Amsterdam more attractive from cost perspective
New research conducted by Mercer Consulting shows Amsterdam has fallen 15 places on the ‘most expensive places to live’ list; making the city increasingly attractive for expats looking to settle down.
Most expensive cities
The top 3 most expensive cities in the world remain the same as last year, according to the latest Cost of Living Survey from Mercer. Luanda in Angola is the world’s most expensive city for expatriates; Tokyo is in second place and the Chadian capital N'Djamena is third. The most expensive European cities are: Moscow (4), Geneva (5) and Zurich (7).
New entries into the top 10 include Singapore (8), up from 11th place and Sao Paulo in Brazil (10) climbed 11 places since last year’s ranking.
Amsterdam appeal
From a cost perspective Amsterdam (50) became a lot more attractive due to the 15 place drop since the 2010 ranking. Amsterdam ranks significantly lower than many other European cities such as London (18), Paris (27), Milan (25) and Copenhagen (17).
However, the competitive cost of living isn’t Amsterdam Metropolitan Area’s only charm. Recent research finds that the quality of life in the area is among the highest in the world. It is no surprise that many expats find it hard to leave once they have come here to work.
Cost of Living survey
The Mercer survey looked at the cost of accommodation, transport, food, clothing and household supplies across 214 cities. New York is used as the base city for the index, and currency movements are measured against the US dollar.
The list is used to help multinational companies and governments determine compensation allowances for their expatriate employees.
Related topics
The 30% ruling via the Expatcenter
Amsterdam increases in popularity amongst business travellers
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