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Most Expensive Capital Cities

Try to name the world's most expensive capital cities, based on average price levels.
According to Expatistan as of December, 2022
The "reference city" of Prague has a price index of 100
Quiz by Quizmaster
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Last updated: January 4, 2023
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First submittedJanuary 18, 2018
Times taken41,059
Average score66.7%
Rating4.44
4:00
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Price Index
Continent
City
303
Asia
Singapore
245
Europe
Monaco
211
Europe
Bern
210
Europe
Vaduz
208
Europe
London
205
North America
Washington D.C.
195
Europe
Reykjavík
193
Europe
Dublin
189
Europe
Copenhagen
184
North America
Nassau
175
Europe
Oslo
169
Europe
Amsterdam
Price Index
Continent
City
167
Africa
Victoria
166
Europe
Paris
161
Asia
Doha
159
Oceania
Canberra
159
Asia
Abu Dhabi
156
Oceania
Wellington
152
Europe
Luxembourg
150
Europe
Helsinki
148
Asia
Tokyo
148
Asia
Jerusalem
147
Africa
Luanda
146
Europe
Stockholm
+115
Level 62
Jan 18, 2018
If anybody is wondering about Luanda, I looked it up when the issue came up in a different recent quiz, and I'll re-post my general findings here:

There is lots of oil money in Angola so oil companies are sending Western expats to Luanda to get a piece of the pie. As a result, there is a demand for Western items in Luanda, but there is also a high security cost for importing goods. In essence, quick "forced" Westernization of an otherwise populous but African city is resulting in expensive living conditions.

+9
Level 70
Jan 18, 2018
Thank you for the explanation, it really surprised me to see it on the quiz!
+6
Level 76
Jan 18, 2018
What about domestically produced items in Luanda? Are they expensive too?
+3
Level 82
Feb 21, 2018
I remembered seeing it at the top of an article on this subject a couple years back.
+2
Level 34
Jan 14, 2022
Shockingly, in Angola, a sandwich for $21 is considered a good deal!
+1
Level 66
Jan 5, 2023
Best username on Jetpunk coming through, came to comments just to see chatter on (surprising) Luanda inclusion.
+24
Level 85
Jan 18, 2018
I would have guessed that affordable housing is hard to find in Vatican City.
+38
Level 84
Jan 18, 2018
I think it's impossible. Prices are based on supply and demand. If there's no supply, the price index for the Vatican is the same as the price of a unicorn or a yeti. Mathematically, I think it's a Divide by Zero error that reboots the universe.
+1
Level 51
Apr 30, 2018
Good one!
+5
Level 88
Feb 21, 2020
It's free to residents. They get residents of some of the poorer capitals to pay for it.
+18
Level 90
Jan 19, 2018
Not to get political but is Jet Punk recognizing Jerusalem instead of Tel Aviv? Has it always been that way?
+23
Level 52
Jan 19, 2018
The State Department's website lists Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. Sadly, I don't think you can discuss Israel without some element of controversial politics.
+22
Level 71
Jan 19, 2018
I don't think anyone seriously thinks that Tel Aviv is the capital of Israel even though most of the embassies are concentrated there instead of de facto & de jure capital Jerusalem due to the delicate political situation.
+17
Level 65
Jan 19, 2018
I think most educated people consider Tel Aviv the capital of Israel and not Jerusalem.
+36
Level 62
Jan 21, 2018
The seat of Israel's government is in Jerusalem, and Israel claims Jerusalem to be its capital. Tel Aviv is Israel's most populous metropolitan area and is the financial hub of the country, much like New York is to the United States. The US and the majority of the UN have not traditionally recognized Jerusalem as Israel's capital city as a concession to the Palestinians and to Israel's other Arab neighbors, and rather or not the US should have maintained that status quo is outside of the scope of the argument I am making. The Knesset, the prime minister, the Supreme Court and the High Court of Justice are all located in Jerusalem along with the overwhelming majority of the offices for various ministries, much like Washington, D.C. is the central location of the US government. It seems clear that an educated person sould be able to identify Jerusalem as the only city in Israel that fits the description of a capital city.
+18
Level 71
Feb 1, 2018
A sovereign nation is entitled to name any city within its territory as its capital. The nation of Israel has named Jerusalem as its capital and therefore even un-educated and biased people with their own agendas must realise that Jerusalem is the capital of Israel.
+19
Level 82
Feb 21, 2018
I think Napoleon is confusing the term educated with willfully ignorant.
+2
Level 73
Jan 13, 2023
Osiris presents a great argument, but I think Malbaby's is lacking. Whether or not Jerusalem is wholly a part of Israel's territory is itself not fully agreed upon by commenters on the internet.
+1
Level 82
Aug 23, 2023
Do commenters on the internet get to decide what the capital of a nation is?
+4
Level 66
Jan 13, 2023
The amount of Palestinian genocide apologists on this website is insane
+16
Level 82
Jan 19, 2018
The capital is where each country says it is. No matter how much you dislike it, I don't see how other countries can decide which city is the capital in another country. You can only consider Israel to be without capital city if you don't reocgnize Jerusalem.
+4
Level 62
Jan 21, 2018
Gerbolistico: that's comparing apples to oranges, but I think you already know that.
+4
Level 70
Jan 23, 2018
I second this. Tel Aviv is not the capital of Israel. At least no country including Israel itself is claiming this, to my knowledge. Jerusalem is the proclaimed captial of two countries. Like Rome is the capital of two countries. IMHO, the bigger problem in Trump's declaration is that he does not consider Jerusalem to be ALSO the capital of Palestine. Just imagine Trump has said: "USA will move two embassies to Jerusalem, one for Israel and one for Palestine."
+1
Level 71
Feb 1, 2018
'TheLastFish' can you show where your source for your statement that President Trump has stated that he does not consider Jerusalem to be ALSO the capital of Palestine. Or are you just putting words into President Trumps mouth to try and make your biased point.
+8
Level 82
Feb 21, 2018
Jerusalem is the capital of Israel. But the reason many countries don't recognize this is because they don't recognize Israeli control of Jerusalem. Not that they are right to do so... but it would be like the USA claiming that Paris was its capital.

