| Locations in Asia and Africa have become | | | | |
| relatively more expensive in terms of cost of | | | | 5. Tripoli, Libya (53.22) |
| living for expatriates, while US locations | | | | |
| have become relatively less expensive, says a | | | | 6. Quito, Ecuador (53.23) |
| cost of living comparison of 228 global | | | | |
| locations. | | | | 7. Buenos Aires, Argentina (53.25) |
| | | | |
| The cost of living comparison prices goods | | | | 8. La Paz, Bolivia (53.54) |
| and services that expatriates spend their | | | | |
| salaries on, and creates indexes for 13 | | | | 9. Asmara, Eritrea (54.49) |
| different basket groups using New York as the | | | | |
| base (i.e. New York is equal to 100) | | | | 10.Tashkent, Uzbekistan (56.06) |
| | | | |
| The global cost of living comparison | | | | This means that overall, goods or services |
| conducted by indicates 3 of the top 5 most | | | | that cost USD$100 in New York, cost the |
| expensive locations are in Asia, while London | | | | equivalent of just USD$16.44 in Harare, and |
| is the most expensive global location for | | | | USD$53.25 in Buenos Aires. |
| expatriates. Tokyo, Seoul, and Hong Kong are | | | | |
| ranked 2nd, 3rd, and 5th respectively in | | | | However the cost of living not only varies |
| terms of overall cost of living. Groceries | | | | from one location to another, but also varies |
| are the most expensive in Africa, with 6 of | | | | by type of expense, due to local supply and |
| the 10 most expensive locations. New York on | | | | demand variations in each location. In some |
| the other hand has dropped to 28th position | | | | locations, accommodation is more costly while |
| in terms of overall cost of living, and 61st | | | | groceries are relatively less costly and vice |
| in terms of groceries. | | | | versa. |
| | | | |
| Cost of Living Comparison Top 10 Overall | | | | In terms of groceries Seoul is the most |
| | | | expensive, while Africa has Brazzaville, |
| The 10 most expensive global locations for | | | | Accra, Lagos, Abidjan, Kinshasa, and Luanda |
| expatriates to live, based on overall cost of | | | | in the top 10. |
| living (Index is in brackets) as at March | | | | |
| 2008 are: | | | | Cost of Living Comparison Top 10 For |
| | | | Groceries |
| 1. London, United Kingdom (126.63) | | | | |
| | | | The top 10 most expensive global locations |
| 2. Tokyo, Japan (121.88) | | | | for expatriates to live based on the price of |
| | | | groceries as at March 2008 are as follows: |
| 3. Seoul, Republic of Korea (119.54) | | | | |
| | | | 1. Seoul, Republic of Korea |
| 4. Oslo, Norway (115.39) | | | | |
| | | | 2. Brazzaville, Congo |
| 5. Hong Kong, China (113.00) | | | | |
| | | | 3. Ashgabat Turkmenistan |
| 6. Copenhagen, Denmark (112.63) | | | | |
| | | | 4. Accra, Ghana |
| 7. Moscow, Russia (110.35) | | | | |
| | | | 5. Lagos, Nigeria |
| 8. Geneva, Switzerland (110.06) | | | | |
| | | | 6. Copenhagen, Denmark |
| 9. Hamilton, Bermuda (109.63) | | | | |
| | | | 7. Abidjan, Cote D'Ivoire |
| 10.Luanda, Angola (108.51) | | | | |
| | | | 8. Kinshasa Congo Democratic Rep |
| This means that overall goods or services | | | | |
| that cost USD$100 in New York, cost the | | | | 9. Luanda, Angola |
| equivalent of USD$126.63 in London, and | | | | |
| USD$110.35 in Moscow. New York has dropped | | | | 10.Oslo, Norway |
| primarily due to the weakness of the US | | | | |
| Dollar as well as the economic slowdown which | | | | Locations in Asia and Africa are increasingly |
| appears to have slowed the increase in prices | | | | becoming more expensive in terms of cost of |
| relative to other global locations. | | | | living for expatriates; organisations need to |
| | | | take this into account when establishing |
| Cost of Living Comparison Bottom 10 Overall | | | | expatriate pay for international assignments. |
| | | | |
| The 10 least expensive locations for | | | | Interestingly, although London is ranked the |
| expatriates to live, based on overall cost of | | | | most expensive global location in terms of |
| living (Index is in brackets) as at March | | | | overall cost of living, it is only ranked |
| 2008 are: | | | | 26th most expensive location for groceries. |
| | | | It is therefore very important when |
| 1. Harare, Zimbabwe (16.44) | | | | conducting a cost of living comparison that |
| | | | only those items the expatriate will spend |
| 2. Phnom Penh, Cambodia (44.89) | | | | their salary on are included in the |
| | | | calculation, and that those benefits that are |
| 3. Sanaa, Yemen (44.95) | | | | provided for the expatriate are excluded from |
| | | | the cost of living comparison. |
| 4. Dushanbe, Tajikistan (51.24) | | | | |