By Denise O’Donoghue
Dublin has been ranked as the most expensive place to live in the Eurozone.
It is more costly to live in Dublin than in Paris or Rome.
The Mercer 2020 Cost of Living Survey places the capital 46th out of 209 cities around the world.
The survey measures the comparative cost of more than 200 items in over 400 cities throughout the world, including housing, transportation, food, clothing, household goods, and entertainment.
The UK's decision to leave the European Union has not impacted its local currency, which remains strong, the survey found.
“The position of UK cities remained relatively stable year-on-year as the pound held its own against the US dollar,” said Kate Fitzpatrick, Mercer’s Global Mobility Practice Leader for the UK and Ireland.
Worldwide, Hong Kong tops the list of most expensive cities. It is followed by Ashgabat in Turkmenistan in second position and Tokyo and Zurich in third and fourth positions.
“Border closings, flight interruptions, mandatory confinements, and other short-term disruptions have affected not only the cost of goods and services, but also the quality of living of assignees,” said Ilya Bonic, Career President and Head of Mercer Strategy.
“Climate change, issues related to environmental footprint, and health system challenges have pushed multinationals to consider how a city’s efforts around sustainability can impact the living conditions for their expatriate workers. Cities with a strong sustainability focus can greatly improve living standards, which can in turn improve employee well-being and engagement.”
Mercer's data was collected in March and it says price variances in many locations were not significant due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
