Tag Archives: most expensive city

Being the world's most expensive city might cause Singapore to lose its competitive edge as companies, feeling the pinch from higher costs, choose to relocate to nearby regional centers such as Malaysia.

Recently, I'm starting to wonder if I'm slowly slipping out of the "middle class" bracket and into the "low income" bracket. My wife and I are both working and we earn average incomes, combined about 10K a month. Our children are in school and expenses are getting super high.

The PAP has come out all guns blazing to refute Singapore's reputation as the world's most expensive city. We know that this is not done to convince citizens who are trapped here with their CPF money held hostage but really for foreigners who may otherwise be deterred from coming to Singapore.

The problem lies not with the EIU or with its methodology. It is fit for its purpose, which is specifically to provide guidelines for bosses deciding how to compensate employees being transferred abroad. But reading newspaper headlines suggests that it is a bargain to live in Mumbai or Karachi, the lowest-ranking cities on the list. This may be true for somebody on an expat benefits package with a lavish housing allowance thrown in, but for everyone else, it makes little sense.