Expat life in Asia comes at a price While the survey shows how serious inflation in Asia has become, it also highlights the big differences across the four cities in terms of the costs of luxury goods and services. For example, a Mercedes 500 SEL sports car would set an expat back $229,832 if they bought it in Hong Kong. However, the cost rockets more than $170,000 if bought in Singapore due to high government taxes. An expat in need of root canal work may be thankful they are in Shanghai where the cost of a top dentist is 10 times cheaper than Hong Kong. However, lawyers' fees are almost twice the amount in Shanghai compared to Hong Kong. The bank also found Mumbai is the cheapest city to pick up a Steinway grand piano, costing $150,521, more than $100,000 cheaper than in Shanghai. James Hughes, a British banker who has worked in various places in south-east Asia, said: "While Asia is still very attractive for expats coming from Europe, the costs of living are creeping up all the time. There is local inflation for things like food and housing, then there is expat inflation for the luxuries wealthy foreigners feel they can't do without.