The Japanese economy may remain sunk deep in deflation, but that has not prevented Tokyo from emerging as the most expensive city in the world for expatriates, according to a cost of living survey.
Tokyo replaced Luanda, Angola in the top spot in March 2012, according to the Mercer Worldwide Cost of Living Survey.
While suitable housing for expats continues to be difficult to find in the former Portuguese colony, the slide in the dollar against the yen goes some way to explain the return of the Japanese capital to the top global spot. The survey is dollar based.
The dollar bought just 75.35 yen per dollar in October, 2011, the lowest in the post-war period, and has slipped as much as 60 per cent against the Japanese currency in the past decade.
"Japanese salaries will appear far more expensive on a dollar basis as a result of currency appreciation," said Hideo Kumano, chief economist at Dai-ichi Life Research Institute in Tokyo.
Japanese cities occupy three of the top 10 spots, with Moscow, Russia, the highest ranking European city in the number 4 spot.
London ranks number 25 on the list, down from 18 in 2011, while New York – the base city for the survey is ranked 33, down one place from last year.
When compared to New York, most European locations have witnessed a decline in the cost of living, said Nathalie Constantin-Metral, Principal at Mercer, a human resources consultant.
The company conducts an annual survey of 214 cities around the globe on prices for 200 items including transport, food, clothing and entertainment. In Asia more than six in ten cities moved in the rankings, including all surveyed cities in Australia, China, Japan and New Zealand, Ms Constantin-Metral said.
【新闻快讯】
周二美世集团发布的2012年度全球生活成本调查显示，东京又重新荣获全球最贵移民城市的称号，而欧元区危机让许多欧洲城市的生活花费都降低了。东京登上榜首与日元升值密切相关，在2011年10月，一美元仅能兑换73.35日元，这是自二战战后以来的离世值。而且在过去十年中，美元对日元的兑换率下跌了60%。
调查报告中，东京将盛产石油的安哥拉首都罗安达挤到了第二位，重新抢占位置。另一个日本城市大阪位居第三，俄罗斯首都莫斯科排在第四位，日内瓦排在第五位。
由于欧债危机中欧元对美元贬值，欧元区城市的排名有所下滑。伦敦从去年的18位降到了今年的25位。巴黎降了10位，排名第37，罗马降了8位，排在第42位，雅典排名大幅下滑，降了24位，排名第77。
这一年度调查报告旨在帮助公司估算给驻外员工的补贴数额。该调查以纽约的生活花费为参照，比较了214个城市的200多项条目，包括住房、饮食和交通。纽约在这份调查中排在33位，相比去年下降了一位。
亚洲上榜城市数量大幅增加，所有澳大利亚、日本、中国和新西兰被调查的城市都进入了榜单。上海排名第16，北京排名第17。
