World's Most Expensive Cities
This is a ranking of the world's most expensive cities in respect to
cost of living. I've commented on how these rankings relate to the cost of
travelling in the selected cities. The price comparison index is in US Dollars.
15. Sydney,
Australia
Sydney's placement in this list owes a lot to the Australian Dollar's
strength against the weakened US Dollar. Earlier in the decade the US
Dollar was almost 40% higher than it is today and as such Sydney was a
deal. However the city offers such a wealth
of tourist attractions so there's not much a traveler can do except stomach
the increased costs of visiting the city.
14. Tel Aviv,
Israel
Tel Aviv is the most expensive city in the Middle East and it's
fitting with Israel having more billionaires per capita than any other
country in the world. But as far as Middle Eastern
Mediterranean getaways are concerned, Tel Aviv is still the place to be.
13. Singapore
Singapore is a small island nation in Southeast Asia with high
wages and a very high standard of living index. The main thing that will
strain visitors pocket books is lodging. Food and transportation are still very affordable.
12. Paris,
France
Paris, although it's only the 12th ranked city on the list, is much more
expensive than its ranking for travellers. Lodging and food are both quite
expensive in the city. Transportation remains affordable as long as you
stick to the city's wonderful metro system. Prices show no signs of slowing down with the
Euro consistently reaching new heights against the Dollar and the city
remaining the preeminent destination for world travellers.
11. Osaka,
Japan
Any and every city in Japan is going to be expensive to visit. Lodging
in the country is
astronomical, as are food prices. Transportation isn't as expensive as it
could be due to the wonderful public transit systems. Osaka itself doesn't have
the cultural attractions found in other cities in Japan,
therefore it's best to check your bank balance before planning a trip.
10. Milan,
Italy
Milan is the kind of place where it's possible to blow your entire
fortune in a matter of hours, this is of course because Milan is home to some of the world's
most extravagant shopping. However the city would have been nowhere near this
highly ranked before the
switch to the Euro. Prices in Italy literally jumped through the roof in a
matter of months.
9. Zurich,
Switzerland
Switzerland is just an expensive country and it's always highly ranked
in cost of living indexes. There are
benefits to travelling in Switzerland though, namely that it's a beautiful country with safe streets
and friendly people. If
you can afford it, Switzerland is a great destination for families.
8. Geneva,
Switzerland
See above. Geneva ranks high in this list partly because of the
proliferation of international organizations in the city and their impact
on the local economy. The city itself is very beautiful and the natural setting couldn't be better.
7. Copenhagen,
Denmark
While not as expensive as some of its Scandinavian brethren,
Copenhagen is still not for the budget minded traveler. However if you're
not on a budget and
appreciate the finer things, Copenhagen is a place you will enjoy.
6. Hong Kong,
China
Home to more skyscrapers than any other city in the world, Hong Kong
is not a cheap place to live or to shop. However it can still be a
cheap place to visit. Unlike some of the other cities on this list, Hong
Kong has a lot to offer the budget travellers. Mass transportation is
amazing and some very cheap budget accommodation can be found.
5. Seoul,
South Korea
Seoul is an amazing city but it can also be an amazingly expensive city. The city isn't too bad for travellers
though as you'll be able to get around via public transit and the food is
decently priced. The only problem is finding adequate lodging to fit your
budget. Taxis are surprisingly affordable in Seoul, and the city is
nowhere near Tokyo's stratospheric prices, it's more comparable to Hong
Kong.
4. Oslo,
Norway
Always a staple on the 'most expensive cities' list,
Oslo is definitely not cheap. A strong local currency and exorbitant
taxes have culminated in scaring away even the most stubborn budget
traveller.
3. London,
England
The US Dollar hasn't done any favors towards London becoming
affordable. While the Dollar has backed away from the lows it reached in
2007, London is still a very expensive city. Food and transportation are
outrageous in the city, with the cost of something so simple as a subway
fare costing upwards
of six US Dollars. Taxis are not to be considered, and it's also hard to
affordably
indulge in the national pastime of 'pubbing'.
2. Tokyo,
Japan
Tokyo has had its reputation of being super expensive for almost
thirty years now, the only thing that's surprising is that at one time it
actually managed to be more expensive than it is now. Hotels in Tokyo cost
a fortune as their target audience is business travellers. Taxis are an
unfathomable luxury for all but the most well off and eating in
restaurants can quickly make a dent in any budget.
1. Moscow,
Russia
The most expensive city in the world, Moscow is also home to more billionaires
than any other city. The most noticeably expensive aspects of travelling in
Moscow is accommodation followed by restaurant prices. Transportation
however is a steal with the Moscow underground being intricate and dirt
cheap.
- Article written in whole by Dakota Smith - Travelers Digest
