The latest Cost of Living survey conducted by Mercer revealed the cities that have been ranked as the most expensive places for foreign workers to live in.

According to the results, cities in Europe and Asia have topped the list as the costliest locations for these expats to stay and work in, although the two highest ranking cities are Luanda in Angola and N'Djamena in Chad.

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Conversely, Pakistan's Karachi was ranked as the least costly city for foreign workers.

As stated by Senior Consultant at Mercer Noel O' Connor, Luanda and N'Djamena are reasonably expensive cities yet require greater costs for expatriates because imported commodities come at a high price.

Moreover, it can be a costly challenge to guarantee secure living accommodations that address foreign workers' standards.

It was also pointed out by O'Connor that certain European cities were ranked higher due to a stronger euro compared to the dollar. Expats have also been increasingly preferring properties for lease.

On the other hand, cities in Canada, Australia, and Japan have been ranked lower which can be attributed to the changes in their currencies against the U.S. dollar.

In the U.S., New York was found to be the highest-ranking city at number 16. Los Angeles went up 10 places to 62 whereas San Francisco soared 18 places to 74.

O'Connor further noted that relative costs can strongly depend on currency volatility, influencing the increase or decrease of foreign assignment costs.

Data obtained through this survey is offered to governments and organizations to be used for determining their employees' purchasing power when assigned abroad.

 The top ten cities that topped the survey are:

1. Luanda, Angola
2. N'Djamena, Chad
3. Hong Kong
4. Singapore
5. Zurich, Switzerland
6. Geneva, Switzerland
7. Tokyo, Japan
8. Bern, Switzerland
9. Moscow, Russia
10. Shanghai, China

TagsMercer, Noel O' Connor, Cost of living, expats, Hong Kong, Top ten cities, expense