We Canadians in big cities like to complain about how expensive our lives are.
To put things into perspective, human resources consulting firm Mercer has released its annual cost of living survey. The survey explores the cost of living for employees working abroad. Basically, it gives us an idea of how expensive other cities are for expat workers, as well as how expensive our own cities are for others who come here to work.
As it turns out, Canada really isn’t all that hard on the wallet for foreign workers. Of course, this probably speaks to the fact that Canada focuses on importing highly-paid skills.
It should also come as no surprise that the cities topping the list are also among the most expensive in the world to live – for anyone.
By factoring the price of rental accommodation and cost living, Mercer determined that Hong Kong is the world’s most expensive city if you move there to work.
In fact, the top four spots are occupied by cities in Asia. Following Hong Kong are Tokyo, Singapore, And Seoul. Zurich, the only European city in the top 10 rounds out the top 5.
So, where do Canadian cities rank? Quite favourably. According the survey, Vancouver is the country’s most expensive city for expat employees – all the way in spot number 112. Here are the top 5 most expensive cities in Canada and how they rank globally:
112: Vancouver, BC
115: Toronto, ON
139: Montréal, QC
153: Calgary, AB
161: Ottawa, ON
Conversely, if you’re a Canadian looking for a change of scenery with hella disposable income to boot, you’d do well to check out a life in Managua, Nicaragua.
Check out the full list here.
