The Fifteen Most Expensive Cities on the Planet3

By B.Z., Apr 30, 2010 in Pop Culture, Saving Rent

The Fifteen Most Expensive Cities on the Planet

Our world is a vast, wondrous and exciting place! Unfortunately, experiencing the coolest places on earth can be a little, er, hard on the pocketbook. Just ask Mike from the KoldCast TV series Saving Rent. He bought a house in Los Angeles right before the market crash and then he lost his job. To make ends meet, Mike and his girlfriend rented all his extra rooms to four complete strangers. Los Angeles may not be on the top 15 list of most expensive places to live but most Angelenos would agree it ain’t cheap – but hey, you gotta have a dream! So let’s explore the priciest places to live on the planet and be thankful we don’t live there. (And if you do, I have a room to rent with free HBO… call me.)

1. London, England

Everyone knows London is bloody dear (brit speak for really expensive), but enough to break the bank? Believe it! An influx of billionaires and all things high society have made this European mainstay one of the most expensive cities in the world, hands down. In a city where a permanent parking spot can cost 200,000 pounds, London is the place to be if you’re oozing extra cash or you need your third summer home.

2. Seoul, Korea

Tough luck, Tokyo. Seoul Korea just beat you out as the most expensive city in Asia, and one of the most expensive cities on the planet! This is due to the fast growing population of upper class Koreans determined to live the high life. Some of the landmarks of this newly effete city include breathtaking skyscrapers and a newspaper that costs over two bucks.

3. Tokyo, Japan

Okay, Tokyo, we know you aren’t as expensive as Seoul, but dang, you’re still up there. As the second most expensive city in Asia and still holding strong as one of the most expensive cities in the world, Tokyo can pack a monetary punch. Sure, the cost of living in Tokyo has gone down making it less expensive than Seoul, but it still holds the crown as one of the primo shopping and design capitals of the planet.

4. Geneva, Switzerland


Although Switzerland proper isn’t super expensive, its wealthy Parisian tourists make Geneva one of the most expensive cities in the world. Paris natives like to get away to this high-altitude town and party hard when they’re not making their millions back in France. Geneva is also home to the International Committee of the Red Cross and lots of United Nations departments. So it’s a place the frenchies vacation and also a place for fancy foreign dignitaries to spend their money when they aren’t changing the world!

5. New York, USA

New York is definitely expensive. It’s the most expensive city in the U.S. and in the top fifteen of the most expensive places to live! Why New York? When assessed, it has CATASTROPHIC housing costs (nearly double the next most expensive U.S. city, Los Angeles), and the cost of living in such a high population density definitely places it among these Asian and European moneyeaters.

6. Zurich, Switzerland

Zurich is to Switzerland like New York is to the United States: the commercial capital of Switzerland though not the political capital Not to mention, Zurich boasts home to some of the top universities, banks and huge corporations – which bring both revenue and unprecedented diversity to the city. Some examples of this are Credit Suisse, Microsoft, IBM and Zurich Financial Services.

7. Copenhagen, Denmark

Like both Oslo and Helsinki, Copenhagen is another Northern European political capital city that is the dominant city in their country both economically and culturally. Copenhagen boasts homes to lots of businesses and international companies, but it is also one of the fastest growing cities within one of the fastest growing countries. And as we know, when rich people want to live in a city, the cost goes up, up, up!

8. Taipei, Taiwan


Taiwan is a small nation, and Taipei even smaller! Taiwan, for being so small and with a low Gross Domestic Product of a staggering 29,000 dollars, is surprisingly expensive for the inhabitants of Taipei. A drink can cost a person upwards of eight dollars and gas prices are almost three dollars a gallon! Though it doesn’t sound like a lot, these prices hold their own with big cities like New York and Los Angeles… but it’s Taiwan!

9. Osaka-Kobe, Japan

These sister cities are economic powerhouses – boasting homes to high-powered electronics companies such as Mitsubishi, Sanyo, Sharp and Panasonic. This is where Osaka and Kobe get their bread and butter… and lobster! Both of these cities have an extremely high population density, which also leads to expensive housing and other costs. Both cities also have packed populations in an excess of 1 million! A model for success, Osaka and Kobe have shown that smaller cities in Asia are just as intimidating and hard on the bank account as the bigger fish in the Asian waters!

10. Singapore

Singapore is its own city and country and packs it in both in terms of population density and high cost of living. Singapore is located on a small island, which lies in one of the busiest waterways in the world. This waterway connects east Asia with south Asia, Africa and Europe. The city first started to grow to prominence under European rule because of its high strategic importance, and the city has continued to grow in stature since independence, maintaining crucial alliances and commerce routes. Smart move, Singapore. You got yourself a prestigious (and pricey!) place in the world’s list of the most expensive cities to live in!

11. Oslo, Norway

Oslo is Norway’s biggest city, both economically and by population. It’s also located within one of most developed countries in the world. Oslo gets its economic gravitas from things like large offshore oil and gas reserves, maritime engineering, insurance and tourism. This Norwegian gem has some of the highest average wages than any city in the world, which is fortunate because most of the goods are important (which means pricey!). Therefore, Oslo has high taxes and a super high cost of living.

12. Paris, France


Ah, Paris, the capital city of love. And let me tell you, that love don’t come cheap. Paris is famous for its tourism; and though it is smaller than many of the cities on the list, it has a high population density and a very high cost of living. Enter tourists with considerable money to spend and you have one expensive place for wine and baguettes! So, go there for love, go there for culture, but bring those travellers cheques!

13. Helsinki, Finland

This city might fly under the radar with its Asiatic-sounding name and frigid Finland locale, but don’t get it twisted: it’s the capital of the Finnish financial system and boasts very high tax rates. Helsinki started cornering the market on shipbuilding but moved into the technology sector and became fabulously successful in newer communication technologies. Don’t believe me? Does Nokia sound familiar? Yeah, it’s based in Helsinki.

14. Frankfurt, Germany


When Germany was divided, Frankfurt was located in west Germany. Frankfurt was isolated and became Germany’s economic powerhouse. After the Berlin Wall fell, Frankfurt retained this position, making it presently the largest financial center of mainland Europe! And that’s not just a fancy schmancy title – both the European and German central banks are located here as well as the Frankfurt stock exchange, one of the biggest in the world. Germany: it’s not just lederhosen and schnitzel. It’s cash money!

15. Moscow, Russia

Moscow’s come a long way since its communist days. It is now, hands down, the most expensive city to live in on the planet. And you know it’s true when a single cup of coffee costs an average of over five bucks! Dang! Rent, too, can cost an average of 2,500 dollars/month! But if you’re a city bursting at the seams with oil money and gentrified royalty, I guess you can do that. So if you wanna move to Moscow, buy some lottery tickets and a fur hat, and hope for the best.

Feeling the need to save up and get away? Trying taking in some roommates like in Saving Rent.

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Rebecca Leib received her BFA in Fine Art and MFA in writing and hails from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. She is a Los Angeles based comedian and writer. Her work can be seen in the pages of many print and online publications, including Beautiful/Decay, Artillery Magazine, Blackbook, Tvgasm, Metrowize and Dailyfill. She has performed at the Second City Studio Theatre, UCB-LA, IOWest and the improv, and can often be seen brooding at sidewalk cafes.