World's Most Expensive Cities, 2008

Updated September 9, 2022 | Infoplease Staff

The data in this table reflects a survey measuring the comparative cost of over 200 items in each location, including housing, transportation, food, clothing, household goods, and entertainment. Produced by Mercer, a global human resources and financial consulting firm, the survey is used to help multinational companies and governments determine compensation allowances for their expatriate employees.

Rankings
March 2008 March 2007 City
1 1 Moscow, Russia
2 4 Tokyo, Japan
3 2 London, United Kingdom
4 10 Oslo, Norway
5 3 Seoul, South Korea
6 5 Hong Kong, Hong Kong
7 6 Copenhagen, Denmark
8 7 Geneva, Switzerland
9 9 Zurich, Switzerland
10 11 Milan, Italy
11 8 Osaka, Japan
12 13 Paris, France
13 14 Singapore, Singapore
14 17 Tel Aviv, Israel
15 21 Sydney, Australia
16 16 Dublin, Ireland
16 18 Rome, Italy
18 12 St. Petersburg, Russia
19 19 Vienna, Austria
20 20 Beijing, China
21 22 Helsinki, Finland
22 15 New York City, United States
23 38 Istanbul, Turkey
24 26 Shanghai, China
25 25 Amsterdam, Netherlands
25 29 Athens, Greece
25 62 Sao Paulo, Brazil
28 26 Madrid, Spain
29 49 Prague, Czech Republic
30 37 Lagos, Nigeria
31 31 Barcelona, Spain
31 64 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
31 23 Stockholm, Sweden
34 24 Douala, Cameroon
35 67 Warsaw, Poland
36 64 Melbourne, Australia
37 39 Munich, Germany
38 45 Berlin, Germany
39 44 Brussels, Belgium
40 40 Frankfurt, Germany
41 33 Dakar, Senegal
42 28 Kiev, Ukraine
43 43 Luxembourg, Luxembourg
44 30 Almaty, Kazakhstan
45 31 Bratislava, Slovakia
46 45 Dusseldorf, Germany
46 72 Riga, Latvia
48 52 Mumbai, India
49 59 Zagreb, Croatia
50 57 Hamberg, Germany
The figures are based on a survey conducted in March 2008, and the 2007 comparisons are based on a similar survey conducted in March 2007.
Source: Mercer Human Resource Consulting. Web: www.mercerhr.com .

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