living comes high costs and expenses of living.
9. Sao Paulo (Brazil)
São Paulo is an important city and the financial hub of Brazil. Though, it may not appear as an expensive city, Mercer ranked the city the 10th most expensive city in the year 2011. Popularly known as Sampa, the city is among the five largest metropolitan areas on the planet. Being one of the most populous metropolitan cities in the world and a major financial hub in the Americas, the city has a high standard of living and naturally an expensive standard of living.
10. Kobe (Japan)
Some of the most expensive cities in the world come from countries like Switzerland or Japan. Kobe is one such expensive cities in Japan. It is Japan's busiest ports. It is also a major manufacturing center for food, transportation equipment and appliances. Being a major and busiest port, it naturally becomes a highly expensive city in Japan.
So, these are my top 10 world's most expensive cities to live. Which one would you like to add to this or live in?
