Step aside Tokyo.
Singapore has dethroned the Japanese capital to become the world's most expensive city in 2014, according to the Economist Intelligence Unit's latest Worldwide Cost of Living survey.
The bi-annual report,
which ranks 131 global cities, credits currency appreciation, solid
price inflation and high costs of living for Singapore's dubious new
distinction.
"Car costs have very high
related certificate of entitlement fees attached to them, which makes
Singapore significantly more expensive than any other location when it
comes to running a car," says the report.
"As a result, transport
costs in Singapore are almost three times higher than in New York. In
addition, as a city-state with very few natural resources to speak of,
Singapore is reliant on other countries for energy and water supplies,
making it the third most expensive destination for utility costs."
Singapore is also the priciest place in the world to buy clothes.
Last year's title holder Tokyo, dropped from the top spot to sixth -- tied with Melbourne, Geneva and
Caracas.
Tokyo's decline is due to the weaker yen, says the EIU.
World's 10 most expensive cities to live in 2014
1. Singapore
2. Paris
3. Oslo, Norway
4. Zurich, Switzerland
5. Sydney
6. Caracas, Venezuela
6. Geneva, Switzerland
6. Melbourne
6. Tokyo
7. Copenhagen, Denmark
Asia also has the world's cheapest city on the list.
Down at the other end of the 131-city survey, the EIU lists Mumbai as
the world's least expensive city to live in. The Indian capital, New
Delhi, is third cheapest.
"Although India has been
tipped for future growth, much of this is driven by its large
population and the untapped potential within the economy," says the EIU.
"Income inequality means
that low wages proliferate, driving down household spending and
creating many tiers of pricing that keep per capita spending low.
"This, combined with a
cheap and plentiful supply of goods into cities, as well as government
subsidies on some products, has kept prices down, especially by Western
standards."
World's 10 least expensive cities to live in 2014
122. Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
123. Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
124. Panama City, Panama
124. Bucharest, Romania
126. Algiers, Algeria
127. Damascus, Syria
127. Kathmandu, Nepal
129. New Delhi
130. Karachi, Pakistan
131. Mumbai, India
The Worldwide Cost of Living survey is released twice a year by the EIU.
It compares more than
400 individual prices across 160 products and services in 131 cities,
including food, drink, clothing, household supplies and personal care
items, home rents, transport, utility bills, private schools, domestic
help and recreational costs.
In total, more than 50,000 individual prices are collected in each survey.
"The cost-of-living
index uses an identical set of weights that is internationally based and
not geared toward the spending pattern of any specific nationality,"
says the EIU. "Items are individually weighted across a range of
categories and a comparative index is produced using the relative
difference by weighted item."
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