text: Worldwide Cost of living index 2014 report 
   
   Complete the registration form opposite to download a copy of the Worldwide cost of living index 2014. 
   
   The Worldwide Cost of Living is a twice yearly Economist Intelligence Unit survey that compares more than 400 individual prices across 160 products and services. These include food, drink, clothing, household supplies and personal care items, home rents, transport, utility bills, private schools, domestic help and recreational costs. 
   
   The survey itself is a purpose-built internet tool designed to help human resources and finance managers calculate cost-of-living allowances and build compensation packages for expatriates and business travellers. The survey incorporates easy-to-understand comparative cost-of-living indices between cities. The survey allows for city-to-city comparisons, but for the purpose of this report all cities are compared to a base city of New York, which has an index set at 100. The survey has been carried out for more than 30 years. 
   
   Download the report to find out which cities topped the list of the most expensive places to live and which are the cheapest. 
   
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   The Economist Intelligence Unit helps business leaders prepare for opportunity, empowering them to act with confidence when making strategic decisions. We are renowned for our comprehensive global coverage and use the best analytical minds to examine markets, countries and industries with a level of insight you cannot find elsewhere. Uncompromising integrity, relentless rigour and precise communication underpin everything we do. We are meticulous with every analysis, every study, every projection and every commentary that carries the EIU brand. Our reputation for trusted business intelligence depends on it. Crystallise your thinking and see greater possibilities with business intelligence from the EIU–the most assured way to prepare for opportunity. ||||| Singapore is now the most expensive city in the world, according to the latest study by the Economist Intelligence Unit. -- ST FILE PHOTO: DESMOND WEE 
   
   Singapore is now the most expensive city in the world, according to the latest study by the Economist Intelligence Unit. This is mainly due to the strong Singapore dollar and the high cost of cars, utilities and clothes, the research firm said. 
   
   "Singapore's rising price prominence has been steady rather than spectacular. The city-state was 18th most expensive ten years ago and has actually seen the cost of living compared with New York City decline over the last 12 months," it said in its report on Tuesday. 
   
   "However, over the last decade a 40 per cent currency appreciation, coupled with solid price inflation, has consistently pushed Singapore up the ranking." 
   
   The EIU Worldwide Cost of Living survey compares the cost of living in various cities around the world against that of New York.
target: – Tokyo, rated the world's most expensive city last year by the Economist Intelligence Unit, has dropped out of the top five thanks to the soaring cost of living in other cities, including the new No. 1, Singapore. The city-state was sent to the top of the list by its strong currency and the sky-high cost of running a car, reports the BBC, which notes that Singapore is also the most expensive place in the world to buy clothes. Paris, Oslo, Zurich, and Sydney also made the top five out of 131 cities ranked, with Tokyo falling to sixth place. Researchers say Singapore's rise to the top from 18th most expensive a decade ago has been "steady rather than spectacular," the Straits Times reports. The cheapest cities included major Indian cities like Mumbai and New Delhi, as well as Damascus, Syria, where civil war has apparently caused prices to plunge.