Why Are Tokyo and Osaka Ranked as the Most Expensive Cities in the World?

  • Thread starter Monique
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In summary: Japan and Zurich have very high living costs because of their high standards of living. Oslo and London are also high on the list, but not as much as Japan and Zurich. Finally, Genève and Kopenhagen are at the bottom of the list, which is unsurprising as they are both very expensive and not as diverse as the other cities.
  • #1
Monique
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1. Tokyo
2. Osaka Kobe
3. Oslo
4. Hongkong
5. Libreville
6. Zurich
7. London
8. Genève
9. Kopenhagen
10. Paris

Ranked according to the expense of living. Japan has the first and second place. Libreville is the capital of the Gabonese Republic in West-Africa.

Amsterdam is no. 20 on the list (the previous year no. 40), it is the 5th most expensive city in Europe.

Source: Economist Intelligence Unit 2003, study of 134 cities
 
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  • #2
I must say, Libreville seems remarkably out of place on that list. Has there been some sort of West African boom that I haven't heard about in the last ... day?

Njorl
 
  • #3
I was surprised not to see any resourt cities, like monte-carlo?
 
  • #4
Monte Carlo is a place for the Tax Dodgers.
 
  • #5
Originally posted by Monique
I was surprised not to see any resourt cities, like monte-carlo?

Resort cities tend to be built in areas where the environment is friendly and there is plenty of cheap service labor around. When they get too expensive, the customers move elsewhere.

OTOH when people go to cities to do buisness, they don't really have any choice to move elsewere. (They can commute.) So when prices rise, people pay.
 
  • #6
And not a single american city on the list. So much for rich americans and their lavish lifestyles.
 
  • #7
Ranked according to the expense of living. Japan has the first and second place. Libreville is the capital of the Gabonese Republic in West-Africa.


And not a single american city on the list. So much for rich americans and their lavish lifestyles.

actually its just showing we don't overcharge living. notice they are ranked according to the expense of living.
 
  • #8
Originally posted by Monique
I was surprised not to see any resourt cities, like monte-carlo?

Monte Carlo is expensive as you make it.

Paris is very expensive in my experience, more so than London. But London isn't cheap either.

Amsterdam made 20? Damn, I'm going over there soon. Only 2 weeks until next payday. :Releived:
 
  • #9
Monique - Have you bought a 'Book of lists' recently?
We've had ten highest paid celebrities, ten richest people, 10 most expensive cities...

Lets leave the money topic behind and have a better one like... 10 stupidest experiments, or 10 worst research projects...
Any suggestions anyone?
 
  • #10
Nowwwh, MSN had a link to a website of a major dutch lottery show, where they have the top 10 of things.. since the show is about money, the top 10s are about money.

For those interested:
http://www.staatsloterij.nl/miljonairs/milj_top10.shtml
you can use altavista babelfish to translate the webpage.

I thought it would be fun to look into these things, not?
 
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  • #11

FAQ: Why Are Tokyo and Osaka Ranked as the Most Expensive Cities in the World?

What are the top 10 most expensive cities in the world?

The top 10 most expensive cities in the world are as follows:

1. Hong Kong

2. Zurich, Switzerland

3. Singapore

4. Tokyo, Japan

5. Osaka, Japan

6. Seoul, South Korea

7. Geneva, Switzerland

8. Paris, France

9. New York City, United States

10. Copenhagen, Denmark

How is the cost of living determined for each city?

The cost of living in a city is determined by several factors, including but not limited to: housing prices, transportation costs, food prices, and utility costs. These factors are then compared to the local currency and converted to a standardized currency, such as US dollars, for comparison.

Why do these cities have such high costs of living?

There are a variety of reasons why these cities have high costs of living, including but not limited to: high demand for housing due to limited space, strong economies and job markets, high taxes and cost of living allowances for expats, and high costs of importing goods due to geographic location.

Is the cost of living the same for all residents in these cities?

No, the cost of living can vary greatly among residents in these cities. Factors such as income, job type, and living arrangements can all affect an individual's cost of living. For example, a person living in a smaller apartment may have a lower cost of living compared to someone living in a larger, more expensive home.

Are these cities consistently ranked as the most expensive?

The rankings of the most expensive cities can change from year to year, as the cost of living is affected by various economic and global factors. However, many of these cities have consistently ranked among the top 10 most expensive cities for several years.

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