1 place – Mexico Сity, Mexico
Mexico is the most developed country in Latin America. The cost of living in its capital has grown more than in other cities due to the recent weakening of the Mexican peso. Another reason is the recent revision of the Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), signed by Canada, Mexico, and the United States.
2 place – Santiago, Chile
Chile, possessing huge reserves of red metal, is one of the largest exporters of extracted raw materials and products made from it. Recently, foreign companies have shown a significant interest in Chile's copper deposits and enterprises designed on their basis. All this leads to higher prices for goods in the capital of Chile, Santiago. Strengthening of the Chilean peso also plays its own no less significant role in this process.
3 place – Saint-Petersburg, Russia
As noted by analysts, the high place that St. Petersburg occupies in the rating is due to the strengthening of the Russian ruble and the growth of world oil prices. At the same time, low consumer prices which resulted from slowing inflation still could not compensate the costs of living in the country.
4 place – Kiev, Ukraine
In Kiev, food prices have been rising since the crisis of 2014. At the same time, the rise in price has affected virtually all spheres of life. The costs of housing and insurance became particularly noticeable. The reasons for this situation are obvious: the fall of the national currency which continues to this day, as well as the difficult situation with the supply of Russian fuel to the country.
5 place – Prague, Czech Republic
Compared to other cities in the Czech Republic, Prague really takes a double price for almost everything, but speaking of Western European cities, life in the Czech capital is quite affordable. Prices for food, for example, are almost the same as in Russia, but you will have to spend a lot on hot water which is especially expensive in Prague.
6 place – Belgrade, Serbia
Serbia has not completely recovered from the crisis, so the standard of living here is quite low. According to the majority of Serbs, housing that is largely lacking in the country is unreasonably expensive.
7 place – Pretoria, South Africa
At the moment, Pretoria has earned the reputation of a fairly quiet and calm city with an orderly life the level of which there is quite high. This is one of the two cities in South Africa that are on this list.
8 place – Moscow, Russia
Despite the fact that life in the capital of Russia in 2017 did not go up as rapidly as in St. Petersburg, in the overall ranking of the most expensive cities, Moscow is ahead of the northern capital by 12 positions taking 86th place against St. Petersburg's 98th.
9 place – Johannesburg, South Africa
In Johannesburg, tariffs for utility costs are growing at a fast pace, but housing and food prices in South Africa are relatively low in comparison with Europe and the USA.
10 place – Madrid, Spain
The tenth place is taken by the euro area's city, Madrid, the cost of housing in which is growing by leaps and bounds.