The World's Most Expensive Cities 2010

[Hardbopjazz]

I thought New York City was expensive.

If you think $43 is too much to pay for lunch, you shouldn't live in Oslo. According to "ECA International", a global human resources company, that's how much an average lunch costs in Norway's capital. But Oslo is only the second-most expensive city on ECA's ranking of 399 global locations. And while the price of an average lunch in Tokyo is a comparatively modest $17.86, other costs, such as a $22 movie ticket and an $8.47 kilo of rice, earn it the dubious honor as the world's most expensive city...

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[porcy62]

I think that could be interesting if forum member would post the real price for the stuff named in the article.

Food: Lunch at a restaurant

Can of beer from grocer

One kg of rice

One dozen eggs

Entertainment: Movie ticket

Appliances: Washing machine

As the article explains rent, utilities, and school fees aren't included in the survey, that makes it pretty lame IMHO.

Here they are in Rome, EU:

Food: Lunch at a restaurant 25 $

Can of beer from grocer 0,60 $

One kg of rice 3 $

One dozen eggs 3,50 $

Entertainment: Movie ticket 8,66 $

Appliances: Washing machine 430 $

[Big Wheel]

The methodology appears a little silly. All it's really measuring is changes in USD exchange rates - that is, when your currency appreciates against the dollar, things magically get much more expensive for people holding American currency. Not to say that some goods aren't "expensive" in places like Norway, but it helps to have average wages that are well above the US's.

This is obviously of interest to tourists of course, but the intended audience was American businesses who subject themselves to currency risk by doing most of their business in dollars, but then have to pay employees in local currency abroad. Astonishing that Luanda, Angola is that expensive for expats though.

[kinuta]

I thought New York City was expensive.

If you think $43 is too much to pay for lunch, you shouldn't live in Oslo. According to "ECA International", a global human resources company, that's how much an average lunch costs in Norway's capital. But Oslo is only the second-most expensive city on ECA's ranking of 399 global locations. And while the price of an average lunch in Tokyo is a comparatively modest $17.86, other costs, such as a $22 movie ticket and an $8.47 kilo of rice, earn it the dubious honor as the world's most expensive city...

article

Eh?? Are they taking about the same Tokyo that I live in ? Just for the record,lunch ranges from $6.00 to $11.00, a cinema ticket is $16,$14 if bought beforehand from the local convenience store and a kilo of best quality rice costs $5.00 or so.

A can of beer from the grocer 0.80 cents, a dozen eggs $2.20 and a basic washing machine about $450 although you can get them for half that if you look around.

Edited June 27, 2010 by kinuta

[Big Wheel]

I thought New York City was expensive.

If you think $43 is too much to pay for lunch, you shouldn't live in Oslo. According to "ECA International", a global human resources company, that's how much an average lunch costs in Norway's capital. But Oslo is only the second-most expensive city on ECA's ranking of 399 global locations. And while the price of an average lunch in Tokyo is a comparatively modest $17.86, other costs, such as a $22 movie ticket and an $8.47 kilo of rice, earn it the dubious honor as the world's most expensive city...

article

Eh?? Are they taking about the same Tokyo that I live in ? Just for the record,lunch ranges from $6.00 to $11.00, a cinema ticket is $16,$14 if bought beforehand from the local convenience store and a kilo of best quality rice costs $5.00 or so.

A can of beer from the grocer 0.80 cents, a dozen eggs $2.20 and a basic washing machine about $450 although you can get them for half that if you look around.

In a sense, they actually aren't talking about the same Tokyo you live in because they are likely calibrating everything for an expat on an expense account. I mean, there's no way your average Luandan is getting his eggs at $5 a dozen.

[Shrdlu]

By contrast, Gran Canaria was very cheap when I was there in February (apart from permanent accommodation, which I wasn't looking for).

You could get an excellent evening meal for 8 of those euro thingys, a cab ride of about 5 miles was 5, and the buses were only 1.20, as a few examples. I was in a self-catering hotel, and found all the food and drink cheap too, and i noticed that smokes went for 1.75.

Some good news for a change.

[sidewinder]

8 of those euro thingys

'Thingys' being the operative word