World's most expensive cities revealed by study (and London's apparently not even in the top 10)

The capital comes in at 12th, behind the African capitals of Luanda and N'Djamena
Pricey: Luanda, capital of the southern African nation of Angola
Getty Images
Sebastian Mann28 August 2015

London is not even in the top 10 most expensive cities for expatriate workers, a study has claimed.

The African capital of Luanda, Angola - where a one-bed apartment in a popular expat area can cost in excess of £2,200 a month - tops the list for the third year running.

N'Djamena in Chad joins the list in 10th place behind cities including Zurich, Singapore and Shanghai.

According to the Cost of Living Survey 2015, London is the 12th most expensive place for expatriates to live - a metric researchers say includes factors such as the cost of imported goods as well as personal safety.

US consultancy firm Mercer conducted the study using New York as its base city. It claims to be the most authoritative survey of its kind, and is aimed at helping multi-national companies determine pay levels for expatriate employees.

Ilya Bonic, senior partner and president of Mercer’s talent business, said: “Sending employees abroad is necessary to compete in markets and for critical talent, and employers need a reliable and accurate reflection of the cost to their bottom line.”

Outpriced: London features in 12th place on the list (Picture: PA)
PA

Here is the top 10 list in full:

1) Luanda, Angola

2) Hong Kong, China

3) Zurich, Switzerland

4) Singapore, Singapore

5) Geneva, Switzerland

6) Shanghai, China

7) Beijing, China

8) Seoul, South Korea

9) Bern, Switzerland

10) N'Djamena, Chad

Figures published earlier this year indicated London was the third most expensive city in the world.

According to the study, which took a more general look at costs for the whole population, the capital has the second most expensive public transport network and fifth dearest theatre prices.

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