Asian cities continue to dominate the list of most expensive locations for employees working abroad, taking eight places in the top 10
Rank as of March |
City |
Country/Region |
|
2019 |
|||
1 |
1 |
HONG KONG |
Hong Kong (SAR) |
2 |
2 |
TOKYO |
Japan |
4 |
3 |
SINGAPORE |
Singapore |
5 |
4 |
SEOUL |
South Korea |
3 |
5 |
ZURICH |
Switzerland |
7 |
6 |
SHANGHAI |
China |
43 |
7 |
ASHGABAT |
Turkmenistan |
9 |
8 |
BEIJING |
China |
13 |
9 |
NEW YORK CITY |
United States |
12 |
10 |
SHENZHEN |
China |
8 |
11 |
NDJAMENA |
Chad |
10 |
12 |
BERN |
Switzerland |
11 |
13 |
GENEVA |
Switzerland |
21 |
14 |
VICTORIA |
Seychelles |
16 |
15 |
TEL AVIV |
Israel |
28 |
16 |
SAN FRANCISCO |
United States |
15 |
17 |
GUANGZHOU |
China |
35 |
18 |
LOS ANGELES |
United States |
23 |
19 |
OSAKA |
Japan |
14 |
20 |
COPENHAGEN |
Denmark |
26 |
21 |
DUBAI |
United Arab Emirates |
37 |
22 |
KINSHASA |
Dem. Rep. of the Congo |
19 |
23 |
LONDON |
United Kingdom |
18 |
24 |
LIBREVILLE |
Gabon |
42 |
25 |
LAGOS |
Nigeria |
6 |
26 |
LUANDA |
Angola |
17 |
27 |
MOSCOW |
Russia |
25 |
27 |
NANJING |
China |
22 |
29 |
NOUMEA |
New Caledonia |
24 |
30 |
ABIDJAN |
Côte d'Ivoire |
31 |
30 |
CHENGDU |
China |
29 |
32 |
TIANJIN |
China |
40 |
33 |
ABU DHABI |
United Arab Emirates |
41 |
33 |
NAGOYA |
Japan |
27 |
35 |
TAIPEI |
Taiwan |
45 |
35 |
RIYADH |
Saudi Arabia |
51 |
37 |
CHICAGO |
United States |
54 |
38 |
HONOLULU |
United States |
19 |
39 |
BRAZZAVILLE |
Congo |
52 |
40 |
BANGKOK |
Thailand |
36 |
41 |
QINGDAO |
China |
56 |
42 |
WASHINGTON |
United States |
32 |
43 |
DUBLIN |
Ireland |
60 |
44 |
MIAMI |
United States |
33 |
45 |
MILAN |
Italy |
38 |
45 |
SHENYANG |
China |
34 |
47 |
PARIS |
France |
66 |
47 |
DHAKA |
Bangladesh |
70 |
49 |
BOSTON |
United States |
29 |
50 |
SYDNEY |
Australia |
39 |
51 |
VIENNA |
Austria |
43 |
52 |
YAOUNDE |
Cameroon |
65 |
53 |
BEIRUT |
Lebanon |
48 |
54 |
BANGUI |
Central African Republic |
46 |
55 |
ROME |
Italy |
79 |
56 |
WHITE PLAINS |
United States |
77 |
57 |
MANAMA |
Bahrain |
50 |
58 |
AMSTERDAM |
Netherlands |
73 |
59 |
DJIBOUTI |
Djibouti |
86 |
59 |
HOUSTON |
United States |
47 |
61 |
OSLO |
Norway |
85 |
62 |
DALLAS |
United States |
63 |
63 |
ACCRA |
Ghana |
90 |
64 |
SEATTLE |
United States |
53 |
65 |
HELSINKI |
Finland |
73 |
66 |
DOUALA |
Cameroon |
55 |
67 |
MUMBAI |
India |
57 |
67 |
MUNICH |
Germany |
95 |
69 |
ATLANTA |
United States |
