# Most expensive cities on earth



## Taller Better (Aug 27, 2005)

xlchrisij said:


> Amsterdam #25:banana: Amsterdam has grown 16 places.


Uhmmm .. being the most expensive is not really a "contest" you want to win. 
Generally these threads move in that direction however.. like it is an honour and status symbol to pay 10 bucks for a cup of coffee! LOL!


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## European1978 (Dec 12, 2003)

minato ku said:


> European1978
> These prices are cheaper than in my building.


:weird: we are not talking about a building but the average price of the flats in the cities. ...
Paris is cheaper than Milan which is not a bad thing


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## Chicagoago (Dec 2, 2005)

Keep in mind that American cities fell against European cities because of the Euro and Pound as well. I think this is a measure of how an American would fare going to another city.

Say someone makes:

50,000 US Dollars

And another makes:

50,000 Euros

An American could spend 100 USD on a coffee table, but that exact same table would cost him 133 Euro if he went to Paris to purchase it based on the exchange rate.

Our cities fell to a degree and others rose just based on the weak dollar. That's taken into account before you even start mentioning how much you pay for certain items in Copenhagen or a cup of coffee in London.

It certainly doesn't explain everything, but I think that 33% loss we get on the Euro (which I HATE btw) is pretty major.


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## Chicagoago (Dec 2, 2005)

It would be much better to judge the cost of living, not just how expensive cities are to someone living in NYC


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## FREKI (Sep 27, 2005)

Chicagoago said:


> An American could spend 100 USD on a coffee table, but that exact same table would cost him 133 Euro if he went to Paris to purchase it based on the exchange rate.


You lost me a bit here... $100 is €74.60 so why would it be €58 more in Paris?


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## LLoydGeorge (Jan 14, 2006)

European1978 said:


> I have been to New York a few times and I have found it cheaper than Milan, I mean Milan rents in downtown have gone up to the sky:
> 
> ONE YEAR RENT IN MILAN CITY CENTRE
> 
> ...


The cost of property in Milan is substantially less than in NY. Also, I found hotels and restaurants to cost considerably less.


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## lokinyc (Sep 17, 2002)

I think this will greatly affect US tourism to Europe if it hasn't already. I've already scrapped a trip to Italy in favor of Argentina because of the exchange rate.


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## Rebasepoiss (Jan 6, 2007)

lokinyc said:


> I think this will greatly affect US tourism to Europe if it hasn't already. I've already scrapped a trip to Italy in favor of Argentina because of the exchange rate.


And I thought americans have lots of money....


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## AltinD (Jul 15, 2004)

^^ Who said that?


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## Xusein (Sep 27, 2005)

New York continues to fall down the ranks thanks globally to the falling dollar, and be cheaper for foreign expatriates, but it still continues to be very expensive city for Americans to live in...

It's a lose-lose situation for us.


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## LLoydGeorge (Jan 14, 2006)

lokinyc said:


> I think this will greatly affect US tourism to Europe if it hasn't already. I've already scrapped a trip to Italy in favor of Argentina because of the exchange rate.


I don't think so. Americans love visiting Europe. People will always go.


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## European1978 (Dec 12, 2003)

LLoydGeorge said:


> The cost of property in Milan is substantially less than in NY. Also, I found hotels and restaurants to cost considerably less.


I don't think so, if you compare Manhattan with the city of Milan it's about the same for property. Take clothes, Milan shops are much more expensive, not to mention that most of the shops are armani d&g gucci, versace prada diesel and so on in the city centre, (which are terribly expensive), I found Macy's or Bloomingsdale much cheaper than the Rinascente, Taxis in Milan are terribly expensive, public transport is as cheap as in nyc, and nyc taxis are much cheaper, eating out in milan can be very expensive and relative cheap in the subborn as in nyc. I know Nyc quite well to say so, moreover Mercer is not Italian, I think it's based in Nyc, you should write to them your issues, not to me, i know Milan but I live in Berlin


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## Minato ku (Aug 9, 2005)

That's stupid, most of Milan shop aren't d&g gucci, versace, prada, diesel... It is only in a small part of the center. hno:
Don't compare luxury shops but average shops for see wich city is more expensive.


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## TohrAlkimista (Dec 18, 2006)

minato ku said:


> That's stupid, most of Milan shop aren't d&g gucci, versace, prada, diesel... It is only in a small part of the center. hno:
> Don't compare luxury shops but average shops for see wich city is more expensive.


lol

evidently you don't know Milan, the avarage price is definitely extremely high in Milan. 

in each shops the prices are considerably high, definitely the highest in Italy, and not only in the Quadrilateral of Fashion.


