Expats count the cost of living abroad
Expatriates in the city of Luanda, Angola, have the dubious honour of having the highest expenses for those living abroad, according to the Mercer Worldwide Cost of Living Survey 2010. In second place is Tokyo, Japan, followed by Ndjamena, Chad. Karachi in Pakistan is the least expensive city for an expat.
The rankings took into account the comparative cost of over 200 items in more than 210 cities on five continents, including housing, transport, food, clothing, household goods and entertainment. The comprehensive view helps global businesses estimate the cost of living for expats they send on overseas assignments.
“Global mobility is still an expensive undertaking for companies, so selection of the right candidates and a real understanding of the costs involved in relocating staff to other countries are essential—especially in today’s economic environment,” said Nathalie Constantin-Métral, senior researcher at Mercer.
Australian cities fared well compared to their Asia-Pacific counterparts: Sydney was ranked the 24th most expensive, Melbourne 33rd, Brisbane 55th, Perth 60th and Canberra as the 74th. Comparatively, Osaka, Japan was 6th, with Hong Kong 8th, Singapore 11th and Beijing, China 16th.
Top 5 Most Expensive Cities for Expats
- Luanda, Angola
- Tokyo, Japan
- Ndjamena, Chad
- Moscow, Russia
- Geneva, Switzerland
Global businesses interested in further detail can buy the full report at www.mercer.com/costofliving.
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