Moscow has retained its status as the most expensive city in Europe for expatriates, according to a survey by Mercer consultancy group said.
Moscow was also rated the fourth most expensive city in the world, the same ratings it achieved in last year’s survey.
The Angolan capital Luanda came in first place followed by Tokyo and the Chadian capital N’Djamena, in second and the third places.
Russia’s second-largest St. Petersburg also made it on the list but was far down in 29th place.
The survey, held in March 2011 assessed costs for 200 goods and services in 214 world cities.
Moscow ranked just 25th on the 2010 Global City Index ranking, which takes into account business activity, human capital, information exchange, cultural experience, and political engagement.
Over the past two decades, Moscow has undergone a dramatic transformation from a communist citadel to a vibrant modern-day metropolis, but has suffered from increasing pollution, traffic problems and rising costs.