Weak Currency Makes Asia-Pacific Cities Cheaper For Expats: Survey

New Delhi: The recent weakness in currencies in the Asia-Pacific against U.S. dollar has made many cities in the region, including those in India, cheaper for expatriates to live in, says a survey by global HR services firm Mercer.

According to Mercer, currency changes and housing costs have influenced Asia-Pacific rankings, as a large number of cities have gone down in the list due to weaker local currencies (verses the $), including the most expensive city in 2012 rankings - Tokyo, which slipped to the third position this year.

In India, Mumbai has emerged as the most expensive city for expatriates and was ranked 118 in the Index. Last year Mumbai was ranked 114th on the list.

Moreover, a comparative cost of food and entertainment items turned out to be quite dramatic for the global cities.
A fast food hamburger meal is $3.62 in Kolkata, India, versus $13.49 in Caracas, Venezuela, and a cinema ticket is $5.91 in Johannesburg compared to $20.10 in London, the report said.

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