Several factors are taken into consideration while ranking costliest cities in the world. Costliest cities are in fact the richest and the most influential among other cities. Economic condition, political stability, living conditions etc are some of the factors that are taken into account while determining rankings. There may be other cities which are equally rich but here we present the top 10 costliest cities in the world for 2011 based on expenses on living.
1. Tokyo:
So here we are with the most expensive city Tokyo. Japan’s economy thrives in Tokyo which is also its capital. It is spread over an area of 2187 sq km. The population stands at over 13 Million thereby making it the most populated city on earth. You will not find a single skyscraper here because Tokyo is highly earthquake prone and several earthquakes had hit the city in the past. Living cost is very costly in Tokyo.
2. Paris:
The second costliest city in the world is gorgeous Paris. Paris is famous for the breathtaking architectures and timeless historical buildings. It is Europe’s second largest city. Every year 45 million tourists come to visit Paris out of which 60% are foreign tourists. Known as the most fashionable city in the world, Paris is home to several world famous landmarks. Food and accommodation is very expensive here.
3. London:
It is a strategic economic center of the world that acts as bridge between western and eastern economy. London is considered as the richest city in Europe thanks to its $ 565 Billion GDP. People find it very thrilling to live in this city. The top 100 business organizations of UK and top 100 organizations of Europe have their headquarters in Central London.
Living cost is very high in London. The monthly rental of a two bedroom apartment ranges from 1,500 to 2,000 pounds here in central London. A meal for a single person in a restaurant will cost about ten pounds. Transportation being quite expensive it costs 20 pounds for a bus trip between two bus stops.
4. Moscow:
Fourth on the list is Russia’s capital city Moscow. Moscow is known as ‘Red Bear’ and almost 25% of Russia’s domestic oil requirement is met by this city. Clothes, recreation facilities etc are very expensive here.
The monthly rental of a furnished luxury two bedroom apartment begins at US $ 4500. Monthly utility bills per household range from US $ 250. Monthly cost of meals for a three member family ranges from US $ 500. A cup of coffee in Moscow costs US $9 which is by far the most expensive rate in comparison to other nations.
5. Geneva:
Geneva is an important city of Switzerland. It has the second highest population after Zurich. The headquarters of several international organizations with worldwide presence like Red Cross and the United Nations are located here.
Monthly rental of a three bedroom apartment ranges from US $ 3000. Monthly cost for three meals for a household costs about US $ 1200. Insurance is expensive here. A wellness-insurance will cost US $ 800. For single individuals accommodation costs ranges from US $ 400 to 650 for a room. In addition monthly food expenses come to around US $ 450. Transportation costs either by bus or tram ranges from US $ 100-170. Other expenses come to around US $500 per month. Therefore a single person staying in Geneva has to spend USD $ 1500 to 1800 every month.
The most expensive house in the world is in India, owned by Mukesh Ambani. It is worth a whopping 1 billion dollars and has 27 floors. The house has a plush health club and a garage that can hold over 150 cars. Why? Just because this business tycoon has a personal collection of 168 cars. The house is made entirely of glass and is 570 feet tall.
This house was initially owned by William Randolph Hearst and has three swimming pools, 29 bedrooms as well as a state of the art movie theater and discotheque. The mansion was put up for sale since 2007 and taken off a year later when nobody showed any interest in it. It is worth 165 million dollars and stretches across 6 acres of land.
This house is located in the Kensington district in London was bought recently for about 161 million dollars. This 5-storey house has a 10 bedroom villa, an indoor swimming pool, a panic room, move theater and a sauna plus gym.
This house was still under construction the last time we checked. When it is completed, it will be the second most expensive house in the world with a net worth of 160 million dollars. It will be nestled within a skyscraper in London called One Hyde Park.
This mansion stands on land that stretches across 56,000 square feet of land. The net worth has been estimated at 150 million dollars and was built in 1991. It has 123 bedrooms, a tennis court, a skating rink, a bowling alley and several swimming pools.
