2009 Jul 03 Living in Beijing? Don't Lose Your Shirt
You might not guess it while chowing down at your favorite noodle joint on a meal that cost you the equivalent of a pack of gum in many countries, but according to BusinessWeek, Beijing is one of the most expensive cities to live, eat and wash clothes in.
Jumping up 78 spots from its 2008 mark, Beijing came in as the 26th most expensive city in the world in 2009.
Based on the average prices of five basic expenditures – a movie ticket, a quick lunch, a washing machine, a kilo of rice and a can of soft drink – BW calculated the world's most expensive cities in a year of financial uncertainty in which the value of many major world currencies has fluctuated significantly. Each of the benchmark prices was measured in US dollars.
In Beijing, according to BW, a movie ticket costs nearly USD 10, a quick lunch is about USD 20 and a washing machine costs more than USD 920. Compare that to the prices of the same items in Luanda, Angola, the No. 1 city - USD 17, USD 60 and USD 1,090 respectively, and it might not be so bad.
Japan and Switzerland made a strong showing in the top ten, posting four and three cities respectively. The most expensive US city was New York City at No. 17. Beijing finished just behind Honolulu and just ahead of Jerusalem.
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High Style: Adam D. Tihany, designer of Beijing's New Tallest Bars and Restaurant at Guomao 3
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