Vancouver not ranked among world's 10 most expensive cities
Vancouverites often grumble that they live in Canada's most expensive city.
However, Vancouver is small time on the international scene, not even cracking the Top 10 list in this year's Worldwide Cost of Living report.
Compiled by the Economist Intelligence Unit, it compares prices of more than 150 products and services.
It's conclusion: the most expensive city in the world for the fifth straight year is Singapore.
Part of the reason is the high cost of car ownership and clothing in the Southeast Asian city state.
Tied for second are Paris and Zurich, followed by Hong Kong, Oslo, Geneva, Seoul, Copenhagen, Tel Aviv, and Sydney.
No city in the Wesern Hemisphere made the Top 10 list. New York and Los Angeles came 13th and 14th.
Part of the reason has been the fall of North American currencies in relation to their counterparts in Asia and Europe.
"When looking at the most expensive cities by category, it is interesting to note that Asian cities tend to be the priciest locations for general grocery shopping," the report states. "However, European cities tend to be priciest in the household, personal care, recreation and entertainment categories, with Zurich and Geneva the most expensive, perhaps reflecting a greater premium on discretionary spending."
According to the Economist Intelligence Unit, the cheapest cities in the world are war-torn Damascus and strife-ridden Caracas, followed by the Kazakhstan capital of Almaty, the Nigerian capital of Lagos, and Bangalore, India.
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