Doha, the capital of Qatar, has been ranked as the second most affordable city for expatriate workers in the Gulf region according to the latest 2024 Mercer Annual Cost of Living City Ranking. This ranking, which includes 226 cities worldwide, offers important insights for individuals making decisions about global mobility operations and international assignments. Doha holds the 121st spot on the list, with Muscat being the only city in the region slightly less expensive. Kuwait City follows Doha in third place.
Dubai has climbed the rankings to become the most expensive city in the Middle East, now ranking 15th globally. Abu Dhabi, Riyadh, and Jeddah follow behind. Hong Kong, Singapore, and Zurich are currently the top three costliest cities for international workers. On the contrary, Abuja, Lagos, and Islamabad are the three least expensive cities in the world. The report pointed out that various factors such as inflation, exchange-rate fluctuations, economic and geopolitical volatility, local conflicts, and emergencies are impacting the cost of living in major cities.
European cities prominently appear in the list of the top 10 most expensive places to reside, with London securing the 8th position. In South America, Montevideo is the most costly city for international employees, followed by Buenos Aires and Sao Paulo. In North America, New York City takes the top spot as the most expensive city, followed by Nassau, Los Angeles, Honolulu, and San Francisco. The African cities with the highest placement in the global ranking are Bangui, Djibouti, and N’Djamena.
In Asia, Hong Kong, Singapore, Shanghai, Beijing, and Seoul are among the most expensive cities, while Karachi, Bishkek, and Islamabad are among the least expensive. Sydney tops the list in the Pacific region, followed by Noumea, Melbourne, and Brisbane. The report emphasized that the cost of housing is a major factor in the Cost of Living City Ranking, with significant volatility in housing rental prices observed between cities. Mercer, a business of Marsh McLennan, is the world’s leading professional services firm in risk, strategy, and people.