and Trump is an idiot who doesn't understand the implications or ramifications of anything he does or says. Jerusalem is the capital of Israel, sure. But there are reasons why the US keeps its embassy in Tel Aviv. Trump is too stupid to grasp those reasons, though.

+1
Level 88
Feb 21, 2020
Funny that you mention the capital in another country....
+1
Level 55
Jan 13, 2023
Malbaby's point is already invalid because President Trump's administration (along with all other US administrations) does not recognize any sovereign nation called Palestine.
+3
Level 69
Jan 21, 2018
I know that Jerusalem / Tel Aviv has always been a whole controversial *thing*, but it would really bother me if JetPunk had previously accepted Tel Aviv (I personally cannot remember if it did or not), but has now changed it to Jerusalem just because Trump declared it so on Twitter or whatever. I think taking any of those pronouncements until truly *done* is almost always premature, as many of Trump's other off-the-cuff policy declarations do not come true due to court blockage (e.g. Muslim immigration, trans people in the military), him changing his mind (or having it changed for him by advisors), etc.
+8
Level 90
Jan 27, 2018
As long as I've been on here, I'm pretty sure Jetpunk has always maintained Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. It certainly predates any pronouncement Trump made on the subject by a long way.
+3
Level 82
Feb 21, 2018
comjag is right. Jerusalem has always been accepted as the capital of Israel on JetPunk.
+1
Level 62
Dec 30, 2022
I wonder if you would say the same thing if Russia and Serbia recognized Sevastopol and Pristina as their capital
+3
Level 80
Jan 4, 2023
@Kingfisher That would only make sense if there were many government offices for each country located in those cities, which is wholly untrue for both. Thus, your comparison is completely irrelevant. Serbia doesn’t even control Pristina. Ignoring disputes over whether Israel is right to control the land, Israel maintains pretty much full control of the city and places most of its government offices in the city, which makes it a reasonable claim to call it the capital city.
+1
Level 50
Jan 15, 2023
Jerusalem is the capital of Israel and JetPunk recognizes that because Israel controls Jerusalem and it's nobody else's capital-Palestinians have their unofficial government in Ram Allah.
+2
Level 72
Jan 29, 2018
18 out of 20, including Luanda, but i managed to forget Paris. Face palm.

Also surprised not to see Monaco on the list.

+3
Level 75
Apr 30, 2018
Face palm me, too, while you're at it. I was sure Australia would be on the list, but thought I was wrong when Sydney wasn't accepted. My brain must be on mute this morning.
+2
Level 50
Jan 15, 2023
The capital of Australia is Canberra.
+3
Level 30
Feb 21, 2018
dafuq? no brussels?
+9
Level 69
Apr 30, 2018
I was surprised not to see Vienna
+11
Level 78
Apr 30, 2018
The government of of Vienna has built many apartment houses during the last 100 years and rents them out at low cost to citizens, thus generally reducing the prices of real estate and, indirectly, of most other goods.
+3
Level 53
Apr 30, 2018
Theoretically yes, but in reality apartments are quite expensive in Vienna
+2
Level 37
Apr 30, 2018
Got it all except Luanda. Expected Monaco or one of the Gulf countries' capitals (ie: Abu Dhabi, Doha...) to be in the list instead...
+4
Level 78
Apr 30, 2018
Abu Dhabi (159) and Doha (181) ARE on the list and have been there all day!
+1
Level 70
Apr 30, 2018
he got them all except for luanda and he still complains that there weren't any gulf countries looooool
+1
Level 82
May 3, 2018
que fumas esse?

Some might be surprised but Saudi Arabia is one of the lowest cost-of-living countries in the world. In addition to the high salaries, zero tax, and illegality of dating, this is part of why it's among the best places in the world to work and save money. Kuwait, Qatar, and the UAE (particularly Dubai) are all much more expensive comparatively.

+1
Level 68
Apr 30, 2018
Jeruzalem is with an s. That's why it didn't work. :-(
+1
Level 62
Jan 4, 2023
How changed this quiz
+1
Level 66
Jan 5, 2023
19 of 24 is 2 points?!
+2
Level 82
Jan 5, 2023
I didn't read the title properly and kept guessing cities like NYC :-(
+2
Level 63
Jan 13, 2023
Not me guessing Prague before looking at the caveat...still got a 19/20 though
+1
Level 70
Jan 15, 2023
I knew the last one had to be the capital of Seychelles or Mauritius but I couldn't get it to come to me. It still always catches me off-guard that a country with an obviously French name, and French[-Creole] speaking inhabitants was a British colony.
+1
Level 20
Jan 15, 2023
I was convinced I was dumb after only getting Singapore, then I realized you had to type the capital not the country.