2018全球生活成本调查（英文版）_12页_689kb

Worldwide Cost of Living 2018 Summary

Core Content

The Worldwide Cost of Living 2018 report by The Economist Intelligence Unit provides an analysis of the cost of living across 133 cities globally. It highlights the impact of currency fluctuations, inflation, and economic conditions on living costs.

Main Points

Top 10 Most Expensive Cities

• Singapore remains the most expensive city for the fifth consecutive year with an index of 116.
• Paris (France) and Zurich (Switzerland) share the second position.
• Hong Kong, Oslo (Norway), Geneva (Switzerland), Seoul (South Korea), and Sydney (Australia) are in the top ten.
• The top ten is split between Asia and Europe, with Tel Aviv (Israel) as the sole Middle Eastern representative.
• Tokyo and Osaka have dropped out of the top ten due to low inflation.

Cost of Living Trends

• The global cost of living index has increased slightly to 74% compared to New York, up from 73% last year, but still lower than 85.5% from five years ago.
• New York has moved down to 13th due to a weaker US dollar.
• Asia dominates the top four positions in the most expensive cities, while Western Europe accounts for half of the top ten.
• Transport, personal care, and recreation are the most expensive categories in European cities.
• Seoul is the most expensive place for staple goods, with a grocery basket 50% more expensive than in New York.

Cheapest Cities

• Damascus (Syria) is now the cheapest city, falling 14 places due to hyperinflation and currency devaluation.
• Caracas (Venezuela) is second, falling 13 places.
• Almaty (Kazakhstan), Lagos (Nigeria), Bangalore (India), Karachi (Pakistan), Algiers (Algeria), Chennai (India), Bucharest (Romania), and New Delhi (India) are among the ten cheapest cities.
• The cheapest cities are often less liveable due to economic and political instability.

Currency Fluctuations

• Currency movements significantly influence cost-of-living rankings.
• Tashkent (Uzbekistan) dropped 35 places due to a 50% depreciation of the som.
• Mexico City rose 23 places due to a stronger peso, driven by copper price increases.
• Moscow and St Petersburg also saw significant upward movements due to a stronger rouble.

Regional Analysis

• Asia is the largest contributor to the top ten expensive cities.
• Europe has seen a resurgence with three of the five most expensive cities.
• North American cities (except for New York and Los Angeles) have fallen out of the top ten.
• Latin American cities have experienced mixed movements, while Chinese and Australian cities have seen varying trends due to exchange rate volatility.

Key Information

• Singapore is the most expensive city, but offers value in categories like personal care and household goods.
• Tel Aviv has seen a sharp rise in cost due to car ownership costs and alcohol prices.
• New York has moved down in the ranking due to currency weakness, but still ranks 13th.
• Damascus and Caracas are the cheapest cities, but inflation and instability make them less attractive for living.
• The report includes price comparisons across various categories such as bread, wine, cigarettes, and petrol.
• Currency devaluation and economic shocks can drastically change a city’s ranking in a short period.
• The cost of living index is based on weighted average prices across 160 products and services, using New York as the base city.

Methodology

• The survey is conducted biannually and includes over 50,000 prices across 160 products and services.
• Prices are collected from supermarkets, mid-priced stores, and specialty outlets.
• Data is converted to US dollars using current exchange rates and weighted to produce comparative indices.
• The report is updated every six months and has been ongoing for over 30 years.

Additional Tools

• CityData provides detailed historical price data from 1990 to the present.
• Market Explorer is an online tool that allows users to compare and forecast market potential in over 200 cities.
• It uses 1,600 data points per city and includes economic and demographic forecasts.
• Users can customize rankings by incorporating external indicators and risk assessments.

Conclusion

The report emphasizes that cost of living is dynamic and influenced by economic, political, and currency factors. While Singapore and Western European cities remain expensive, Asian and Middle Eastern cities have also seen notable shifts. Cheapest cities often come with high risks due to instability and inflation. The data provides valuable insights for expatriates, businesses, and policymakers to understand and manage living costs globally.