Pandemic topples Hong Kong from most expensive city in Mercer 2021 rankings

Ashgabat in Turkmenistan is the surprise entry as the most expensive city in the world for international employees, pushing Hong Kong to second place, Mercer's latest 2021 Cost of Living City Rankings has revealed.  Beirut ranked third, climbing 42 positions up the ranking as a result of a severe and extensive economic depression due to the escalation of several crises — the country's largest ever financial crisis, COVID-19 and the Port of Beirut explosion in 2020. Tokyo and Zurich each dropped one spot from third and fourth respectively to fourth and fifth positions, and Shanghai ran...