Published: 3 August 2024
Annual cost of living city ranking places Muscat as least expensive in GCC and Dubai as the most expensive
NT Bureau
Doha
According to Mercer’s 2024 cost-of-living data, Doha has been ranked the second least expensive city in GCC for international workers. Muscat holds the position of least expensive city in the Gulf.
Doha was ranked 121 amongst 226 cities across five continents.
Dubai has jumped up the rankings to become the costliest city in the Middle East for international employees. It is ranked 15th on the global ranking, up three places from 2023. The next most expensive city in Middle East is Tel Aviv, which has dropped by eight places to rank 16th. It is followed by Abu Dhabi (43), Riyadh (90) and Jeddah (97).
Hong Kong, Singapore and Zurich are currently the costliest cities for international workers, according to the report.
These three cities have kept the same positions in Mercer’s rankings that they had last year. At the other end of the spectrum, the cities that ranked the lowest for living costs are Islamabad, Lagos and Abuja.
Of the 10 most expensive cities for international assignees, half are located in Western Europe, with Switzerland being home to four. However, it is Southeast Asian cities that lead the list, with Hong Kong and Singapore remaining in the first and second positions, respectively.
Mercer’s annual Cost of Living City Ranking provides trends and insights for those who need to make informed decisions about global mobility operations. The ranking lists 226 cities worldwide in order from the most expensive to the least expensive places to live.
List of GCC cities and their ranking:
GCC CITY RANK
Muscat 122
Doha 121
Kuwait City 119
Bahrain 110
Jeddah 97
Riyadh 90
Abu Dhabi 43
Dubai 15
