Living in a big city often comes at a price — literally. The most popular places around the world are coveted for a reason, so living in one will cost you extra. A 2021 cost of living study conducted by Mercer compared the prices of housing, transportation, food, clothing, and more to find the most expensive cities to call home. Learn about all the places that landed on the list (even some you’ve probably never heard of before!) and what makes them so pricey.
Between its expansive bodies of water — like the River Liffey, seen here — and lush green mountains, there’s no doubt Dublin is one of the most picturesque places in Europe. As tech giants like Google and Amazon open up shop here, however, it’s made for extremely high housing prices.
Vienna’s historical buildings serve as the backdrop for Austria’s most populated city. But with so many people comes a competitive housing market. As of 2021, the average home prices in Vienna rose more than 10 percent from the year before.
saint joseph cathedral and the moselle bay
panoramic view of beautiful sunrise at Sydney city skyline
Sydney jumped a shocking 35 spots on the list in one year — it was only #66 in 2020. The reason? A housing shortage and low interest rates. In fact, it takes an average of 8 years to save up enough for a deposit on a home in the area.
downtown bangui cityscape and the oubangui river, central african republic
Have you seen a more futuristic skyline? Saudi Arabia’s capital is booming with jobs, famous shops like the Souq Al Zal market, and business opportunities. As of November 2021, apartment values increased 17 percent from the year prior.
Over the years, home prices in Nanjing have risen by at least 20 percent. Add that to the buzzing nightlife and tourist must-sees, like the Purple Mountain and Confucius Temple, and you’ve got quite the expensive city.
Guangzou’s Canton Fair is the largest and oldest trade fair in China. Not only that, but a whopping 60 percent of the world’s top 500 companies have invested in the mega-city — and 120 have opened headquarters here.
The agriculture in N’Djamena is very important to the city (it exports livestock, salt, grains, fish, and cotton), and it also has oil and gas sectors that attract expat workers. Its high prices, however, stem from transportation costs.
In just one year, Beirut zoomed up 42 spots to being the third most expensive city on the list. Why the sudden change? For awhile now, Beirut has been struggling with an extreme economic crisis. Unfortunately, like many other places around the world, the region was only hit harder due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