75 |
70 |
MONTEVIDEO |
Uruguay |
97 |
70 |
MORRISTOWN |
United States |
62 |
72 |
DAKAR |
Senegal |
95 |
72 |
SAN JUAN |
Puerto Rico |
68 |
74 |
FRANKFURT |
Germany |
49 |
75 |
ST. PETERSBURG |
Russia |
94 |
75 |
AMMAN |
Jordan |
67 |
77 |
BRUSSELS |
Belgium |
102 |
78 |
MINNEAPOLIS |
United States |
58 |
79 |
MELBOURNE |
Australia |
69 |
79 |
SANTIAGO |
Chile |
71 |
81 |
BERLIN |
Germany |
64 |
82 |
MADRID |
Spain |
97 |
83 |
PORT OF SPAIN |
Trinidad & Tobago |
71 |
84 |
LUXEMBOURG |
Luxembourg |
99 |
85 |
ABUJA |
Nigeria |
58 |
86 |
SAO PAULO |
Brazil |
61 |
87 |
PERTH |
Australia |
106 |
88 |
CONAKRY |
Guinea |
81 |
89 |
AUCKLAND |
New Zealand |
116 |
90 |
DETROIT |
United States |
79 |
91 |
BARCELONA |
Spain |
82 |
92 |
DUSSELDORF |
Germany |
114 |
93 |
PANAMA CITY |
Panama |
122 |
94 |
ST. LOUIS |
United States |
93 |
95 |
LISBON |
Portugal |
77 |
96 |
CANBERRA |
Australia |
83 |
97 |
PRAGUE |
Czech Republic |
123 |
97 |
NAIROBI |
Kenya |
125 |
97 |
PITTSBURGH |
United States |
88 |
100 |
HAMBURG |
Germany |
117 |
100 |
JEDDAH |
Saudi Arabia |
106 |
102 |
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN |
Brunei |
84 |
103 |
BRISBANE |
Australia |
117 |
103 |
MUSCAT |
Oman |
117 |
105 |
JAKARTA |
Indonesia |
125 |
106 |
CLEVELAND |
United States |
130 |
107 |
PORTLAND |
United States |
142 |
108 |
PHNOM PENH |
Cambodia |
87 |
109 |
ADELAIDE |
Australia |
138 |
109 |
MANILA |
Philippines |
92 |
111 |
RIGA |
Latvia |
109 |
112 |
VANCOUVER |
Canada |
137 |
112 |
HANOI |
Vietnam |
101 |
114 |
WELLINGTON |
New Zealand |
109 |
115 |
TORONTO |
Canada |
115 |
115 |
DOHA |
Qatar |
91 |
117 |
YANGON |
Myanmar |
103 |
118 |
NEW DELHI |
India |
121 |
119 |
KUWAIT CITY |
Kuwait |
124 |
120 |
HO CHI MINH CITY |
Vietnam |
99 |
121 |
RIO DE JANEIRO |
Brazil |
132 |
121 |
LIMA |
Peru |
105 |
123 |
LYON |
France |
120 |
124 |
BAMAKO |
Mali |
104 |
125 |
POINTE A PITRE |
Guadeloupe |
108 |
126 |
STUTTGART |
Germany |
89 |
127 |
STOCKHOLM |
Sweden |
111 |
128 |
COTONOU |
Benin |
112 |
128 |
ATHENS |
Greece |
128 |
128 |
CASABLANCA |
Morocco |
113 |
131 |
BRATISLAVA |
Slovakia |
141 |
131 |
SAN JOSE |
Costa Rica |
76 |
133 |
BUENOS AIRES |
Argentina |
165 |
133 |
HAVANA |
Cuba |
128 |
135 |
BIRMINGHAM |
United Kingdom |
130 |
136 |
GUATEMALA CITY |
Guatemala |
134 |
137 |
ABERDEEN |
United Kingdom |
161 |
138 |
WINSTON SALEM |
United States |
147 |
139 |
MONTREAL |
Canada |
