Bishkek still one of least expensive cities in world for expatriates

Bishkek is still one of the least expensive cities in the world for expatriates — foreign specialists. The capital of Kyrgyzstan took the 206^th place out of 209 in the new ranking of Mercer consulting company.

For the year, life for expatriates in Bishkek became not much more expensive, so the capital of the republic climbed only one position. In 2018, it took the 207^th place.

The ranking is based on the cost of living, transportation, food, clothing, household goods and entertainment. In addition, experts took into account exchange rate of the U.S. dollar to the local currency, Forbes says.

The city holds its position due to the high cost of real estate and currency fluctuations. Tokyo, Singapore, Seoul and Zurich also appeared at the top of the ranking.

Mario Ferraro, Global Mobility Practice Leader — Asia, Middle East, Africa and Turkey at Mercer, told Bloomberg that the high cost of living in Asian cities was explained by investors’ attention to the region.

«Despite the relatively high cost of living, many organizations still see the point in moving talents to the region and within it,» he told the agency.

The cost of living for expatriates in Ashgabat has grown the most in a year. In 2018, it took the 36^th place, and now the city is in the 7^th place. The authors of the study link it to the lack of currency and imported goods, which caused a rise in prices.

American cities have risen in the ranking due to the strengthening of the dollar. New York moved from the 13^th to the 9^th place; San Francisco and Los Angeles entered the top 20 for the first time, taking the 16^th and the 18^th places respectively.

Life of foreign specialists in Russian cities has become cheaper on the contrary. A year ago, Moscow occupied the 17^th place, and now it is the 27^th. St. Petersburg is ranked 75^th, having lost 26 positions in a year.

London, Paris, Berlin, Düsseldorf and Stuttgart also lost their previous places.