Reading my post, “Where Not to Buy Nikes,” got my wife thinking about some of the most expensive cities she has visited and how they compare to her new home near Los Angeles. At the time, she was living in London, so the prices weren’t quite as striking as the British pound was (and still is) stronger than the US dollar.
For her, the most expensive cities visited have been Oslo, Reykjavik, and Tokyo. Let’s see how they all compare:
| Los Angeles | Oslo | Reykjavik | Tokyo | |
| Combo Meal (fast food) | $6.00 | $15.44 | $10.01 | $6.55 |
| Cappuccino (regular) | $4.00 | $5.49 | $3.67 | $3.83 |
| Dozen Eggs | $2.19 | $5.15 | $3.95 | $2.30 |
| Pair of Jeans (Levis 501) | $50.00 | $171.41 | $162.31 | $81.58 |
| Pair of Nike Shoes | $80.00 | $171.58 | $200.14 | $90.64 |
| Gasoline (1 liter) | $4.01 | $9.08 | $7.99 | $5.72 |
Clearly Oslo is the city to save up extra for. It reminds me of the travel quote attributed to Susan Heller: “When preparing to travel, lay out all your clothes and all your money. Then take half the clothes and twice the money.” I’m pleasantly surprised to see, at least on these comparisons, that Tokyo isn’t that bad considering we’re planning on going in April. And I’m still hoping to sneak Iceland in some Spring Break, I’ll just be sure to avoid Levis and Nikes.
Comparisons computed using http://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/comparison.jsp
Jeremiah Gilbert Photography 