KUWAIT: Kuwait is ranked 131st worldwide on the Mercer Cost of Living Index for expats, and seventh in the Gulf region, out of 227 cities around the world, despite a rise in inflation in Kuwait and around the world that has made expat workers increasingly worried about their purchasing power. Kuwait City is the second cheapest Gulf city behind Doha, Qatar, which is eighth in the Gulf and 133rd worldwide.

Hong Kong, Zurich and Geneva are the top three most expensive cities for foreign workers, with Basel fourth, Bern fifth, and New York and Singapore in seventh and eighth spots respectively, followed by Tokyo and Beijing. The Mercer index reflects issues that have an effect on the lives of expat workers worldwide. The return of high inflation all over the world has made expat workers worried over their purchasing power, which led them to expect an increase in their salaries.

In the Arab world, Dubai and Abu Dhabi are the 31st and 61st most expensive cities for foreign workers, followed by Riyadh in 103rd place, Jeddah (111), Manama (117), Muscat in 119th place, Doha (133), Cairo (154), Rabat (162) and Tunis in the 220th spot. Ankara is the least expensive city on the list in 227th place, while Bishkek is 226th, Dushanbe (225), Islamabad and Karachi 224th and 223rd respectively, Istanbul 222nd and Tashkent in the 221st spot.