Destination cost comparison – which are the most expensive cities?

The cost-of-living report from ECA International has, again, put Hong Kong in first place of the most expensive cities in the world for a business trip. Since we last looked at this, five of the top ten most expensive cities are now in Asia. Geneva still tops the list of most expensive European destinations, followed by London and Zurich. The difference in costs will have a huge impact on your event budget and also attendee spend whilst there.

The twenty most costly location for business travellers, as well as to live and work are as follows:

The research found that destinations which had high levels of tourism and international travellers before Covid-19 have fallen in the rankings, due to travel restrictions.

Currency fluctuations have also had a part to play, with weaker currencies causing those destinations to fall in the rankings. European locations have mostly gone up, due to the strength of the Pound and the Euro, but US locations dropped. Chinese cities remain some of the most pricey in the world.

ECA International’s cost of living rankings combine their Cost of Living research and Accommodation research in 208 cities in 121 countries and regions. Many criteria are compared, including daily essentials, food, leisure services, restaurant meals, alcohol, public transport as well as general living costs.

What about UK Destinations?

Looking at the UK, London has the highest cost-of-living and is, therefore, the most expensive city for business travellers. The cost for transport, food, drink and accommodation is higher in London than other UK cities. This table shows how much lower the costs are outside London:

If you would like us to find a venue for your next conference, meeting or event in the UK or abroad, please call 01780 484051 or email [email protected].