Singapore

The most expensive cities in the world

The consulting company Mercer annually publishes a list of the most expensive cities on the planet. In 2018, it was headed by Singapore, and the top ten included 2 more cities from Asia, 6 from Europe and 1 from Australia.

The high cost of living here is determined by a simple economic rule: the higher the demand, the higher the price. In these most expensive cities in the world I want to come to work and open a business, they are developed and create the best opportunities for finding partners, they provide social, professional protection. And they are also popular with tourists. Tourism strengthens any economy, makes the city popular among guests and pushes prices up.
Prices in the article – average site indicators nomadlist.com. It shows the cost of living, receiving data from real users – travelers and freelancers.

1. Singapore

• How much is needed per month: $ 2,883
• Take off 1 km. apartment in the center: $ 1 882
• Housing on Airbnb: $ 2,135
• Dine in a restaurant or cafe: $ 6.65
• Drink coffee / beer: $ 4.06 / $ 8.87

Singapore – a city-state in Southeast Asia with an area of 700 km². He is one of the leaders not only in terms of cost of living – there is a high GDP, an index of human development and economic freedom. Singapore has more than 100,000 people with a personal capital of more than $ 1 million. High prices in the city are associated with limited resources – you have to export a lot from other countries – and the general level of the economy.

Attractions and entertainment: Formula 1 Grand Prix, Jurong Parks, Night Safari, River Safari, Tiger Sky Tower observation deck, Singapore Flyer 165-meter Ferris Wheel, Universal Studios Amusement Park.

2. Paris [France]

Paris

• How much is needed for a month: $ 4 107
• Take off 1 km. apartment in the center: $ 1,023
• Housing on Airbnb: $ 2,867
• Dine in a restaurant or cafe: $ 14.86
• Drink coffee / beer: $ 2.29 / $ 6.86

A dream city for millions of people, the world center of fashion and culture is Paris. Its economy produces a third of the GDP of all of France. The most active sectors are services, finance, tourism, IT, high-tech industries. In the service sector, approximately 85% of the city’s population is employed. Tourism generates about 13% of GDP – the total number of guests per year is 12 times its population.

Attractions and entertainment: Notre Dame, Louvre Museum, Champs Elysees, Eiffel Tower, La Defense business district, Montmartre hill, Moulin Rouge cabaret, Disneyland.

3. Zurich [Switzerland]

Zurich

• How much is needed for a month: $ 4,906
• Take off 1 km. apartment in the center: $ 1,603
• Housing on Airbnb: $ 2,766
• Dine in a restaurant or cafe: $ 19.04
• Drink coffee / beer: $ 6.68 / $ 7.01

Zurich is far from the status of a megalopolis in terms of population (416 thousand) and size (88 km²), but is a global city. Unofficially, he is called the financial capital of the world..

Here are the headquarters of international banks and insurance companies (Credit Suisse, USB, Zurich Financial Services, Swiss Re), the central bank of Switzerland, the Swiss stock exchange. The financial sector is the main one in the economy of the city and the country.

Attractions and entertainment: historic center, Fraumunster and Grossmunster cathedrals, Lake Zurich, Rhine Falls, Swiss National Museum, Uetliberg Mountain.

4. Hong Kong

• How much is needed for a month: $ 2 974
• Take off 1 km. apartment in the center: $ 1 912
• Housing on Airbnb: $ 2 105
• Dine in a restaurant or cafe: $ 6.37
• Drink coffee / beer: $ 4.46 / $ 7.01

Hong Kong is a special administrative region of China occupying the Julong Peninsula. It attracts billions of foreign investment through three features: low taxes, free market and government non-interference in the economy. There are no customs duties on imports, VAT and similar taxes.

With its own currency and a loyal economic environment, Hong Kong is the investment and resource gate of main China. It is the largest city in China in terms of per capita GDP and one of the largest in the world. In 2018, the World Bank put it on the 4th place on the planet for ease of doing business.

Attractions and entertainment: Big Buddha, Otpora Bay, Victoria Peak, Wong Tai Sin Temple, Aberdeen Harbor, Disneyland, Laser Symphony of Lights show.

5. Oslo [Norway]

Oslo

• How much is needed for a month: $ 4,483
• Take off 1 km. apartment in the center: $ 1,298
• Housing on Airbnb: $ 2,745
• Dine in a restaurant or cafe: $ 16.52
• Drink coffee / beer: $ 3.54 / $ 9.91

Oslo, like the whole of Norway, is on the list of the best places on the planet for study, work, living and business every year. Severe taxation (up to 55% for individuals) pays off with reliable social guarantees, economic stability and a high standard of living.

Oslo is one of the main ports of Scandinavia. It serves more than a thousand shipping companies and 5 million passengers, has a cargo turnover of 6 million tons per year. International oil and gas companies are based in the city: Equinor, Statoil ASA, Mobil, Phillips Petroleum, Shell, Total.

