Tokyo advanced past the Angolan capital Luanda to become the world's most expensive city for expatriates of 214 ranked by Mercer, while Moscow remains the most costly place to live in Europe.

"Recent world events, including economic and political upheavals, have affected the rankings for many regions through currency fluctuations, inflation, and volatility in accommodation prices," Mercer said today in its annual Worldwide Cost of Living Survey.

The analysis uses New York as a base city and measures the comparative prices of more than 200 items in each location, such as transport, clothing, food, household goods and entertainment. Housing costs, which are also included, are critical in the ranking as they are often the biggest expense for expatriates.

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