UAE still most costly for living in GCC

he top ten most expensive cities continue to be predominantly led by those located in Europe and Asia

Falling rents has seen Abu Dhabi and Dubai slip to 76 and 94 positions, respectively, but the UAE still ranks highest in GCC.

The region’s ranking in the 2012 Worldwide Cost of Living Survey, produced by Mercer, the leading global HR consultancy says that emirates rank as more expensive to live in for expats than Riyadh, KSA Manama, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman and KSA.

The top ten most expensive cities continue to be predominantly led by those located in Europe and Asia.

The UAE has lost the lead as the most expensive cities in the Middle East, with Beirut moving forward to position 67.

The UAE is nonetheless still the most expensive place to live in the GCC. Governments and firms use the Mercer survey, alike to determine remuneration packages for expatriates across the globe.

Overall, there has not been a significant shift in the positions of cities in the Middle East.

The survey calculates cost of living for 214 cities around the world, comparing costs for over 200 factors in each location including: housing, transport, food, clothing, household goods and entertainment. The base city for comparison has been set as New York City, with currencies measured against the US dollar.