World’s Most and Least Expensive Cities

Xpatulator.com has just released its annual International Cost of Living Ranking. They listed 282 global locations (some large countries had separate rankings for several major cities), based on costs of specific items in 13 categories. The 13 “baskets” of goods and services are divided into Alcohol & Tobacco, Clothing, Communication, Education, Furniture & Appliances, Grocery, Healthcare, Household, Miscellaneous, Personal Care, Recreation & Culture, Restaurants, Meals Out & Hotel, and Transport.

Most Expensive Cities

I was surprised to see Brasilia and Caracas among the world’s most expensive expat cities, but the other eight were expected.

1. Tokyo, Japan
2. Geneva, Switzerland
3. Brasilia, Brazil
4. Zurich, Switzerland
5. Oslo, Norway
6. Copenhagen, Denmark
7. Caracas, Venezuela
8. Hong Kong, China
9. Vaduz, Liechtenstein
10. Sydney, Australia

Least Expensive Cities

The ten least expensive cities, counting down from the cheapest, are:

1. 282 Harare, Zimbabwe
2. 281 Tianjin, China
3. 280 Sanaa, Yemen
4. 279 Buenos Aires, Argentina
5. 278 Thimphu, Bhutan
6. 277 Dushanbe, Tajikistan
7. 276 Colombo, Sri Lanka
8. 275 Phnom Penh, Cambodia
9. 274 Ecuador, Quito
10. 273 Pakistan, Karachi

Frankly, I was surprised to see Buenos Aires included here as several expats I follow have been saying it’s become much more expensive. . .

You can view the entire list here.

Get Future Expats Forum updates delivered directly to your e-mail box or favorite RSS reader. Just click here.

Related posts:

1. 8 Lists of Global Cities
2. End-of-Year Lists
3. World’s Best 20 Cities