Godskitchen 2007 - Manila Leg

Start:	Sep 15, '07 9:00p
End:	Sep 16, '07
Location:	1 Esplanade

The first Godskitchen I attended was in 2005 and I dont think I even finished the first set. hehehe

LIVE SET
SUPER STAR DJ JOHN ASKEW

A TRUE NIGHT OF PROGRESSIVE AND TRANCE MUSIC

www.bigfishmanila.com
www.godskitchen.com

StoneMoney Surf Party

Start:	Jun 29, '07 9:00p
Location:	Rock Candy, Makati

OPEN BAR 10pm-12am
it's also Joe Villatora's 30th Birthday
so come celebrate with everyone!

Ticket Sales start at 9pm
StoneMoney Surf & Music Fest Aug Tix php
300 each until Aug.1 only

Raffle tickets Php100 each (surf boards,
bags, Oakley eyewear, Reef apparel, Quik
merchandise, PowerBar Products, etc etc
etc...)

Room Bookings and payments will also be
accepted
Php 1500-10,000
get your rooms now cause we've book 3
resorts already and yeah if you get
through us its cheaper and you ensure
yourself a room -sorry slowpokes


Bring StoneMoney Students, your family,
friends, welcome and respected members
of the surfing community, non-surfers
interested, co-workers, or even the
person next to you as long as you send
your guestlist to g@stonemoney.com or
text it to 09209245299.

Wear BLACK, yellow, green, or red.
email for guestlist

Thanks = )

surfs up
G

Alliance Francaise de Manille

http://alliance.ph
The branches of the Alliance française owe their success equally to their remarkable degree of integration into the social fabric of their host countries. In accordance with their statutes, these associations set up under local law have true autonomy and are administered by local directors. This formula, which is peculiar to the Alliance française, favors the link between the teaching and cultural programs, as is shown in the promotion of local talent or in courses being run in the language of the country.

Throughout the world the branches of the Alliance française are, to their public, symbols of unity with modern day France. In this way, the network of branches of the Alliance française give the impression of a France which is open to dialogue with all world cultures.

Alliance Française de Manille (AFM) was founded in 1920 and is one of the most prominent foreign cultural institutions in the country today. A non-profit organization committed to promoting the French language and culture, AFM encourages friendly relations between the Filipinos and the French through art and educational programs.

Its new two storey building, located at 209 Nicanor Garcia Street (formerly Reposo), Bel-Air II, Makati City gives you a whole new cultural experience, veering away from the usual hustle and bustle of Metro Manila.

With French language classes, translations, a library resource center, a French restaurant, an art gallery, weekly film screenings and cultural events, AFM offers a taste of France right in the heart of Manila.

Instituto Cervantes- Manila, Filipinas

http://manila.cervantes.es/
The Instituto Cervantes is a public institution created by Spain in 1991 for the promotion and the teaching of the Spanish language and for the dissemination of the Spanish and Latin American culture. It is located in Madrid and in Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain, the birthplace of Miguel de Cervantes. There are centers of Instituto Cervantes in four continents.

El Instituto Cervantes es la institución pública creada por España en 1991 para la promoción y la enseñanza de la lengua española y para la difusión de la cultura española e hispanoamericana. Se encuentra en Madrid y en Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, España, lugar de nacimiento del escritor Miguel de Cervantes. Los centros del Instituto están situados en cuatro continentes.

Compute your Carbon Footprint!

http://www.conservation.org/xp/CIWEB/programs/climatechange/carboncalculator.xml
Ever wondered how your daily tasks impact our environment? Compute it! Here's how!

Biodiversity Hotspots - The Philippines

http://www.biodiversityhotspots.org/xp/Hotspots/philippines/
More than 7,100 islands fall within the borders of the Philippines hotspot, identified as one of the world’s biologically richest countries. Many endemic species are confined to forest fragments that cover only 7 percent of the original extent of the hotspot. This includes over 6,000 plant species and many birds species such as the Cebu flowerpecker, the Philippine cockatoo, the Visayan wrinkled hornbill, and the enormous Philippine eagle. Amphibian endemism is also unusually high and boosts unique species like the panther flying frog.

The Philippines is also one of the most endangered areas. Historically logged for timber products, today, the forests are also being cleared for farming needs and for developments to accommodate the nations growing population.

The world's second largest archipelago country after Indonesia, the Philippines includes more than 7,100 islands covering 297,179 km² in the westernmost Pacific Ocean. The Philippines lies north of Indonesia and directly east of Vietnam. The country is one of the few nations that is, in its entirety, both a hotspot and a megadiversity country, placing it among the top priority hotspots for global conservation.

The archipelago is formed from a series of isolated fragments that have long and complex geological histories, some dating back 30-50 million years. With at least 17 active volcanoes, these islands are part of the “Ring of Fire” of the Pacific Basin. The archipelago stretches over 1,810 kilometers from north to south. Northern Luzon is only 240 kilometers from Taiwan (with which it shares some floristic affinities), and the islands off southwestern Palawan are only 40 kilometers from Malaysian Borneo. The island of Palawan, which is separated from Borneo by a channel some 145 meters deep, has floristic affinities with both the Philippines and Borneo in the Sundaland Hotspot, and strong faunal affinities with the Sunda Shelf.

Hundreds of years ago, most of the Philippine islands were covered in rain forest. The bulk of the country was blanketed by lowland rainforests dominated by towering dipterocarps (Dipterocarpaceae), prized for their beautiful and straight hardwood. At higher elevations, the lowland forests are replaced by montane and mossy forests that consist mostly of smaller trees and vegetation. Small regions of seasonal forest, mixed forest and savanna, and pine-dominated cloud forest covered the remaining land area.

