These Are the 50 Costliest Places for Expats to Live and Work

Hong Kong and Switzerland are the top two countries.

A new study shows that Hong Kong is the most expensive place in the world to work.

Four cities in Switzerland were ranked second to fifth in the cost of living survey.

Singapore, Tokyo and Beijing made the top 10. The management consulting firm said in a report that high rankings for Asian cities were due to inflation and strong currencies.

Ankara in Turkey was the cheapest place to live for expatriates.

It was reported elsewhere.

• Israel’s Tel Aviv, in 6th place, is the priciest place in the Middle East  
• New York City, 7th, is the most expensive city in the Americas
• London came in at number 15
• Four Chinese cities made the top 20, propelled by the strong yuan
• Japanese and Korean cities became relatively more affordable due to weaker currencies

The number of professionals moving to Asia has fallen over the past 18 months due to global issues including Covid-19, war in Ukraine, exchange rate fluctuations and widespread inflation.

A talent shortage in developed countries, which rely heavily on foreign workers, could become an issue due to higher living costs, according to a regional mobility leader.

Ma said that international assignment patterns are evolving quicker than before. She said that companies need to rethink their approach to managing a global workforce because of the rise of remote and flexible work.

The cost of more than 200 things, including housing, transport, food, clothing, household goods and entertainment, were measured to come up with a ranking.

The most expensive cities for foreign workers are listed.

1. Hong Kong, China
2. Zurich, Switzerland
3. Geneva, Switzerland
4. Basel, Switzerland
5. Bern, Switzerland
6. Tel Aviv, Israel
7. New York City, US
8. Singapore
9. Tokyo, Japan
10. Beijing, China
11. Copenhagen, Denmark
12. Shanghai, China
13. Shenzhen, China
14. Seoul, South Korea
15. London, UK
16. Nassau, Bahamas
17. Los Angeles, US
18. Guangzhou, China
19. San Francisco, US
20. Honolulu, US
21. Vienna, Austria
22. Qingdao, China
23. Bangui, Central African Republic
24. Libreville, Gabon
25. Amsterdam, Netherlands
26. Nanjing, China
27. Oslo, Norway
28. Taipei, Taiwan
29. Washington DC, US
30. Boston, US
31. Dubai, UAE
32. Miami, US
33. Munich, Germany
34. Busan, South Korea
35. Paris, France
36. Chicago, US
37. Osaka, Japan
38. Victoria, Seychelles
39. Brussels, Belgium
40. Shenyang, China
41. Djibouti
42. Atlanta, US
43. Helsinki, Finland
44. Chengdu, China
45. Seattle, US
46. Berlin, Germany
47. The Hague, Netherlands
48. Milan, Italy
49. Dublin, Ireland
50. Yokohama, Japan