Amsterdam drops in cost of living survey

The Dutch capital has dropped from 24th to 41st place in the later Mercer Worldwide Cost of Living Survey. Amsterdam is now on a par with the Zambian capital Lusaka and is cheaper than Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam. But before you go and open the champagne bottle, the bad news is that Amsterdam's fluctuation in rank was due to currency exchange rates and rising costs in other cities. "The euro has weakened against a number of currencies, for example the Canadian and US dollars, reducing the cost of living for expatriates in many European countries," Mercer spokeswoman Anna Krotova said. It means that expats moving from USD-based countries will benefit from the improved exchange rate when they move to Amsterdam. Mercer’s survey covers 144 cities across six continents and measures the comparative cost of over 200 items in each location, including housing, transport, food, clothing, household goods and entertainment. Read more: Eurogates. Forum of education news