The Angolan capital of Luanda remained the world's most expensive city for expatriates for the second year running, the Mercer's 2011 Cost of Living Survey found Monday, according to dpa. The least expensive city is Karachi, Pakistan, where it would cost a foreigner three times less than living in Luanda. Tokyo, N'Djamena, capital of Chad, Moscow and Geneva together with Luanda are the world's five most expensive to live in the last two years, the survey showed. The survey, which covered 214 cities worldwide, measured the comparative cost of more than 200 items in each location, including housing, transportation, food, clothing, household goods and entertainment. Currency fluctuations affect the cost of living. The survey said that the US dollar has weakened significantly against other currencies, resulting in Americans working abroad having to pay more. The survey, which claims to be the most comprehensive of its kind, is used by multinational corporations and governments to determine cost of living and compensation for their employees. The most expensive cities in the Americas are: Sao Paolo, followed by Rio de Janeiro, New York, Brasilia and Caracas. Asia-Pacific: Tokyo, followed by Osaka, Singapore, Hong Kong, Nagoya. Europe: Moscow, Geneva, Zurich, Oslo and Bern. Middle East and Africa: Luanda, N'Djamena, Libreville (Gabon), Niamey (Niger) and Victoria (Seychelles). The cheap US dollar is a boon for tourists and foreigners working in New York, the survey showed. New York ranked 32nd in the list of 50 most expensive cities. After Geneva, other European cities on the list are Oslo (15), Bern (16), Copenhagen (17), London (18), Milan (25), Paris (27), Rome (34), Vienna (36), Stockholm (39), Helsinki (42) and Amsterdam (50). Beijing is ranked 20th and Shanghai 21st. Others are Sydney (14), Melbourne (21) and Perth (30). Khartoum (44) is more expensive than Adelaide (46) and Prague (47).
