Mercer's 2008 Cost of Living survey highlights

- Moscow is still the most expensive city for expatriates; Asunción in Paraguay is the cheapest
- European and Asian cities dominate the top 10
- Weakening of US dollar causes significant changes in rankings

Mercer's 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. It is the world's most comprehensive cost of living survey and is used to help multinational companies and governments determine compensation allowances for their expatriate employees.

Top 5 cities - Asia Pacific
Tokyo, Japan (2nd)
Seoul, South Korea (5th)
Hong Kong, China (6th)
Osaka, Japan (11th)
Singapore, Singapore (13th)
The lowest ranking city in Asia was was Karachi, Pakistan (141st)

Top 5 cities - Americas
New York City, US (22nd)
São Paulo, Brazil (25th)
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (31st)
Toronto, Canada (54th)
Los Angeles, US (55th)
The lowest ranking city in the Americas was Asunción, Paraguay (143rd)

Top 5 cities - Europe, Middle East & Africa
Moscow, Russia (1st)
London, UK (3rd)
Oslo, Norway (4th)
Copenhagen, Denmark (7th)
Geneva, Switzerland (8th)
The lowest ranking city from Europe, Middle East & Africa was Johannesburg, South Africa (140th)

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