Photo: Or Hiltch
It’s a brave new (economic) world out there. Time to reevaluate which cities you can and can’t afford.
A while back, Trips introduced you to 8 Cities That Burn Through Your Money, a list based largely on last year’s Mercer rankings.
Expats in Japan should heed this warning: Get out now!
Guess what? That’s all changed. It’s 2009, baby, and not surprisingly there’ve been quite a few shakeups. The Guardian’s already reported on the revised rankings, which show the effects of a sagging world economy.
Here are the two big stories, summarized for travelers:
Spending a year in London? You win! Your city dropped THIRTEEN slots to wind up in an eyebrow-raising 16th place.
Expats in Japan, on the other hand, should heed this warning: Get out now! Seemingly mistaking these rankings as a competition, the Land of the Rising Sun snagged gold and silver with Tokyo and Osaka topping the list.
Less attention-grabbing developments include Moscow dropping from first to third, Geneva ascending to fourth, and New York clawing its way into the top 10.
If you’re curious about exactly which cities were in the running and what economic factors were considered, a Guardian companion article lays it out:
The survey covers 143 cities across six continents and measures the comparative cost of over 200 items in each location, including housing, transport, food, clothing, household goods and entertainment.
Asunción, no longer at the bottom / Photo: alex-s
And which lucky municipality managed to walk away with the coveted “world’s cheapest city” title? That would be Johannesburg, South Africa, who snatched it from Asunción, Paraguay.
My apologies to anyone who already sent in their Paraguayan permanent residency application. But hey, I hear Johannesburg’s lovely this time of year.
Community Connection
Matador is your source for frugal city travel guides. Even if you live in Johannesburg, you’ll want to check out:
Singapore on a Shoestring Budget
Seattle on the Cheap: 7 Tips to Save Cash in the Emerald City
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8 Comments... join the discussion!
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I was living in Osaka, Japan from 2007 to 2009; at first, the yen ate my dollar but then! At the end of 2008/beginning of 2009, my dollar suddenly jumped … but I waited a tad too long to send my money home for the full benefits of the weakened yen. Nowadays, it’s Ireland that’s burning through my money as I pay through graduate school and, though weaker, the euro is still kicking our tails … looking forward to making some euro of my own so it’s not quite so painful ….
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The thing about Japan is that living cheap is easy and making lots of money is even easier. If you live in the countryside, don’t go out drinking or travel much, and refrain from retail therapy, you can make BANK that goes far in fascinating places like Cambodia where the cost of living is minimal and the quality of life is very high.
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Yeah, I’ll admit, the pull quote was intended more for shock value…
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I was just having the ol “london is so expensive” convo last night, I guess I better check my facts…next time. Great post Hal.
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That’s great about London…but I’m sad about NYC.
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living in Japan has never been better, shit i can send home £1,700 every month now that the yen is so strong and the pound weak. long may it continue!
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I’d still be willing to try Asuncion.
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