Tokyo most expensive city for expats, Bangkok cheap
Tokyo is the world's most expensive city for expatriates and Karachi the cheapest, according to Mercer's 2012 Worldwide Cost of Living Survey. Expats pay the most for living in the Japanese capital. Luanda in Angola is second.
Virtually all European cities drop down the list. Moscow is the most expensive European city, in 4th place, followed by Geneva and Zurich (5th and 6th).
bangkok at 81
De Thai capital Bangkok (81) still appears to be attractive to expats, especially when compared to other Asian cities.
Tokyo is the most expensive city worldwide and in Asia. Osaka is number 3, followed by Singapore (6) and Hong Kong (9). Furthermore, in Nagoya in Japan (10), Shanghai (16), Beijing (17) and Seoul (22), the cost of living is relatively high.
Jakarta in Indonesia is slightly more expensive than Bangkok. Expats who want to live even cheaper have to move to India, New Delhi (113) and Mumbai (114) these places have fallen sharply. Kuala Lumpur (102), Hanoi (136) and Karachi (214) are possible options for Asian expats looking for really cheap.
Mercer's research spans 214 cities across five continents. The relative costs of more than 200 indicators have been measured. These are housing, transport, food and drink, clothing, household items and entertainment. The cost of accommodation is often the largest cost item for expats and therefore plays an important role in determining the ranking. Mercer's study of the cost of living for expatriates ranks as the world's most comprehensive study on the subject.
More information about the study: Worldwide Cost of Living Survey 2012
Source: Mercer
It seems more like a time residence of the retired and wealthy to seek out the city, where the cheapest life is. The average employee is usually bound to less pleasant cities due to finances and job. Given the speed with which benefits and social benefits are being cut off in the Netherlands, I think that the number of retired Dutch people in Thailand will decrease in the coming decades. Which of the current generation of workers, with a few exceptions, can take early retirement or have a second home? For most workers, it's working until 67 and beyond, and it's hard enough to pay the rent at the end of the month, let alone a second home. I think it would be nice if you, as a pensioner, can hop from city to city.