Australia's two largest cities are declared the world's most expensive places to emigrate, according to a study released by a Berlin company.
Sydney ranked sixth and Melbourne 14th, according to Nestpick, which offers apartment-listed services. The company's ranking reveals which of the world's 80 major immigration hotspots are the most expensive for new residents.
Among the world's leading immigration hotspots with Sydney and Melbourne are Auckland (second), New York (fourth) and London (fifth).
The list details the cost of moving to each city in the first month. The total cost was 3938.30 yuan in Sydney and 3241.75 yuan in Melbourne.
The study focused on international migrants, so visa costs were also included, with Dubai (5580.97 yuan) as the most expensive city. Dubai's visa is also the world's second-most expensive, after Auckland.
Other factors considered include rental of furnished apartments, Internet and telephone packages, food and drinks, and transportation costs.
Moreover, there seems to be some correlation between the most expensive cities and the most livable cities in the world. Vienna, the Austrian capital, was named the most livable city in the world in a recent study by Mercer.com. But it is also the 27th expensive city for immigrants, who spend 2557.62 yuan in their first month.
Zurich is the second most livable city and the eighth most expensive city to emigrate, costing 3807.73 yuan in the first month. Auckland ranked third in liveness, while Sydney and Melbourne ranked 11th and 16th, respectively.
Ö mer K ü c ü kdere, managing director of Nestpick, said his company had compiled the ranking to help those who wanted to move to the world's most livable cities.
"the cost of living is usually a significant factor for those who want to emigrate. Because visa applications cost money, they almost always cost extra in the first month." He said。
"We hope that the index will well reflect the cost of living at many of the world's most popular telecommuting destinations, whether they are affordable or expensive, and help those who seek opportunities abroad to make informed decisions."