KL, JB & Georgetown getting to be expensive

Kuala Lumpur, Johor Baru and George Town are among the cities earning the reputation as most expensive in Asia, according to a latest cost living survey.

KL is ranked 38th, JB 40th and Georgetown 42nd, said the survey on the 50 most expensive cities in Asia carried out by ECA International for 2009.
Globally, KL is ranked 210, JB 216 and Georgetown 218.

ECA, a leading knowledge and solutions provider for international human resources professionals, said strong currencies were pushing up the cost of living in Asian locations.

It said Tokyo remained the most expensive city in Asia, due largely to the appreciation of the yen against other major currencies.

Joining the Japanese capital in the region’s top 10 are Beijing (ranked 5th), Shanghai (6th), Hong Kong (7th) and Singapore (10th).

ECA regional director for Asia Lee Quane said the strengthening of Asian currencies was the dominant factor contributing to the region being more expensive for visitors than it was 12 months ago.