The 5 most expensive cities in the world for expats

The riverside city of Basel is one of several Swiss cities that rank among the most expensive municipalities for expats. Basel is the epicenter of the Swiss chemical industry and is home to several major pharmaceutical companies. While the city’s overall ranking remained the same in this year’s survey as it did in 2023, the cost of renting has increased by four percent, according to Mercer’s analysis.

For the second year in a row, Geneva was the fourth most expensive city in Mercer’s rankings. Switzerland’s second-largest city is home to several major international organizations, including the Red Cross, the World Health Organization and the World Trade Organization. The cost of living in the highly international city is on the rise, with rents increasing by four percent between 2023 and 2024.

In addition to being the third most expensive city for expats, Zurich is also the most expensive city in Switzerland. The cost of renting in the most populous Swiss city jumped six percent in just one year, according to Mercer’s analysis. Zurich is the heart of the Swiss financial sector and is home to several major banks, including UBS and Credit Suisse.

The southeast Asian city-state of Singapore was the second-most expensive city for expats for the second year in a row. In the last year, Singapore has seen a slight increase in the cost of basic consumer goods like eggs, olive oil and gasoline. The cost of renting also increased by an average of eight percent, according to Mercer’s analysis.

Hong Kong topped the list of the most expensive cities for expats for the second year in a row. The cost of basic consumer goods jumped dramatically between 2023 and 2024, with the price of eggs rising 13.7%, olive oil rising 25.4%, and gasoline increasing 7.2%. Renting a residence in Hong Kong is also increasingly expensive, with average housing costs going up by eight percent in a year.