Karachi Listed Among Economist’s 10 Most Affordable Cities in the World Again

The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) has issued the annual report on the Worldwide Cost of Living for 2022. According to the survey, Karachi is the world’s sixth most affordable city to live in.

The UK-based Economist Group’s forecasting, consulting, research, and analysis division, EIU, releases a “Worldwide Cost of Living” report every year.

As per the report, Syria’s capital, Damascus, sits at the top of the list of the most affordable cities followed by Libya’s capital, Tripoli, which steals the second spot. Due to the ongoing-armed crises in both Syria and Libya, the economies of both cities remained in turbulence this year. Tunisia’s Tunis has been ranked fourth on the list.

Surprisingly, eight Asian cities have been placed among the most affordable cities in the world. Karachi has been ranked sixth in the most recent edition of the survey, retaining its position from 2021, while Tehran (Iran), Tashkent (Uzbekistan), and Almaty (Kazakhstan) have been placed at third, fifth, and seventh positions, respectively.

In addition, India’s Ahmedabad and Chennai sit at eighth and ninth spots, while another Indian city, Bangalore, and Sri Lanka’s Colombo share the tenth rank with Algeria’s Algiers.

Criteria for Cities’ Ranking

Every year, EIU prepares a list of the world’s most affordable and most expensive cities to live in. To compile the ranking, it compares over 400 individual prices of over 200 essential commodities.

The essential commodities include food, drinks, clothing, household supplies, personal care items, and home rent, along with transport, utility bills, education, and recreational costs.

The US city, New York, acts as the survey’s base city, with an index of 100, and the other cities are ranked comparatively for the Worldwide Cost of Living report.

Furthermore, the study helps HR and finance managers assess cost-of-living allowances and develop compensation packages for expatriates and business travelers. It is carried out in supermarkets, mid-range retailers, and specialized stores.

The 2022 edition of Worldwide Cost of Living includes 172 cities. Here is the list of the top 10 most affordable cities in the world:

Rank	City	Country
1.	Damascus	Syria
2.	Tripoli	Libya
3.	Tehran	Iran
4.	Tunis	Tunisia
5.	Tashkent	Uzbekistan
6.	Karachi	Pakistan
7.	Almaty	Kazakhstan
8.	Ahmedabad	India
9.	Chennai	India
10.	Algiers	Algeria
10.	Bangalore	India
10.	Colombo	Sri Lanka

Here is the list of the top 10 most expensive cities in the world:

Rank	City	Country
1.	Singapore	Singapore
1.	New York	US
3.	Tel Aviv	Israel
4.	Hong Kong	Hong Kong
4.	Los Angeles	US
5.	Zurich	Switzerland
6.	Geneva	Switzerland
7.	San Francisco	US
8.	Paris	France
9.	Copenhagen	Denmark
10.	Sydney	Australia