140 |
140 |
TALLINN |
Estonia |
145 |
141 |
KUALA LUMPUR |
Malaysia |
132 |
142 |
LJUBLJANA |
Slovenia |
138 |
143 |
ZAGREB |
Croatia |
157 |
144 |
MEXICO CITY |
Mexico |
134 |
145 |
LOME |
Togo |
134 |
145 |
OUAGADOUGOU |
Burkina Faso |
148 |
145 |
GLASGOW |
United Kingdom |
156 |
148 |
QUITO |
Ecuador |
143 |
149 |
NIAMEY |
Niger |
173 |
150 |
KIEV |
Ukraine |
145 |
151 |
NUREMBERG |
Germany |
148 |
152 |
VILNIUS |
Lithuania |
154 |
153 |
CALGARY |
Canada |
144 |
154 |
CHENNAI |
India |
163 |
154 |
ISTANBUL |
Turkey |
150 |
156 |
LEIPZIG |
Germany |
164 |
157 |
KINGSTON |
Jamaica |
152 |
158 |
BELFAST |
United Kingdom |
179 |
159 |
MAPUTO |
Mozambique |
165 |
160 |
RABAT |
Morocco |
153 |
161 |
LIMASSOL |
Cyprus |
160 |
161 |
OTTAWA |
Canada |
161 |
161 |
PORT LOUIS |
Mauritius |
151 |
164 |
BUDAPEST |
Hungary |
125 |
165 |
PORT AU PRINCE |
Haiti |
172 |
166 |
TIRANA |
Albania |
174 |
166 |
SAN SALVADOR |
El Salvador |
188 |
166 |
CAIRO |
Egypt |
178 |
169 |
SANTO DOMINGO |
Dominican Republic |
168 |
170 |
BOGOTA |
Colombia |
180 |
171 |
DAR ES SALAAM |
Tanzania |
183 |
171 |
ADDIS ABABA |
Ethiopia |
154 |
173 |
WARSAW |
Poland |
158 |
174 |
BRASILIA |
Brazil |
169 |
175 |
KIGALI |
Rwanda |
176 |
176 |
BUCHAREST |
Romania |
175 |
177 |
SOFIA |
Bulgaria |
186 |
178 |
BAKU |
Azerbaijan |
170 |
179 |
BENGALURU |
India |
170 |
180 |
CAPE TOWN |
South Africa |
181 |
181 |
BELGRADE |
Serbia |
158 |
182 |
COLOMBO |
Sri Lanka |
192 |
183 |
KAMPALA |
Uganda |
195 |
184 |
ALGIERS |
Algeria |
177 |
185 |
JOHANNESBURG |
South Africa |
183 |
186 |
ASUNCION |
Paraguay |
193 |
187 |
MONTERREY |
Mexico |
165 |
188 |
HARARE |
Zimbabwe |
182 |
189 |
KOLKATA |
India |
189 |
189 |
GABORONE |
Botswana |
187 |
191 |
ALMATY |
Kazakhstan |
194 |
192 |
NOUAKCHOTT |
Mauritania |
204 |
193 |
BLANTYRE |
Malawi |
191 |
194 |
SARAJEVO |
Bosnia and Herzegovina |
199 |
195 |
LA PAZ |
Bolivia |
185 |
196 |
LUSAKA |
Zambia |
198 |
197 |
YEREVAN |
Armenia |
202 |
198 |
MINSK |
Belarus |
201 |
199 |
TEGUCIGALPA |
Honduras |
200 |
200 |
MANAGUA |
Nicaragua |
197 |
201 |
SKOPJE |
Macedonia |
203 |
202 |
TBILISI |
Georgia |
190 |
203 |
ISLAMABAD |
Pakistan |
196 |
204 |
WINDHOEK |
Namibia |
206 |
204 |
BANJUL |
Gambia |
207 |
206 |
BISHKEK |
Kyrgyzstan |
205 |
207 |
KARACHI |
Pakistan |
209 |
208 |
TASHKENT |
Uzbekistan |
208 |
209 |
TUNIS |
Tunisia |
Source: Mercer’s 2019 Cost of Living Survey
Africa
