Graphics: What Does US$ 100 Mean to Expatriates Around the World?

(Beijing) -- Living standards vary greatly for expatriates around the world. With US$ 100 in hand, overseas employees of government agencies or multinationals can buy 1.8 pairs of jeans in New York City, 60 liters of milk in London or 0.8 days worth of rent in an upscale apartment in downtown Beijing.

Labor consulting firm Mercer LLC recently released this year's report on cost of living for expats in more than 200 cities around the world. Shanghai and Beijing each rose four spots from last year, making them the 10th and 11th most expensive cities on the list, respectively. This is largely the result of the strengthening yuan. Mercer said the cost of living for foreigners in Beijing and Shanghai exceeded that in New York as early as 2008. The most expensive cities in the world are Luanda and N'Djamena, the capitals of Angola and Chad, where almost all of the goods whose prices Mercer surveys must be imported.