On Thursday the consulting company Mercer published its annual cost of living guide for expatriates, which covers 211 cities around the world. The survey compares the prices of over 200 goods and services frequently purchased by expats. Unsurprisingly, Copenhagen featured high on the list at number 15.

Less than London
Copenhagen is the most expensive capital in the Nordic countries. Next came Oslo at number 20. Stockholm at 38 and Helsinki at 42.

But it could be worse. London is more expensive, as is all of Switzerland it would seem. The Alpine nation has no less than three cities in the top ten.

There are also some entries on the list that are more surprising. Cnbc.com comments that the world’s second and third most expensive expat cities, Angola’s capital Luanda and N'Djamena, the capital city of Chad, are in countries not renowned for their wealth. In both cases, the premium paid by expats for importing goods drives the cost of living up.

For those wanting to live in a cheap northern European capital city, Berlin, at number 68 appears to be the best choice.