SG world's most expensive city for expats for the 4th year

• QX179R

  21 Mar 17, 20:50

  Singapore world's most expensive city for expats for 4th year running: Survey

  SINGAPORE: For the fourth consecutive year, Singapore has been ranked the world's most expensive city for expatriates to live in, in a survey by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU).

  
  

  The Worldwide Cost of Living 2017 report listed five Asian cities in its top six, including Hong Kong, Tokyo, Osaka and Seoul. The exception was Switzerland's Zurich, which was ranked third.

  
  

  Geneva, Paris, New York and Copenhagen completed the top ten.

  
  

  The report is meant to help companies calculate relocation costs for expatriate staff, and compares more than 400 individual prices across 160 products and services.

  
  

  These include food, drink, clothing, household supplies and personal care items, home rents, transport, utility bills, private schools, domestic help and recreational costs.

  
  

  The 2017 survey found that Singapore is still the most expensive city to buy and maintain a car, and the second-priciest destination to buy clothes.

  
  

  In terms of food and drink, the cost of living in Singapore is on a par with Shanghai, while Seoul, Tokyo and Osaka are the three most expensive places in the world to buy staple goods, the EIU said, adding that in Seoul, topping up a grocery basket is almost 50 per cent more expensive than in New York.

  
  

  The South Korean capital, which was ranked as low as 50th just seven years ago, now occupies sixth place, the report noted.

  
  

  - CNA/am
• FireIce

  21 Mar 17, 23:10

  without a doubt

   

  but still many asspats here

   

   

  asspats tt dun respect this country

• SOI

  9 Apr 17, 18:25

  they should shop at Sheng Shiong and NTUC, not Cold Storage and other high end butcheries and grocers.

  they should eat out more at hawker food centers and food courts and less at high end restaurants.

  On the whole, Singapore is still affordable if one lives within his/her means.

  On the otherhand, manufacturers, distributors and retailers are getting more greedy to  maintain or increase their bottomline by jacking up prices with some went a step further to compromise on their product's content and quality.  Govt agencies should do more.

• FireIce

  9 Apr 17, 20:16

  who is this "they"?

• SOI

  14 Apr 17, 03:09

  The Expats of course.

  It will be cause for concerns, if the working class citizens complain about expensive in cost of living but then again, can't expect to maintain a lifestyle one cannot upkeep, but to adjust to live within one's means.

  Same time, run away price hikes are taking a toll on the lower income group and retirees. The relevant government agencies can do more to curb escalating prices of  especially the staples, for a start. This current supply and demand only benefits the former. Consumers are always at their mercy.

• Ronda-shupe

  14 Apr 17, 03:31

  Rich expacts and poor expcts are 2 differnet things)

• MeowMeowMeowX2

  18 Apr 17, 13:14

  Rich get richer, and poor get poorer

• lucusking

  18 Apr 17, 14:07

  who is this "they"?