Sightseeing and entertainment: Oslo Fjord shores, City Hall, Akershus Fortress, Aker Bruges embankment, Royal Palace, Gustav Wigeland Sculpture Park, Viking Ship Museum, Edward Munch Museum.

6. Geneva [Switzerland]

Geneva

• How much is needed for a month: $ 5,671
• Take off 1 km. apartment in the center: $ 2 014
• Housing on Airbnb: $ 2,623
• Dine in a restaurant or cafe: $ 10.02
• Drink coffee / beer: $ 6.68 / $ 10.02

The most expensive cities in the world include two points on a map of Switzerland. The second of them is Geneva – the diplomatic center of the world. The city has the headquarters of the UN, WHO, WTO, Red Cross, as well as “big” banks, insurance and financial companies. The main economic areas of the city are international trade, financing and private banking. It is curious that almost half of the population are foreign citizens.

Procter headquarters operate in Geneva&Gamble, Electronic Arts, Oracle, Invista, Take-Two Interactive, Hewlett-Packard, PrivatAir.

Sightseeing and entertainment: Geneva Motor Show, Jeff d’Oau Fountain, Burg de Fur Square, Old Town, St. Peter’s Basilica, Notre Dame Basilica, Flower Clock.

7. Seoul [South Korea]

Seoul

• How much is needed for a month: $ 2 374
• Take off 1 km. apartment in the center: $ 1 098
• Housing on Airbnb: $ 1,434
• Dine in a restaurant or cafe: $ 10.04
• Drink coffee / beer: $ 4.02 / $ 3.57

Seoul has a fifth of the population of South Korea. It forms one of the largest and most economically powerful agglomerations in the world. Covering only 0.6% of the country’s territory, the city produces 21% of GDP, engaged in trade, engineering, telecommunications, electronics and construction.

In Seoul, the headquarters of Hyundai, LG, Kia, Samsung and branches of Citigroup, Goldman Sachs, HSBC, JPMorgan Chase, Barclays, UBS, UniCredit, dozens of other giant financial companies operate.

Attractions and entertainment: Gyeongbokgung, Gyeonggiung, Chandokkun palaces, Yuksam Building skyscraper, Choges and Jongmyo temples, Folk village, Lotte World amusement park.

8. Copenhagen [Denmark]

• How much is needed for a month: $ 4,538
• Take off 1 km. apartment in the center: $ 1 991
• Housing on Airbnb: $ 2,532
• Dine in a restaurant or cafe: $ 18.38
• Drink coffee / beer: $ 5.67 / $ 6.28

The capital of Denmark is also not a metropolis (population – 600 thousand), but acts as one of the business and economic centers of northern Europe. The city is often mentioned in the ratings of the best places on the planet for life. Good social support, the quality of medicine and education are the result of strict taxation. Income tax in Denmark is 58.5%.

The main areas of the economy are services, trade, finance, communications, manufacturing. The city has its headquarters Carlsberg, Novo Nordisk, A.P. Moller-Maersk Group, Novozymes. The port of Copenhagen, together with the port of Sweden, Malmö forms a common economic and commercial sector.

Attractions and entertainment: Amalienborg palace ensemble, the Little Mermaid monument, Castellet fortress, New Harbor, World of Hans Christian Andersen, Legoland, Bakken and Tivoli amusement parks.

9. Tel Aviv [Israel]

• How much is needed for a month: $ 3 879
• Take off 1 km. apartment in the center: $ 1,336
• Housing on Airbnb: $ 2,379
• Dine in a restaurant or cafe: $ 14.96
• Drink coffee / beer: $ 3.51 / $ 8.17

Tel Aviv is the second largest and largest Israeli city, founded in 1909. Here is the stock exchange, major research institutions, representative offices of Microsoft, Google, Teva and other giant companies from the high-tech industry. The city is one of the world leaders in the number of startups per square meter. An important part of the economy is tourism..

Attractions and entertainment: the ancient city of Jaffa, Eretz Yisrael Museum, Ramam Gan safari, Caesarea National Park, Yarkon City Park.

10. Sydney [Australia]

Sydney

• How much is needed for a month: $ 3,649
• Take off 1 km. apartment in the center: $ 1,673
• Housing on Airbnb: $ 2,532
• Dine in a restaurant or cafe: $ 14.44
• Drink coffee / beer: $ 3.61 / $ 5.42

Sydney is Australia’s largest, most active and famous city, so many consider it the capital of the green continent. Today it is one of the ultra-modern megacities, an economic, cultural and sports center that produces almost a quarter of the country’s GDP.

The main sectors of the Sydney economy are services, trade, healthcare, IT and industrial production. The city is based on the Reserve Bank of Australia, the Australian Securities Exchange, more than 500 branches of international companies.

Attractions and entertainment: Opera House, Harbor Bridge, Royal Botanic Gardens, Bondi Beach, Taronga Zoo, Sydney Aquarium.