Expat cost of living: 76 world cities are more expensive than Brussels, study finds

Expat life in Brussels is more affordable than in 76 other world cities, according to a new league table comparing the cost of living for mobile professionals worldwide.

The Belgian capital slipped 10 places this year from 67th to 77th most expensive, in a study by consultancy firm Mercer comparing 209 global cities.

Mercer says the lower ranking for Brussels is due to a weaker euro against the dollar - and the result says more about cost-of-living growth in other cities than it does about Brussels' affordability.

Property prices place Hong Kong as the most expensive city to relocate to as a foreigner, according to the research. Tokyo, Singapore and Seoul are close behind.

New York is the most expensive American city to live in as an expat. The only European city to make the global top 10 is Zurich.

Brussels is ranked as more affordable than Bern (12th), Geneva (13th), London (23rd), Milan (45th), Paris (47th) and Oslo (61st).

The Belgian capital fares slightly worse than Berlin and Madrid, ranked 81st and 82nd respectively.

The survey is drawn up to give multinational corporations and governments an idea of how much they should be paying their expat staff.

Researchers compared the cost of housing, transport, food, clothing, household goods and leisure.

If you're looking for the cheapest expat city in the world, start searching for a job in Tunis.