The most expensive city in the world: the result is surprising

In this article, we look at the most expensive city in the world. You will be surprised who comes first in this ranking. We use certain criteria as a basis. So much can be said - exuberant luxury is not one of them.

Which criteria are used to rank?

• The basis is the cost of living according to western standards. If you move into the wider world as a specialist, you may have to expect high costs for housing, food, public transport, clothing and leisure activities - and for your safety.
• The British business consultancy Mercer conducts an annual study to determine the most expensive city in the world based on these criteria. The cost of living for employees posted abroad in more than 200 cities is compared.

1st place: The most expensive city in the world is in Africa

• Luanda, the capital of Angola, ranks first among the most expensive cities in the world according to the criteria mentioned.
• Since the end of the civil war in 2002, international groups have increasingly moved to Angola. The reason for this is the oil: Angola is one of the largest oil producers in the world.
• Large corporations send their specialists to the African country - and they understandably want to live in a safe neighborhood. They are willing to pay high prices for this.
• If you want to continue your western standard of living in Luanda as a foreign specialist, you have to dig deep into your pocket. If you like fast food restaurants, pay around 6 euros for a hamburger menu in Germany. In Luanda you have to push a whopping 13 euros over the counter for the same menu.
• For an unfurnished apartment with two bedrooms in a suitable neighborhood, you have to estimate an incredible 6000 euros per month.
• If you get upset in this country when the milk becomes a little more expensive, the local price will quickly put into perspective when you shop in Luanda. There you pay 2.76 euros for a liter.
• If you buy new jeans in the Angolan capital, this will tear a hole of over 200 euros in the household budget. We are not talking about luxury brands, which are also very expensive for us. It is just a normal pair of jeans - without a big brand name.
• Last year Luanda took second place, but swapped positions this year with the previous leader.

2nd place: Hong Kong - referred to second place

• Luanda has slipped to the top of this ranking this year. Before that, Hong Kong took first place.
• The Hong Kong dollar is pegged to the US dollar. The course is quite high. This makes the city particularly expensive for specialists from abroad.
• Since the city does not have much space, but many people want to live there, living space is extremely expensive.

3rd place: Tokyo - the former number 1

• Tokyo also takes a leading position in the ranking due to the strong yen.
• In 2009, the Japanese metropolis was still number 1. Although the cost of living in Luanda was enormous at the time, the Angolan capital fell behind Tokyo in 2009. The local currency weakened, which significantly lowered the prices for the skilled workers posted to Luanda.

How do German cities perform?

• German cities are far behind and dropped by an average of almost 20 places compared to 2016.
• Munich leads the German cities with 98th place in the international ranking.
• Then come Frankfurt with 117th place and Berlin with 120th place.

In the video: Whether living space in this city will be just as expensive?

The G20 summit also dealt with the sometimes difficult situation in African countries. In the next home tip, we will explain what this actually is and what the meeting was about.