By Associated Press
Tokyo is still the most expensive city in the world, but Paris, traditionally high in living costs, dropped out of the top 10 ranking, according to a survey released Jan. 18.
Others on the list, compiled by the London-based Economist Intelligence Unit, included Osaka/Kobe in Japan, Hong Kong, London and Oslo, Norway. Newcomers to the top 10 were Belgrade, Seoul, Taipei, New York and Tel Aviv, Israel.
Dropping off the list along with Paris were Zurich, Geneva, Copenhagen and Libreville, Gabon.
The survey said cities using the European common currency dropped in the rankings, which is done in dollar terms, because of the weakness of the euro. The survey compared prices and products in 133 cities around the world.
Paris is now ranked 26th, alongside Washington D.C. and Miami. Amsterdam dropped 20 spaces to 54th, one spot above Caracas, Venezuela.
The cost of living in Belgrade — bombed by NATO in 1999 to force an end to then-President Slobodan Milosevic’s crackdown on Kosovo Albanians — increased from 122nd to No. 3.
According to the report, New York is now slightly more expensive than London, rising from last year’s ranking of No. 12 to No. 7. London’s cost of living decreased slightly in the last half of 2000, moving from seventh place to eighth.
The weakened Australian dollar pushed its cost of living down, moving Sydney from 45th to 62nd and putting it on par with Atlanta, Berlin and Brussels.
The 10 most expensive cities:
- Tokyo
- Osaka/Kobe
- Belgrade
- Hong Kong
- Seoul
- Taipei
- New York
- London
- Oslo
- Tel Aviv
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