Where Does Dubai Rank On The List Of Most Expensive Cities For Expats? Sky-high rents, pricey restaurants and extorionate drinks prices: that’s the impression that many of Dubai’s expatriate population have of the city. But is it justified? How does the cost of living stack up to other destinations in the world? Well, according to the 2014 Cost of Living Survey by human resources consultancy, Mercer, Dubai isn’t the most expensive place to live in the world – far from it. In fact, Dubai ranks all the way down in 67th position, rated as less expensive to live in than both Tel Aviv and Beirut. Abu Dhabi follows Dubai at number four in the Middle East and 68th overall in the list, which was compiled from the results of a survey measuring the comparative cost of more than 200 goods and services in each location, including housing, transportation, food, clothing, household goods and entertainment. Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, came out as the Middle East’s least-expensive city, but it was still rated as far pricier than the cheapest city in the world for expats to live: Karachi, Pakistan. The most expensive city in the world for expats will come as a surprise to many. London? Hong Kong? No, it’s Luanda in Angola, closely followed by N’Djamena, Chad. Although the list then follows a slightly more predictable course, with Hong Kong, Singapore and Zurich completing the top five, the surprising position of the African cities is remarkable. According to Mercer, the reason why the African cities rank so highly is that, although they’re both relatively inexpensive for locals, they are quite costly for expats since imported goods come at a premium and finding secure living accommodation in those cities can be a challenge too. So next time you feel hard done to because your rent has gone up and the prices at your favourite restaurant have increased, spare a thought for the poor expats in Luanda.
Posted on: Mon, 15 Sep 2014 12:44:58 +0000
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