These are the world's most expensive cities 2023

These are the world's most expensive cities 2023

On Thursday, The Economist magazine published its ranking of the most expensive cities in the world.

singapore skyline
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Zurich and Singapore are the most expensive cities in the world ahead of New York amid the ever-rising cost of living, according to rankings published on Thursday by The Economist magazine.

The British weekly estimated that prices have increased an average of 7.4% over the past year in 173 major cities, a slight slowdown compared to a record 8.1% inflation in 2022.

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"The cost of living crisis is far from over and price levels remain well above historic trends" said Upasana Dutt, who led the study, which is based on the price of 200 products and services.

"We expect inflation to decelerate further in 2024," she added, due to the effects of interest rate hikes by central banks to fight price increases.

Zurich dethroned New York, which topped the rankings last year alongside Singapore.

Here is the complete top 10 list:

1. Zurich and Singapore (tie)

3. New York and Geneva (tie)

5. Hong Kong 

6. Los Angeles 

7. Paris

8. Tel Aviv and Copenhagen (tie)

10. San Francisco 

Four of the top 10 cities are in Europe, a result of continued high inflation affecting food and clothing, as well as the appreciation of the euro against the dollar.

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The ranking is made in dollars, and converts other currencies to the greenback accordingly, which results to higher prices in the eurozone as the euro strengthens.

The largest drops in rankings were seen by the Russian cities Moscow, listed at 142nd place, and Saint Petersburg at 147, a reflection of the weakening ruble due to hefty sanctions in response its war in Ukraine.

The cheapest city in the world is Damascus, according to the ranking, followed by Tehran.

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Image Credit: iStock

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