Tokyo Asia's costliest city for expats

Thursday 12th June, 04:43 PM JST

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12 Comments

Loki520 at 05:15 PM JST - 12th June

This is news?
some14some at 05:18 PM JST - 12th June

Loki520: This is 'business' news :)
Sarge at 05:24 PM JST - 12th June

"The firm, which provides data to international companies, compares in its survey a basket of 128 consumer items and services purchased by expats"

Probably I don't purchase many of those things.
capone at 05:33 PM JST - 12th June

the list should include dodgy roppongi massages, fake dollars to use at One Eyed Jacks, coke, and ecstacy
Farmboy at 08:03 PM JST - 12th June

What they do is look at people living in a foreign way in Japan. If they lived in a Japanese style in Japan, a Singaporean style in Singapore and so on, and compared the prices, then they would have some interesting information. But if you want to live in a three bedroom, two bath home in Tokyo, and have steaks for dinner every night, yes, it will be expensive.
Alphaape at 08:30 PM JST - 12th June

Well, as long as the US maintains it's "global military complex" world wide, I will be able to maintain a life here with shopping at the commissary for food like steaks for dinner everyday much cheaper than if I bought them at the local Seiyu store.

I wonder what makes Luanda, Angola so high? Is it the cost of getting "luxury goods" there before they get ripped off that makes it so?
Nessie at 09:04 PM JST - 12th June

Actually, it's the costliest for the expats' companies.
MichaelJP at 09:38 PM JST - 12th June

Some of the managers where I work are here on an expat deal. They stay in fully sponsored multi-level apartments in the most expensive areas, their children have all education costs paid at the best international schools, and they get a nice supplemental allowance for the inconvenience and suffering of having to live and work in Tokyo under such terrible conditions. No wonder Tokyo comes out as expensive.
badge123 at 09:40 PM JST - 12th June

Not this article in particular, but I remember reading some of the data factored into these "polls" are the cost of a taxi from the major international airport to the city.
Well yes a cost of taxi from Tokyo proper to Narita Airport is really expensive and is factored into these polls, but these polls don't take into the fact that MOST people don't take taxi's from Tokyo to Narita Airport.
usaexpat at 11:14 PM JST - 12th June

I don't understand what the differnce in cost would be between expats and locals. Tokyo globally was ranked as being less expensive than Hong Kong and I believe Singapore just a few months ago in another study posted on here.
GW at 09:15 PM JST - 13th June

the expats they are talking about are the ones who live in the Golden Ghetto!
kurtp at 12:30 PM JST - 18th June

These studies are useless, unless you insist on eating on your American or European import food. Fact is, after having lived in London, Tokyo is noticeably cheaper (think public transport)and certainly not the most expensive place. But let people believe it, so that we can get paid more for working here!