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Luanda, the capital city of Angola, has been ranked as the world’s most expensive city for expatriates, with Asian cities dominating the list.

In the survey conducted by advisory firm Mercer, Asian cities took five of the top ten slots, Europe had three – all from Switzerland – and the U.S. produced one.

The annual survey looks at more than just the cost to expats of renting an apartment or house.

It examines the cost of 200 items in each place, including housing, transport, clothes, food and entertainment.

Thus it compares the cost of buying a cinema ticket, a pair of jeans, a litre of water, a cup of coffee, a litre of petrol, a litre of milk, and bread and beer.

The position of Luanda, which has topped these rankings frequently in the past few years, is influenced by the cost of secure accommodation for expat staff as well as for everyday goods.

For instance, the cost of renting an unfurnished three-bedroom house of “international standards in an appropriate neighbourhood” is put at a whopping $13,000 US dollars (£10,300) a month.

Here’s a list of the top 10 most expensive cities for expats;

1. Luanda
2. Hong Kong
3. Tokyo
4. Zurich
5. Singapore
6. Seoul
7. Geneva
8. Shanghai
9. New York
10. Bern