Photo: Martti Kainulainen/Rex USA. City life has its pressures. The teeny apartments and long commutes can take their toll, but it’s how much this day-to-day stress costs that takes the cake. And, to rub salt in our wounds to highlight this point, all you need to do is look to this story in The Independent on the recent survey by the Economist Intelligence Unit about the worldwide cost of living.
The survey reviewed 130 countries and used 400 indicators, like household grocery bills and heating costs, to determine the results. And, the winner is? Singapore! The city beat last year’s winner Tokyo to the top spot, closely followed by Paris, Oslo, Zurich, and Sydney. Jon Copestate, the survey’s editor, explained to Bloomberg why the Asian metropolis received the honor: “Singapore’s rise is partially attributable to the continued strength of the Singapore dollar, but the city has seen price rises too which have no doubt been compounded by a reliance on imports.”
New York and London don’t even make it into the top 10. Not surprising, perhaps, when the cost of travel in Singapore is three times that of the Big Apple. And, you thought your cab bills each month were bad? Click through to read the full summary of the report, and let us know in the comments section below the cities you were surprised to see didn’t make it into the top-10 list. (The Independent)