And it isn’t just London as far as the UK is concerned – Aberdeen, Glasgow, Belfast and Birmingham have all shot up the list.
What’s behind it? The strengthening of the pound against the dollar and the UK’s soaring housing market.
London now ranks as the 12th most expensive city in the world for expats to live in, having risen 13 places from 25th in 2013.
Fed up? Spare a thought for expats in Luanda in Angola – it’s the world’s most expensive city for the second year in a row.
Mercer’s 2014 Cost of Living Survey compares the cost of housing, transport, food, clothing, household goods and entertainment around the world and currency movements are measured against the US dollar (here’s a link to it if you want to read the whole thing).
The Top 20, 2014:
1. Luanda (Angola)
2. N’Djamena (Chad)
3. Hong Kong (Hong Kong)
4. Singapore (Singapore)
5. Zurich (Switzerland)
6. Geneva (Switzerland)
7. Tokyo (Japan)
8. Bern (Switzerland)
9. Moscow (Russia)
10. Shanghai (China)
11. Beijing (China)
12. London (United Kingdom)
13. Victoria (Seychelles)
14. Seoul (South Korea)
15. Copenhagen (Denmark)
16. New York (United States)
17. Shenzhen (China)
18. Tel Aviv (Israel)
19. Libreville (Gabon)
20. Kinshasa (DRC)
