Beauty and stress: The most expensive cities in the world will shock you with food and housing prices

1. Singapore

This city has a fascinating history, beautiful houses and exotic cuisine. Singapore is sometimes said to be the cleanest city in the world, because there are a number of restrictions and prohibitions - you can't spit on the ground, you have to flush in public toilets, and until recently the sale of chewing gum was banned. You either love or hate living in this city.

Open in gallery (7)

2. Hong Kong (China)

For several weeks, the city has been shaken up by large demonstrations that have made tourists, locals and financial markets suffer. But life in Hong Kong is normally fascinating, dynamic and unique in that it combines Chinese and Western culture. For housing here you pay really exorbitant amounts, many local people can not afford their own apartment.

Open in gallery (7)

Dům na prodej 7kk - Praha 6, 232m2, Praha 6

Show property

3. Zurich (Switzerland)

Switzerland's largest city will not impress with its history, picturesque architecture or romance. But it is one of the cities with the best quality of life, according to various surveys. The city is relatively quiet, few cars and trains run with the legendary Swiss precision. But at the same time, be prepared that for anything, from food to service, you pay a lot.

Open in gallery (7)

4. New York City (USA)

On the one hand, the magnificent Central Park in the middle of Manhattan, the luxury of Fifth Avenue, the amazing Times Square and the total cosmopolitan atmosphere, on the other hand a lot of lost existence, homelessness, dirt and noise. New York is full of contradictions, amazing and ambitious people, new trends and an endless “wow”. People who move there are usually enthusiastic, but often after a few years like to return home or where there is more peace.

Open in gallery (7)

5. Paris

The Eiffel Tower, the Louvre Museum, a fabulous croissant or a crispy baguette, as well as typical French elegance and fashion. But also quite a lot of dirt in the streets, crowded subway, problems with housing and expensive services. Life in Paris is beautiful, but also expensive and demanding.

Open in gallery (7)

6. Seoul

The capital of South Korea has over 10 million inhabitants, is lively, modern and full of technology. You will be attracted by the futuristic buildings, great food, but also the beautiful nature around the city. Life as such is not financially demanding, it can be compared with the usual capital cities in Europe. However, extreme costs have to be taken into account when renting housing, as it usually consists of a very high deposit, usually 40 to 90 percent of the value of the apartment. So if the apartment is worth 2 million crowns, it is necessary to deposit at least a million crowns.

Open in gallery (7)

Other expensive cities certainly include Copenhagen (Denmark), Geneva (Switzerland), Tokyo (Japan) or Tel Aviv (Israel). Many expensive cities are also located in Asia, for example the most populous Shanghai (China).

Open in gallery (7)

The prices are converted according to the current CNB exchange rate and are based on the Economist Intelligence Unit, Expatistan, Mercer Cost of Living Ranking and Bloomberg analyses. The rental prices show a standard apartment of 85 square meters in the average residential area of the city.