Most Expensive Cities in the World

Post date: 15-Feb-2010 18:51:53

During the planning phase of our 6 month trip around the world we had to make a number of concessions because of cost and time. Given all the time and money in the world, we sure wouldn’t mind traveling from city to city with little concern of the costs, but until we win the lottery this isn’t an option.

We really wanted to get a taste of what it would be like to live in each city that we visited, so we trie

d to spend between one and two weeks in each city. We stayed with different families and friends that we met over the internet which gave us the ability to see what normal people live like and how they spend their week. We often lived a little bit outside of the city center, so we had to take the metro to get in to town. We would spend the day visiting sights and touring around the city – our glorified full time job. Our budget also required us to pick up groceries on the way home most days, rather than eating out all the time. In fact, much of the time we spent in each city was pretty similar to how a local would spend their time going to work and coming home later in the afternoon – with a dash of fun tours and lack of responsibility.

Throughout the trip we invested heavily in what the internet could offer for deals, resources and information. Part way through our trip we came across an article by The Economist stating the Top 10 Most Expensive Cities in the World for 2009. Funny enough, we found that our trip was taking us through many of the cities and our bank account let out a soft whimper.

The complete list of the top 10 Most Expensive Cities in the World 2009

    1. Tokyo - Japan
    2. Osaka - Japan
    3. Paris - France
    4. Copenhagen - Denmark
    5. Oslo - Norway
    6. Zurich - Switzerland
    7. Frankfurt - Germany
    8. Helsinki - Finland
    9. Geneva - Switzerland
    10. Singapore - Singapore

After spending a month in Osaka and Tokyo, I can definitely attest to them being the top two. We found that Japan offers an unparalleled level of customer service and quality, but this comes at a cost. We were able to balance the cost of Japan by staying at a guesthouse in Osaka (¥42,000 or $500CAN) and a student dorm in Tokyo (¥49,000 or $575CAN) for two weeks each. Osaka has the 3 day Kansai Thru Pass for $60 that lets you travel all over the city and even shoot out to neighbouring cities like Kyoto, Kobe and Nara. Tokyo, while expensive, has loads of activities to do that are all inherently free. We saw the Tsukiji Fish Market (largest in the world), Akihabara’s anime and electronic playground, a local weekend market and lots of temples all for only the cost of a transit ticket ($2).

Sushi in Japan is high quality and high priced.

Paris allows you to spend as much or as little as you really wish. We treated ourselves to nice dinners at fancy restaurants, but most of the time we would stop by the bakery on the way home and grab a baguette to go with the wine and cheese we picked up the previous day. A complete homemade supper cost us little more than $15 and we were drinking wine that would cost $30 back home.

French and Italian wine - no matter the price, it tastes great!

Switzerland is one place that we had a lot of difficulty watching out costs. I remember having cappuccinos for upwards of $12, and they weren’t really that good. Zurich is a city of bankers and people with money, so be prepared to have your money leave your pocket faster than you can keep track of it. We did find one guiding light in Geneva that saved us a few bucks. It was a cross between a grocery store and a cafeteria – the food was great and we could both eat for only $20. Still expensive, though.

That's right, $4 for Ricola.

Other cities that we visited include:

    • London, England – Grab some fish and chips for a cheap lunch.
    • Rome, Italy – You can eat some of the best pasta if you just cook it yourself.
    • Munich, Germany – Pubs offer a healthy $20 breakfast for two that I defy anyone to finish.
    • Moscow, Russia – Capitalism brings high prices and the bars are especially expensive.
    • Bangkok, Thailand – Unless you’re eating at a street vendor, you’re getting ripped off.
    • Manila, Philippines – Great sushi at Teriyaki Boy for relatively cheap and super cheap beers at 7/11.

Homemade Greek salad and pasta with a beer in Santorini.

The big lesson we learned is that your costs are highly regulated by your own preferences. You can spend as much as you want and see all of the touristy sights, or you can spend as little as you want and experience what it’s like to live like a local. By forcing ourselves to spend very little money, Serena and I got to experience some things that the average tourist would never see like the CERN Particle Physics facility, hunting geocaches in abandoned farmhouses in Italy, staying at a friend’s house in urban Manila and checking out the local talent at a small venue in London. The touristy sights are great – absolutely amazing in most cases – but don’t pass by the really special people and places you can see by spending nothing at all.

There's a 6 month waiting list to visit CERN.

You say dangerous, I hear adventurous.

Government assisted housing just outside Manila.

Heard about twitgigs on twitter.