Friday, July 24, 2009

World's Most Expensive Cities To Live

By Sarah Lynch, Forbes.com

Jul 8th, 2009


Twenty spots where it's hardest to make ends meet.

Think your morning commute is expensive? Think again. The ride on a bus or subway in Tokyo costs $3.25. Grab a newspaper and a cup of coffee on the way and the total comes to $11.70. That's more than anywhere else in the world--24% more than what those same things cost in New York, even.

Tokyo is the world's most expensive city, according to Mercer's 2009 Worldwide Cost of Living survey released today, with the cost of living up 13.1% from 2008; the city ranked at No. 2 in 2008's survey. Japan's capital is followed by Osaka and Moscow, which held the top spot in last year's rankings. Geneva comes in fourth.

In Depth: World's Most Expensive Cities To Live

Our data come from Mercer's Worldwide Cost of Living 2009 survey. Mercer's annual survey has been designed to cater to the multinational companies and governments that use the study's results to help determine appropriate compensation packages for employees sent abroad. One of the world's most comprehensive cost of living surveys, Mercer's study takes 143 cities across six continents and compares the costs of over 200 items in each location. The goods and services under inspection--including housing, transportation, food, leisure, and household supplies--are representative of executive spending patterns, and the selection of the cities reflects the request for corresponding data from the groups that use the study's findings.

Our data come from Mercer's Worldwide Cost of Living 2009 survey. Mercer's annual survey has been designed to cater to the multinational companies and governments that use the study's results to help determine appropriate compensation packages for employees sent abroad. One of the world's most comprehensive cost of living surveys, Mercer's study takes 143 cities across six continents and compares the costs of over 200 items in each location. The goods and services under inspection--including housing, transportation, food, leisure, and household supplies--are representative of executive spending patterns, and the selection of the cities reflects the request for corresponding data from the groups that use the study's findings.



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