Oslo and London are the world's most expensive cities, while Zurich and Geneva residents have the highest buying power, according to a report released on last Wednesday.
Europe dominates the list of 71 cities compiled by Swiss bank UBS, while Asian cities -- including Kuala Lumpur and Mumbai -- are among the cheapest places to live, based on the cost of a basket of 122 goods and services.
Oslo maintained its top position from 2005, while London rose three places to second.
Copenhagen, Zurich and Tokyo round out the top five, with New York in seventh place globally.
But London and New York are the most expensive cities when housing costs are included, said the 52-page report.
"It's no wonder that their residents often tolerate extreme commutes in order to find affordable housing," it said.
North American workers earn the highest wages, closely followed by Western Europe. But European net earnings are significantly lower because of higher taxes and social security contributions.
"After statutory deductions, people living in the Swiss cities, Dublin and Los Angeles have the most left over from their wages," said the report.
London rose from 15th place to sixth in the gross wages ranking, but was only 20th in domestic purchasing power.
Kuala Lumpur was the cheapest city, followed by Mumbai, Buenos Aires and Delhi. Delhi was also among the bottom five cities in both the wages and purchasing power rankings.
Cities in eastern Europe and China were among the least expensive, while Asian cities have the longest working hours, with Seoul workers averaging 50.2 hours a week.
Workers in Asia also have the fewest vacation days, on average 12 per year, compared to a global 20 days.
"Western Europe, by contrast, is very attractive for employees who value their leisure time," the report added.
(Agencies)
据上周三公布的一项报告显示，奥斯陆和伦敦是全球生活费用的城市，而苏黎世和日内瓦的居民则拥有全球的购买力。
瑞士联合银行对全球71个城市的122种商品和服务的价钱进行了比较分析，结果显示，欧洲城市在榜单上占有显著优势，而包括吉隆坡和孟买在内的亚洲城市，则位居生活费用最低的城市行列。
奥斯陆继2005年夺冠后再度荣登榜首，而伦敦的排名今年上升了三位，获得“亚军”。
位于前五名的另外三个城市为哥本哈根、苏黎世和东京，纽约名列全球第七。
这份长达52页的调查报告中提到，如果将住房成本算进去，生活费用的城市是伦敦和纽约。
报告中说：“人们为了找到一个能买得起的住房，常常忍受上下班恶劣的交通，这在伦敦和纽约不足为奇。”
北美洲工人的工资，其次是西欧。但是，由于较高的税收和社会保障金，欧洲人的净收入要低很多。
报告说：“除去法定必须缴纳的费用，瑞士各城市、都柏林和洛杉机居民的净收入。”
伦敦居民的总工资收入从第十五位升至第六位，但国内购买力仅名列第二十位。
吉隆坡的生活成本最低，其次是孟买、布宜诺斯艾利斯和德里。同时，德里人工资和购买力水平都排在后五名。
东欧和中国城市的生活成本也很低，而亚洲城市的工人工作时间最长，汉城工人平均每周工作50.2小时。
亚洲工人的假期也最少，每年平均12天，而全球的平均假期是20天。
报告中说：“与此相比，到西欧工作对于那些看重个人空闲时间的人来说很有吸引力。”