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## Minato ku (Aug 9, 2005)

I never said that the price in Milan are not high, I said that for said wich city is more expensive it is better to compare the price of the average shops.

Actually Paris is a businessmen and low workers city, wear shop are quite cheap.


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## TohrAlkimista (Dec 18, 2006)

yes, so actually I can't say that Milan is for a low worker wage. 

the average prices in each shops, from food to clothes, it's high.

...and this for me SUCKS! :bash:


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## European1978 (Dec 12, 2003)

Minatoku, nihonjin wa desu ka? ou est-ce que tu est francais?


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## European1978 (Dec 12, 2003)

TohrAlkimista, don't worry about Minato-Ku. I don't believe he is French, he is even bashing Paris... Low worker city please... Minato-ku - Konnichiwa: nihongo wa dekimasu ka ? ? ?


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## Minato ku (Aug 9, 2005)

え... I am french. 
Yes Paris is a low worker city. actually high jobs are actually located in the CBD, in the several business districts inside the city and in the suburbs (place like La Defense, Val de Seine...).

Tourists see only a small part of the city, when you go in the northerm districts and les halles, you see that Paris is not only a city for rich, even if now the apartements everywhere are expensive.


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## xXFallenXx (Jun 15, 2007)

hmm.............i would have thought that san francisco would have been on that list.


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## kub86 (Aug 13, 2004)

Seems fishy. It's a bit suspicious that these researchers have no problem listing the subway prices for the other cities, but Moscow's 25-cent subway isn't included at all. I guess it's not expensive enough for them to list?


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

Mercer's surveys are geared towards *expatriate* compensation packages. I doubt expats would be taking subways every day. Perhaps a taxi or private driver would be more appropriate.


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## kub86 (Aug 13, 2004)

hkskyline said:


> Mercer's surveys are geared towards *expatriate* compensation packages. I doubt expats would be taking subways every day. Perhaps a taxi or private driver would be more appropriate.


Exactly. So why did the survey include subway comparisions for all the other cities in the first place? Surely rich expats there wouldn't need to ride the tube either. Just doesn't make sense. It's as if the researchers were deliberately trying to make Moscow look as expensive as possible by finding the most expensive everything while omitting out cheap equations like their subway...


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## Rachmaninov (Aug 5, 2004)

silly thing said:


> I feel the living cost of hong kong is much cheaper than new york, I really don't know what criterias they use to conduct this research


Maybe they took into account the cost of a flat. Once you own a flat yourself nothing is expensive anymore, but the flat bit is already quite a huge burden for many.


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## Green33 (May 17, 2007)

kub86 said:


> Exactly. So why did the survey include subway comparisions for all the other cities in the first place? Surely rich expats there wouldn't need to ride the tube either. Just doesn't make sense. It's as if the researchers were deliberately trying to make Moscow look as expensive as possible by finding the most expensive everything while omitting out cheap equations like their subway...



One trip to the Moscow underground costs 17 roubles (approximately 65 cents, not 25)


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## silly thing (Aug 9, 2004)

Rachmaninov said:


> Maybe they took into account the cost of a flat. Once you own a flat yourself nothing is expensive anymore, but the flat bit is already quite a huge burden for many.


hmmm, I'm not sure, but cost of flat at NY is also very high, plus most hong kong people living in public housing, that means the private market is for those richer people, it makes sense that the cost of private housing is high in HK


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## ØlandDK (May 29, 2005)

Green33 said:


> One trip to the Moscow underground costs 17 roubles (approximately 65 cents, not 25)


That's still very cheap


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## Green33 (May 17, 2007)

Oelanddk said:


> That's still very cheap


yes? =)) I just corrected. It is good that cheaply.


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## Gamma-Hamster (Dec 28, 2006)

kub86 said:


> It's as if the researchers were deliberately trying to make Moscow look as expensive as possible by finding the most expensive everything while omitting out cheap equations like their subway...


Exactly. Average CD in Moscow costs 5-8$, DVD - 10-20$, and people doing this report for some reason bought CD for 24$. Same with cofee or tea, in place where i usually eat, tea costs 0,8$ but they of course bought tea in a restaurant for stupid rich blondes for 6$


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## AdamChobits (Jun 7, 2006)

I'm from Madrid (26th position) and when I was in New York I didn't found it too much more expensive than Madrid. In fact, in a lot of things is even cheaper.


