[extropy-chat] World's most and least expensive cities

[J. Andrew Rogers]

Mike Linksvayer wrote: 
> My understanding is that "cost of expat life" surveys are really
> "cost of executive life" surveys and are thus pricing high end
> accommodation, dining, and entertainment equivalent to what an exec
> would expect in the US.  In some countries high security costs for
> execs have to be taken into account as well, one explanation I've
> heard for why Russian cities always rank high.


Yeah, that may make more sense.  I believe the apartment rental rate
they used for Beijing was $3700/month, which is substantially more than
the daily rate computed over a month at one of the very nice hotels
downtown.  There are apartment towers that cost that much in Beijing
(I've looked when I was there), but they are pretty posh and exclusive
-- usually marketed to foreign executives.  Arguably not a "typical"
living accommodation for the average person by western standards.

A pity that the tap water isn't potable in a city so theoretically
expensive.

j. andrew rogers