The most expensive cities in the world 2021

The Mercer Cost of Living Survey 2021 has named a somewhat surprising city as number one

Sarah Medina

Sarah Medina is a travel editor at Time Out in charge of the Americas.

Sarah Medina is a travel editor at Time Out in charge of the Americas.

As part of the international travel team, she also works on national and global projects and runs a nation-wide network of freelancers in the US's top travel destinations.

#10 Bern, Switerland

the capital city of Switzerland, is built around a crook in the Aare River. It traces its origins back to the 12th century

#9 Beijing, China

China’s sprawling capital, has history stretching back 3 millennia. Yet it’s known as much for modern architecture as its ancient sites

#8 Geneva, Switzerland

lies at the southern tip of expansive Lac Léman. Surrounded by the Alps and Jura mountains, the city has views of dramatic Mont Blanc.

#7 Singapore

Officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island city-state in maritime Southeast Asia

#6 Shanghai, China

the country's biggest city and a global financial hub. Its heart is the Bund, a famed waterfront promenade lined with colonial-era buildings.

#5 Zurich, Switzerland

a global center for banking and finance, lies at the north end of Lake Zurich in northern Switzerland.

#4 Tokyo, Japan

Tokyo mixes the ultramodern and the traditional, from neon-lit skyscrapers to historic temples.

#3 Beirut, Lebanon

The city is situated on a peninsula at the midpoint of Lebanon's Mediterranean coast

#2 Hong Kong

a metropolitan area and special administrative region of China on the eastern Pearl River Delta in South China.

#1 Ashgabat, Turkmenistan

Ashgabat is the capital of Turkmenistan. It’s known for its white marble buildings and grandiose national monuments.

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