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## TohrAlkimista (Dec 18, 2006)

IN NYC I found really surprising the cost of the clothes, dunno, at the Nike Town the avarage prices was definitely lower than in Italy (and in the whole Eu, I guess), instead in other things such as restaurants, more expensive.


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## Chicagoago (Dec 2, 2005)

Mr_Denmark said:


> You lost me a bit here... $100 is €74.60 so why would it be €58 more in Paris?


I guess I didn't word that the best....

I mean if I have $100 and buy a coffee table in Chicago; I would have to spend $133 of my own money to buy the same table using the Euro. If we're using the theory from when the Euro was set up, 1 Euro is equal to 1 USD in any given Euro country and the US. Now that 1 Euro costs 1.33 USD, things are much more expensive for Americans when traveling to Europe.

When I use to get a beer for 3 Euro in Amsterdam in 2002, I knew I was spending 3 USD (since I always translate over into dollars how much of my money I'm actually spending). It was easy. Now I go over and know that the 3 Euro beer is actually costing me 4 USD when I get home and look how much money is gone from my checking account. I love how everything in Europe costs about as much as it does here (no need to calculate).....but you're just losing out on the exchange rate.

I have a few friends as well who ditched trips to Europe in favor of Buenos Aires. I also had a few friends bail on a trip to Italy with me as well, because they couldn't stand that 33% of the money spent on the trip vanishes into thin air without even realizing. I really hate knowing I take 150 Euro out of the ATM, spend roughly the equivilent of 150 USD on items, then I get home and my checking account is actually less by $200. Sigh.....


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## FREKI (Sep 27, 2005)

^ Yeah, the US economy have seen brighter days...

But on a plus side it makes travelling in the states very cheap ( for us  )


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## HKBC (Jun 10, 2007)

wow, 3 asian cities in top 5..


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

Exchange rates have a lot to do with how rankings move over time : http://www.mercerhr.com/pressreleas...5;jsessionid=2XC3JK0XJK4TOCTGOUGCHPQKMZ0QUJLW


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## AdamChobits (Jun 7, 2006)

TohrAlkimista said:


> IN NYC I found really surprising the cost of the clothes, dunno, at the Nike Town the avarage prices was definitely lower than in Italy (and in the whole Eu, I guess), instead in other things such as restaurants, more expensive.


Yes. In fact, I though some of the clothing stores I visited were illegal or something weird :lol: Levis jeans very cheap everywhere... And computers, mobile phones, playstations, x-box, etc far cheaper than anywhere in Europe.


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## Sen (Nov 13, 2004)

THIS IS FOR EXPATS

REPEAT AFTER ME

THIS IS FOR EXPATS
THIS IS FOR EXPATS
THIS IS FOR EXPATS

it DOES NOT reflect how the average people in a city live...

FOR EXAMPLE, an executive from New York is sent by his company to Beijing, he would like to maintain the same life style he had in NY, so he would want to buy a Mercedes E sedan, E sedan in China is at least 2 times more expensive than US, then he would want a house, good luck with that lol, most Chinese live in apartments, houses all cost more than millions in good areas. Then he would want to shop at those places where only foreigners go, eat at places that are frequented by other expats instead of food stalls by the side of street. This is how the costs add up. but average Beijingers dont need that much money to get by.

There is probably some faults with my specific examples though, I think cars and housing are all paid by company, but you get the point.


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## Trainman Dave (Mar 30, 2007)

[email protected] said:


> CIA and the U.S. Armed Forces, and Wall Street are included, too.
> U.S.A had the history that sent CIA into all over the world.
> They are watching the earth with Echelon and GPS, and they are forcing a rule convenient for U.S.. Aim of this investigation is it, too.
> 
> ...


I am fairly sure that the Mercer studies have little or no influence on the compenstaion rates for US Government employees. What makes you want to introduce conspiracy theories?

Business expenses in the US include tips! :bash: 

What is more to the point, however, Mercer does not publish the factors used in its Index and each company uses different weighting factors when they establish their individual compensation rates

Based on my personal experience, the cost of English language education was a major consideration when accepting oversea's assignments


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## Shezan (Jun 21, 2007)

oh boy, my parents are soon moving to seoul !!! damn !!!


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## AltinD (Jul 15, 2004)

^^ Oh no, no FIAT-s, LANCIA-s or ALFA ROMEO-s there.


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