Brussels getting more affordable compared to other expat-heavy cities
Brussels fell 10 places on a list of the affordability of world cities for foreign workers, as the cost-of-living in Asia climbs ever higher
Better than Amsterdam, worse than Berlin
Mercer says the lower ranking for Brussels is due to a weaker euro against the dollar, so the result says more about cost-of-living growth in other cities than it does about Brussels’ affordability. Property prices place Hong Kong as the most expensive city to relocate to as a foreigner. Tokyo, Singapore and Seoul are close behind.
New York is the most expensive American city to live in as an expat. The only European city to make the global top 10 is Zurich. Brussels is ranked as more affordable than Geneva (13th), London (23rd), Milan (45th), Paris (47th) and Oslo (61st).
The Belgian – and Flemish – capital fares slightly worse than Berlin and Madrid, ranked 81st and 82nd respectively.
The survey is drawn up to give multinational corporations and governments an idea of how much they should be paying their expat staff. Researchers compared the cost of housing, transport, food, clothing, household goods and leisure.
If you’re looking for the cheapest expat city in the world, start searching for a job in Tunis.
Photo: Nektofadeev/Getty
