The world is full of great cities to live in. But in some, the standard of living is much more demanding than in others. What are the most expensive cities to live in? It is a question that can have a simple answer. We would think cities like New York, Paris or Hong Kong as some of the answers.
The truth is that these three great cities are among them, but they are not the most expensive in the world to live. Following a survey by the famous consultancy, Mercer, which has taken into account the cost of living in each city when we want to start a new life, has determined that, surprisingly, the capital of Turkmenistan, Ashgabat, is the most expensive city in the world. world to live.
To prepare this report, factors such as the price of housing, the price of food and average purchases, or the average price of transport have been taken into account. The consultancy evaluated 200 goods and services from each country to help companies and governments determine how much they should pay expatriate employees.
What does Ashgabat have to be the first?
Ashgabat is the capital of Turkmenistan, and is located in an oasis in the Karakum desert, very close to the border with Iran. The city developed from a village built in 1881 and was owned by Russia several times.
In 1991, Turkmenistan proclaimed its independence and Ashgabat became the country’s capital.
But how does a city of just over 1 million inhabitants become the most expensive in the world to live in? The truth is that it is an atypical case. Ashgabat’s economic troubles in recent years have caused high local inflation to skyrocket.
The country relies on natural gas exports to Russia, and the low price of this resource has made the city’s population poorer. In 2014, energy prices fell sharply, which drove inflation up and with it a rise in food prices.
With the pandemic, this situation has worsened, and right now the citizens of Ashgabat are living a delicate moment since they do not have resources and the prices are really high for their standard of living.
Other expensive cities
The list becomes more common in the following posts. Beirut has seen a rise this year and has become the third most expensive city in the world to live in, after ranking 45th in 2020.
Swiss cities such as Zurich or Geneva, and Asian cities such as Shanghai, Beijing, Hong Kong or Tokyo appear among the top positions.
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