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 206th 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 207th 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.
Hong Kong heads the ranking of the most expensive cities in the world for expatriates for the second year in a row.
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 top 10 also includes Shanghai, Ashgabat, Beijing, New York and Shenzhen.
The cost of living for expatriates in Ashgabat has grown the most in a year. In 2018, it took the 36th place, and now the city is in the 7th 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 13th to the 9th place; San Francisco and Los Angeles entered the top 20 for the first time, taking the 16th and the 18th places respectively.
Life of foreign specialists in Russian cities has become cheaper on the contrary. A year ago, Moscow occupied the 17th place, and now it is the 27th. St. Petersburg is ranked 75th, having lost 26 positions in a year.
London, Paris, Berlin, Düsseldorf and Stuttgart also lost their previous places.
Three the least expensive for expatriates cities are Tunisia, Tashkent and Karachi.