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The cost of living in top cities

A new resource for those looking to travel or move abroad has been released by property experts at Residential Land, highlighting the living costs in the world’s most popular countries. As well as large-scale expenses such as average rent and housing costs, the guide also looks at everyday items such as coffee and gym membership - with some unexpected results.

As a specialist in lettings across Central London, Residential Land is perhaps best placed to determine the most important day-to-day spends of those living in the city, and the guide certainly reflects this. Cities studied include London, Barcelona, Berlin, Dublin, Madrid, Paris, Prague and Rome in Europe, as well as Beijing, Delhi, Dubai, New York City and Sydney - all popular cities and major English expat areas.

It breaks costs down by studying 15 different items and giving their average, from one and two-bed rented apartments to Levi jeans and iPads. Unsurprisingly, Delhi comes out the cheapest in terms of expenses, with 11 items out of 15 offered at the lowest price, although this is also reflected in the average salary, the equivalent of just £371.38 per month. No such clear leader for most expensive city stands out, although Sydney and Tokyo are by far in the higher bracket.

Among some of the more unusual discoveries we found on the resource included where you might find the cheapest night out - a meal for two in Prague costs around just £10, compared to Dublin where you could pay over £50. Berlin, meanwhile, offers the cheapest bottle of wine at an average of £3.36, beating out the capitals of all major wine-producing countries on the list. It’s also interesting to note the price differences between identical items; a pair of Levi 501 jeans costs £27.75 in Delhi, while in London the exact same pair can be found for £60.69, and in Beijing a huge £89.87.

Salary is a huge factor in all of this, and definitely worth considering if you’re planning on moving to a country to work. However, the guide serves as a fantastic reference point for those thinking about heading to warmer climes - take a look at the website for more information on the world’s top cities.

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