Bern, Switzerland

Casual lunch: $28.80

Dozen eggs: $8.40

Movie ticket: $19.10

Bern, capital of Switzerland, is the home to most governmental operations, many engineering companies, as well as medical, IT and automotive technology companies. The city that puts out luxurious items like Rolex, Swatch and Longines naturally charges a pretty penny for the high life.

Kobe, Japan

Casual lunch: $15.60

Dozen eggs: $3.10

Movie ticket: $20.80

One of the most active ports in Japan, Kobe is a culinary center for the country. It is best known for producing the expensive and rare Kobe beef. But the high-grade life comes at a high cost.

Geneva, Switzerland

Casual lunch: $33.70

Dozen eggs: $8.60

Movie ticket: $19.20

Geneva is home to the United Nations building and the International Committee of the Red Cross, among other international organizations. Also a major banking city, Geneva attracts many wealthy professionals and tourists.

Luanda, Angola

Casual lunch: $52.40

Dozen eggs: $5.20

Movie ticket: $13.90

Even though the city experiences a high poverty rate, it still manages to be one of the priciest places for expatriates to settle down and enjoy a high quality of life.

Zurich, Switzerland

Casual lunch: $32.90

Dozen eggs: $7.90

Movie ticket: $19.60

Zurich is the financial center for Switzerland, home to the Swiss Stock Exchange, Credit Suisse and Swiss Re. It was ranked the second city in the world for quality of life in 2010, but that quality doesn’t come cheap.

Yokohama, Japan

Casual lunch: $16.90

Dozen eggs: $4.20

Movie ticket: $21.70

Yokohama is the second largest city in Japan, and just a train ride away from Tokyo. The IT-firm dense city is a major port, and exports many cars and auto parts.

Stavanger, Norway

Casual lunch: $32.30

Dozen eggs: $6.80

Movie ticket: $17.30

Once oil was found near Stavanger, the city became a main player in the country’s major exports as well as an economic hub. But both residents and non-citizen settlers pay a high price to live in the moneymaking city.

Nagoya, Japan

Casual lunch: $19

Dozen eggs: $3.60

Movie ticket: $21.80

Nagoya is a Japanese center for industrial and technological companies and is known for competitive business costs. Nagoya remains one of the only major Japanese cities largely unaffected by the economic downturn.

Oslo, Norway

Casual lunch: $45.20

Dozen eggs: $8.50

Movie ticket: $18.80

The capital of Norway handles much of the country’s trade, shipping and finances, and is home of the Oslo Stock Exchange. Oslo has held the title of one of the most expensive cities for several years.

Tokyo, Japan

Casual lunch: $20.80

Dozen eggs: $4.50

Movie ticket: $23.80

The estimated rent for a two-bedroom apartment in Tokyo is over $4,000. Although the city has fallen in the consumer price index, it still holds the title of world’s most expensive city.