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The 10 Cheapest (and Most Expensive) Cities in the World
Friday 8th March 2013 | Serena
Before packing, check your wallet and check this chart it could be really useful! The Economist Intelligence Unit has compiled a double ranking of the ten most expensive and cheaper cities in the world called Worldwide Cost of Living, founding at the top of the list the Japanese capital, while at the bottom there is the city of Karachi. Having as a yardstick New York, the city has achieved a world rating based on various criteria ranging from the cost of food, fuel, and transport to tobacco, alcohol and all kinds of vice or virtue, so not just your typical tourist criteria.
The world's cheapest destination is the Pakistani capital of Karachi. Sure, it's one of the most dangerous cities in the world, but is among the largest metropolis (15.2 million inhabitants), multi-ethnic and growing, with attractions like the National Museum and the Towers of Silence; it is a low-cost journey worth considering. In second and third places are the Indian mega-cities of Mumbai and New Delhi. Although both over-populated, India bosts beautiful monuments that a real traveller should seen sooner or later. Kathmandu, Algeri, Colombo, Panama follows, cheap cities but with a magical atmosphere and rich of history at every corner. The only Eastern European city is Romania's Bucharest at the sixth place: as the main industrial centre in Eastern Europe, it remains true to the nickname 'Little Paris', a reference to its architecture. The social context is very strong, but it is still a bustling city.
As mentioned, at the top of the charts of the most expensive cities is the futuristic city of Tokyo. It has recently seen a huge rise in prices of many goods, and is followed by the compatriot city of Osaka. Sydney takes in third place (the city in 2002 was at 71 of the rankings!) and Melbourne, fourth.The first European city that we find is in fifth place: Oslo. The Noweigian capital beats Zurich, Paris and Geneva, respectively come seventh, eighth and tenth in the ranking. The oriental city of Singapore takes sixth place, while the only Latin American city in the charts is Caracas at ninth - which has a high cost of living due to inflation and the currency exchange rate.
To sum up, the most modern cities are obviously those where living costs are higher, while the less developed are cheaper. But we must also note that the cheaper ones are richer in history, stories, genuine people and real life, which helps to increase their charm in addition to the low price.
Sources: The Economist Intelligence Unit/Worldwide Cost of Living, (Main picture Karachi. Picture above Tokyo)
By Serena Concato
