WORLD CUP HOST TOPS LIST OF MOST EXPENSIVE MIDEAST CITIES
The capital city of the 2022 World Cup of Soccer host Qatar has topped the list of the Mideast's most expensive cities in the latest World rankings published by Xpatulator.com. The list ranks 780 cities worldwide based on the cost of living for expatriate workers.
Qatar has come under scrutiny since being awarded the World Cup for failure to adequately protect migrant worker’s rights. An investigation by a British newspaper, The Guardian, claimed that workers were denied food and water, had their identity papers confiscated and were not being paid on time. 400 Nepalese and 700 Indian construction workers have died since the World Cup bid was awarded in 2010.
Despite ranking 1st in the Mideast, Doha ranks 127th in the World, making its cost of living comparable with cities like Glasgow, Scotland and Edmonton, Canada. The most expensive cities on the list were three other oil producing centers. Luanda, Angola ranked as the most expensive city for expat workers while Caracas, Venezuela and Oslo, Norway ranked 2nd and 3rd.
In contrast to the plight of migrant construction workers, compensation rates for upper-middle managers working in Doha are among the highest in the World. Across the entire Mideast region, skilled expat workers enjoy generous housing, transportation and education allowances.
Although many young Qatar nationals are entering the workforce, the country continues to rely heavily on expat workers. With generous compensation packages and relatively low cost of living, Qatar and its Mideastern neighbors continue to attract top international talent.
Xpatulator.com provides up-to-date cost of living data for over 700 locations worldwide.
Top Ten City Rankings for The Middle East
While on international assignments ensure that you or your employee's spending power is not compromised by changes in inflation, the availability of goods as well as exchange rates. Multinational companies will often include a cost of living allowance in their pay packages to ensure that employee's remuneration packages are not compromised by changes in the relative cost of living.
Reference: The cost of living ranking information contained in this article is updated quarterly using data collected by Xpatulator.com over the past 12 months. The international cost of living indexes, on which the rankings are based, is only available using Xpatulator.com's online expatriate calculators that enable users to create personalized cost of living comparison reports which include:
- Salary Purchasing Power Parity Calculator
- Cost of Living Allowance Calculator
- Cost of Living Index Calculator
- International Assignment Management Calculator
All 780 Location Rankings as at 1 April 2014
Published by Xpatulator.com on 1 April 2014
