Annual survey claims UAE cost of living has decreased
The survey was conducted in March 2020…
A global ‘cost of living’ survey, which was conducted in March 2020, has announced its findings. Mercer’s annual survey reveals which cities are the most expensive for expatriates to live, ranked from one to 209.
The survey takes into account factors such as ‘currency fluctuations, cost inflation for goods and services, and instability of accommodation prices’, according to its 2020 edition.
It’s worth noting that as this survey was conducted in March, many factors may have changed due to the coronavirus pandemic, but we’ll have to wait until 2021 to see the full effect.
Top of the list for another year running is Hong Kong, making the city the most expensive in the world for expatriates. Hong Kong is closely followed by Ashgabat in Turkmenistan which moved up from ninth place in 2019 to second in 2020.
All the way down in 23rd place is Dubai, which has moved from 21st in 2019, indicating the cost of living has improved slightly. Abu Dhabi is not far behind in 39th place, down from 33rd last year.
Mercer said in its report: “The United Arab Emirates continue to diversify the economy, subsequently reducing the impact of oil industry on GDP. With this ongoing process, there has been negative price movement in both Dubai and Abu Dhabi.”
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At the lower end of the list, you’ll find cities such as Johannesburg in 192nd place, Tbilisi in 203rd and Tunis in the 209th and final place. Another notable cities include New York city in 6th place, London in 19th, Beirut in 45th and Mumbai in 60th.