So here's the bad news: In terms of American cities, Miami is the fifth most expensive place to live for expatriates. However, on a global scale, things aren't so bad. According to Mercer's Worldwide Cost of Living Survey 2012, we're only the 110th most expensive city in the world. Things always look a little different depending on your perspective, and for many foreigners looking to relocate, Miami might seem like a discount.
To come up with the rankings, Mercer "measures the comparative cost of over 200 items in each location, including transport, food, clothing, household goods and entertainment" in 214 cities across the globe. Housing costs are also considered.
Miami finds itself five spots higher worldwide than last year. That 110th ranking puts us decidedly near the middle, worldwide.
New York City is the most expensive city in America for expats (and the 33rd costliest overall). Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Washington, D.C. are also more expensive than Miami. We're tied at 110th overall with Chicago.
As a comparison, Havana is actually more expensive than Miami, ranking 99th globally.
If you're looking for an inexpensive city to live in America, Winston-Salem is the cheapest. Karachi, Pakistan, meanwhile, is the world's cheapest city, while Tokyo is the most expensive.
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