全球最貴城市 澳城市成“新貴”

The cost of living the Australian dream has surged with Sydney and Melbourne among the five most expensive cities in the world, outstripping most European and US locations, according to an annual survey released on Monday.

Asia and Australia account for 11 of the world's top 20 most expensive cities, with eight from Europe and one from South America, the Economist Intelligence Unit's (EIU) worldwide cost of living index found. No North American cities featured in the top 20.

This compared to a decade ago when there were six Asian cities, 10 European cities and four US cities in the top 20 of the list that calculates living costs in 131 cities in 93 countries and is used by companies for costings when relocating staff.

In the 2013 survey, Tokyo reclaimed the title as the world's most expensive city. Currency swings pushed Zurich into the No.1 position last year but government exchange rate controls have driven the Swiss city back to No.7 in the list. Osaka in Japan was ranked the second most expensive.

Jon Copestake, editor of the EIU Worldwide Cost of Living Index, said one of the most notable changes was the rising costs in Australia, with Sydney third in the list and Melbourne fifth. Sandwiched between them was Oslo in Norway.

The survey is based on costs of over 160 items ranging from food and clothing, to domestic help, transport and utilities.

Copestake said the return of Tokyo to top of the list came as no great surprise as the Japanese capital had steep real estate costs and rents, as well as high wages fuelling prices.

Also featured in the 2013 top 10 were Singapore, Zurich, Paris, the Venezuelan capital of Caracas and Geneva.

Copestake said fears over economic austerity and the stability of the euro had pushed the index of euro zone cities down in the past year while the inclusion of Caracas was due to artificially high exchange rate controls.

Although no North American cities feature in the top 20, the EIU said the cost of living in New York had risen relative to other places in the United States. It shares 27th position as the most expensive US city with Los Angeles.

The Canadian city of Vancouver remains the most expensive location in North America, ranked 21st in the index.根據週一發佈的年度調查報告，如今實現澳大利亞夢的成本急劇上升，悉尼和墨爾本超過大多數歐美城市，躋身世界最貴城市前五名。

經濟學人智庫全球生活成本指數發現，亞洲和澳大利亞共有11個城市躋身全球最貴20城市之列，其餘有8個是歐洲城市，一個爲南美城市。北美沒有一個城市進入前20名。

相比之下，十年前名列榜單前20的城市中有6個亞洲城市、10個歐洲城市和4個美國城市。這項調查計算了93個國家的131個城市的生活成本，研究結果用於企業計算轉移員工的成本。

在2013年的這次調查中，東京重新獲得“全球最貴城市”的頭銜。瑞士蘇黎士由於匯率波動在去年名列榜首，但今年由於政府採取了控制匯率措施，在榜單上下滑至第七。日本大阪成爲全球第二貴的城市。

經濟學人智庫生活成本指數編輯喬恩•科派斯塔克表示，最顯著的變化之一是澳大利亞生活成本的上升，它的兩個城市悉尼和墨爾本分別名列第三和第五。夾在中間排名第四的是挪威的奧斯陸。

該調查基於160多項指標的統計數據，包括衣食、家政服務、交通和公用設施的花費。

科派斯塔克表示，東京迴歸榜首並不讓人驚訝，因爲東京的高工資推動了物價的上漲，房價和房租也很昂貴。

同樣躋身2013年全球最貴城市前十名的還有新加坡、蘇黎士、巴黎、委內瑞拉首都加拉加斯和日內瓦。

科派斯塔克說，人們對經濟緊縮和歐元穩定的憂慮使得過去一年歐元區城市的生活成本指數降低了，而加拉加斯能躋身前20則是由於人爲的高匯率管制。

經濟學人智庫表示，儘管沒有一個北美城市進入前20名，但是紐約的生活成本相對於其他美國城市有所上升。紐約與洛杉磯並列第27位成爲美國最貴城市。

加拿大城市溫哥華依然是北美地區最貴城市，在生活成本指數榜單上名列第21位。