The spread of telecommuting and flexible work, the war in Ukraine, currency fluctuations and widespread inflation are having a significant impact on employee pay, which could have serious implications for companies in the global battle for talent. Conclusion from the Cost of Living 2022 study launched by a consulting company Mercer, which estimates the cost of living in 227 world cities for expatriates based on a pooled analysis of the comparative cost of more than 200 items in each location, including housing, transportation, food, clothing, home and entertainment. Leadership again belongs to Hong Kong. Zurich (2nd), Geneva (3rd), Basel (4th) and Bern (5th) round out the top five most expensive places in the world for expats.
Thiago Borges, business leader at Mercer Portugal, said: “The volatility caused by COVID-19 and exacerbated by the crisis in Ukraine has added to global economic and political uncertainty. This uncertainty, which goes hand in hand with significant increases in inflation in much of the world, worries expatriates about their purchasing power and socioeconomic stability.”
Foreigners paid using the origin approach usually receive a living wage allowance to maintain their purchasing power in destination countries. This subsidy is calculated by applying a cost-of-living index to a portion of workers’ net wages (their “disposable income”, i.e. the amount they spend on goods and services used daily in their place of residence).
Both inflation and exchange rate fluctuations directly affect the purchasing power of workers working outside their country of origin. The rise of remote and flexible work has also forced many employees to rethink their priorities, work-life balance and where they live. These conditions could have serious implications for companies that need to rethink their mobility strategy to stand a chance in the global battle for talent. On the other hand, this situation also provides cities with an opportunity to attract foreign investment.
“For organizations, the financial well-being of employees is a key factor in their ability to attract and retain the best talent, and with reliable and accurate data, organizations can define clear strategies for structuring their employee mobility packages. International players in unstable times”. , added Thiago Borges.
He adds: “Working and economic conditions around the world are evolving faster than ever before. Companies must carefully navigate international contract costs/packages during times of uncertainty and adapt to the new world of work to ensure business sustainability and a sustainable future for their expatriates. “, also noting that “companies need market intelligence and clear strategies to put into practice expatriate mobility packages that are competitive in uncertain times while ensuring the financial well-being of their employees, as well as business efficiency, transparency and fairness,” it said. Marta Diaz, Head of Compensation at Mercer Portugal, holds key talent,” he added.
Mercer cost-of-living data helps organizations understand the importance of tracking currency fluctuations and assessing inflationary and deflationary pressures on goods, services and housing across regions of operation. The data also helps define and maintain compensation packages for employees in international operations. In addition, the cost of living in a location can have a significant impact on its attractiveness as a place for talent and influence the decision of organizations to choose a location to expand and transform their geographic footprint.
TOP 10 most expensive
Mercer’s Cost of Living 2022 study places Copenhagen (Denmark) 11th in the world rankings, London (UK, 15th), Vienna (Austria, 21st) and Amsterdam (Netherlands, 25th) , as well as other well-known cities in Western Europe, in addition to the aforementioned Swiss cities of Zurich, Geneva, Basel and Bern.
The most expensive city in Eastern Europe is Prague (Czech Republic), which ranks 60th out of 227 cities. It is followed by Riga (Latvia, 79th), Bratislava (Slovakia, 105th) and Tallinn (Estonia, 140th). The cheapest city in Eastern Europe is Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, ranked 209th.
In turn, Lisbon, which has dropped 26 positions in the ranking, is now below the middle of the table of European cities, yielding to cities such as Madrid or Barcelona.
