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THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 2009
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Tokyo Branded World's Most Expensive City

Tumbling rouble knocks Moscow off top spot in expat rankings

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(Newser) – Tokyo and Osaka bumped Moscow into third place in Mercer's annual ranking of the costliest cities for expats, the Times of London reports. Geneva and Hong Kong rounded out the top five. Currency fluctuations pushed many European cities down in the influential rankings,which compare the cost of living in 143 cities, with London dropping 13 places to 16th. 

Zurich and Copenhagen came in sixth and seventh, and New York returned to the top 10 in eighth place. Beijing—one of many Chinese cities that rose sharply in the ranking—came in ninth, and Singapore tenth. The local currency's peg to the US dollar, used as the study's baseline, saw big rises for Abu Dhabi and Dubai. At the bottom end, Johannesburg replaced Asuncion as the cheapest city for expats.

Many Asian cities rose in this year's rankings. Hong Kong moved up one spot to fifth place.
Many Asian cities rose in this year's rankings. Hong Kong moved up one spot to fifth place.   (©Dennis Wong)
New York City, which came in eighth place worldwide, was ranked the most expensive in the Americas. Caracas was in second and Los Angeles third.
New York City, which came in eighth place worldwide, was ranked the most expensive in the Americas. Caracas was in second and Los Angeles third.   (©ajagendorf25)
Tokyo was ranked the most expensive of 143 world cities to live in.
Tokyo was ranked the most expensive of 143 world cities to live in.   (Shutter Stock)
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skylinesandsunsets
Jul 7, 09 3:51 AM CDT
Tokyo may be the most expensive, but it's one hell of a town. It's a real life Coruscant without the droids or Jedi. I used to live and work in Saitama, and I loved to play in T-town's "wards" on the weekends: Akihabara, Shibuya, and Roppongi (to name a few). Regretfully I wasn't able to explore all of Tokyo but I will return one day. Reply
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Newser001
Jul 7, 09 10:39 AM CDT
All of Japan is very expensive, not Just Tokyo. Much has to do with their distribution theories and practices; too many people in the distribution pipeline taking too many points at every level (7x+ isn't unheard of).
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nikkibong
Jul 7, 09 4:40 AM CDT
You get what you pay for: Tokyo, Osaka, Copenhagen, and New York are all wonderful places. The only exception: Beijing. An absolute pit, and apparently an expensive one now, too. Reply
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hungrydave
Jul 7, 09 9:32 AM CDT
Johannesburg being cheap is good news for when the World Cup roles around next year. Reply
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Mr.C
Jul 7, 09 1:15 PM CDT
Tokyo wasn't very expensive for me. I made my way around Tokyo for three nights on 200 USD. [40 of that went to the airport to keep my luggage, and 30 of that went down the drain when someone threw away my food I'd put in a bad refrigerator.] couchsurfing.com provided me the free place to sleep, public transportation was the biggest expense I had Reply
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