Tel Aviv – The World’s 17th Most Expensive City

June 18, 2007 - 4:17 PM by Liza

According to this survey, Tel Aviv is the most expensive city in the Middle East, and the 17^th most expensive city in the world. The survey covers 143 cities across the world, and factors in the costs more than 200 different items, including housing, transport, food, clothing, household goods and entertainment. Moscow took first place in the survey, and four other Middle Eastern cities made the top 50, including Dubai in 34^th place, Istanbul in 38^th place, Abu Dhabi (tied with Berlin) in 45^th place, and Algiers in 50^th place.

Frankly, Tel Aviv’s rank probably doesn’t come as too much of a surprise for anyone who’s tried to find housing there recently, with rental prices skyrocketing and prospective renters promising everything short of their firstborn children in order to secure an apartment. The trials and tribulations of finding an apartment in Tel Aviv are, in fact, so well known (just ask my office-mate, who has spent the last few days making phone calls that begin with, “I’m calling about the apartment…”) that there’s even been a play written on the subject.

Of course, there are those who are prepared to live with Tel Aviv’s expensive ways, given all that this fabulous city has to offer. Why, even some of my best friends live in Tel Aviv! Great restaurants and cafes, beautiful beaches, amazing nightlife, and always something to do, always something going on somewhere. Sounds amazing doesn’t it? Am I just a teensy bit jealous of my city-dwelling friends? Oh yes. Given the opportunity, would I cast aside my life in the suburbs to live in the center of the action? Ummmm…

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