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Gustty/Flickr
What's the average cost of a hamburger in Moscow? $6.70, to be exact. A ticket to a movie in Berlin? $9.80.
Every year, human resources consulting firm Mercer releases its cost-of-living survey to help major corporations set international wages and determine living allowances for their expatriated employees. While the list is essential to the way these companies compensate their staff members, it also provides the public with a statistical snapshot of what it's like to live in a foreign city.
The numbers should surprise you, too. Cities with glitzy reputations like New York and Paris aren't as high up on Mercer's list as cities in third-world countries like Gabon and Angola.
For reference, New York City ranked #33
Flickr/Katie Killary
2011 ranking: #32
Rent of luxury two-bedroom apartment, unfurnished: $4,500
Cup of coffee, including service: $4.40
Fast food hamburger meal: $6.49
Gallon of mid-range gasoline: $4.23
Source: Mercer
#10 Nagoya, Japan
Wikimedia Commons
2011 ranking: # 11
Rent of luxury two-bedroom apartment, unfurnished: $2,551
Cup of coffee, including service: $6.38
Fast food hamburger meal: $8.42
Gallon of mid-range gasoline: $6.81
Source: Mercer
#9 Hong Kong, Hong Kong
WikiMedia Commons
2011 ranking: #9
Rent of luxury two-bedroom apartment, unfurnished: $7,093
Cup of coffee, including service: $6.83
Fast food hamburger meal: $3.54
Gallon of mid-range gasoline: $8.50
Source: Mercer
#8 N’Djamena, Chad
afcone / flickr
2011 ranking: #3
Rent of luxury two-bedroom apartment, unfurnished: N/A (Mercer was unable to compile data)
Cup of coffee, including service: $3.32
Fast food hamburger meal: $25.18
Gallon of mid-range gasoline: $4.65
Source: Mercer
#6 Singapore, Singapore
Flickr/williamcho
2011 ranking: #8
Rent of luxury two-bedroom apartment, unfurnished: $3,587
Cup of coffee, including service: $5.18
Fast food hamburger meal: $5.66
Gallon of mid-range gasoline: $6.77
Source: Mercer
#6 Zurich, Switzerland
sdh_zh via Flickr
2011 ranking: #7
Rent of luxury two-bedroom apartment, unfurnished: $3,614
Cup of coffee, including service: $6.02
Fast food hamburger meal: $12.69
Gallon of mid-range gasoline: $7.50
Source: Mercer
#5 Geneva, Switzerland
Wikimedia Commons
2011 ranking: #5
Rent of luxury two-bedroom apartment, unfurnished: $4,818
Cup of coffee, including service: $6.57
Fast food hamburger meal: $12.59
Gallon of mid-range gasoline: $7.58
Source: Mercer
#4 Moscow, Russia
Wikimedia Commons
2011 ranking: #4
Rent of luxury two-bedroom apartment, unfurnished: $4,200
Cup of coffee, including service: $8.37
Fast food hamburger meal: $6.70
Gallon of mid-range gasoline: $3.73
Source: Mercer
#3 Osaka, Japan
Wikimedia
2011 ranking: #6
Rent of luxury two-bedroom apartment, unfurnished: $3,061
Cup of coffee, including service: $7.02
Fast food hamburger meal: $8.29
Gallon of mid-range gasoline: $6.97
Source: Mercer
#2 Luanda, Angola
Wikimedia Commons
2011 ranking: #1
Rent of luxury two-bedroom apartment, unfurnished: $6,500
Cup of coffee, including service: $3.90
Fast food hamburger meal: $19.94
Gallon of mid-range gasoline: $2.42
Source: Mercer
#1 Tokyo, Japan
Kabacchi via Flickr
2011 ranking: #2
Rent of luxury two-bedroom apartment, unfurnished: $4,848
Cup of coffee, including service: $8.29
Fast food hamburger meal: $8.29
Gallon of mid-range gasoline: $7.46
Source: Mercer
Now take a closer look at one of these pricey places.
chimpanz aPe via Flickr