Emilie Simon in Manila

I was supposed to be with Alain and Bert that night, unfortunately, something sad happened to Alain's mom in Belgium, so he couldn't come. Anyway it was a nice time to meet with some friends. The concert was short but sweet, and got to hang out with the band, the people from Alliance Francaise and the French Embassy afterwards...

Photos courtesy of the great photog Daniel Tan:

For Photo Coverage & Rates Inquiries Pls Call:
Tel: 713-2502 or 713-2535
Mobile: +63917-8128367 or +63922-8852088
Email: dtan_ph@yahoo.com or dtan.ph@gmail.com

Fete de la Musique 2007 - Manille

Start:	Jun 23, '07 2:00p
End:	Jun 24, '07
Location:	Manila, The Philippines

Manila Celebrates French Spring!


[World, Blues, Jazz, Funk, Reggae and Ska + Electronic Stage] @ Nakpil cor. Orosa

PERYODIKO, TAKEN BY CARS, DAYDREAM CYCLE (CTA loves KATHY MENESES!), DRIP, MAKATHA, COSMIC LOVE, SWITCH, SALINDIWA, MILAGROS DANCEHALL COLLECTIVE, THE CHONGKEYS, THE RINKA COLLECTIVE, BAGETSAFONIK, PARAMITA, 4MH, JEEPNEY JOYRIDE, BLUE RATS (CTA loves COWBOY SANTOS!), THE SPACEFLOWER SHOW, JEROME RICO, SOUND, WAHIJUARA, BRASS MUNKY, BEMBOL ROCKERS, COFFEE BREAK ISLAND, SWISSY, OUTERHOPE, ANG BANDANG SHIRLEY, BLAZING BULALAKAW, JUAN PABLO DREAM, MUSICAL ORGASM, PINIKPIKAN, SPY, SKABECHE, JOHNNY ALEGRE AFFINITY, SINO SIKAT?

[Hip Hop, R&B Stage] @ Adriatico cor. Nakpil

CHILLITEES, OUT OF BODY SPECIAL, MOBBSTARR, JAY FLAVA, HI-C, MISCELLANEOUS, STICK FIGGAZ, SINAG+GOD’S WILL, NIMBUSNINE, KRAZYKYLE, SLICK N SLY KANE + MISTA BLAZE, SYKE, AUDIBLE, CORPORATE LO-FI, PAMILIA DIMAGIBA, THE EXPANSION TEAM, URBAN OUTLAWS, ARTSTRONG, DASH & ESP, MONIQUE WITH METAGROOVE, ILL-J, 2TAY, PEOPLE’S FUTURE, FLIPBALLAZ, AERO, AMPON, LOS INDIOS BRAVOZ, DIWATA, MIKE’S APARTMENT, DCOY+THE FANCHIZE+SUNNY BLAZE, NATHAN J, CIRCULO PUGANTES, MHCREW

[Universal / Main Stage] @ Plaza Rajah Sulayman, Roxas Blvd.

RADIOACTIVE SAGO PROJECT, UP DHARMA DOWN, STONEFREE, ORANGE N LEMONS, SALAMIN, CYNTHIA ALEXANDER, MAYONNAISE, THE DAWN, ALIBATA, MOJOFLY, WAKE UP YOUR SEATMATE, SNAKECHARMER, LALA, ERSKIN, KADANGYAN, PLUS MORE

[Rock Stage] @ Remedios Circle, Remedios St. cor. Adriatico

CHICOSCI, SIN, BADBURN, MOYG, INTOLERANT, HAMPASLUPA, BOY ELROY, HILERA, GREYHOUNDZ, COG, VALLEY OF CHROME, KAPATID (CTA loves ANJO), JOIN THE CLUB, RESSURECTED, TYPECAST, THE AMBASSADORS, CHECK, ANALOG, END OF MAN, MORTAL FEAR, EL MERCURIO, PIN UP GIRLS, DUCKS ENTERTAINMENT, THE WUDS, VOX DE MURK, REDD BOY, ETERNAL NOW, SEVERO, EFFINBOICHE, REKLAMO, DIRTY STONE YARD, GINILING FESTIVAL, APRIL MORNING SKIES, SUBSCAPULAR, DNA, QUESO

*** The Manila version of Fete de la Musique is amongst the top 10 most attended Fetes around the world.

Scientists simulate jet colliding with World Trade Center

http://www.rcac.purdue.edu/news/news_...
Researchers at Purdue University have created a simulation that uses scientific principles to study in detail what likely happened when a commercial airliner crashed into the World Trade Center's North Tower on Sept. 11, 2001.
Researchers:
Chris Hoffmann - Faculty
Sami Kilic - Former Member
Scott Meador
Voicu Popescu - Faculty
Paul Rosen - Graduate Student
Mete Sozen

Amnesty International - Working To Protect Human Rights Worldwide

http://www.amnesty.org/
Guys get your mixtape at

http://www.amnestyusa.org/Take_Action_Online/Get_the_Instant_Karma_Mixtape/page.do?id=1031079&n1=4&n2=40

and you can post it in your blogs, webpage as widgets and plays beautiful songs from the Save Darfur Album. and its for free!

My Myspace Account

http://www.myspace.com/xxxriainxxx
Everyone is free to add me up over there. :)

Guillaume The Legend Does Pool Party

Start:	Jun 23, '07 9:00p
End:	Jun 24, '07
Location:	Salcedo Mansions, Salcedo Village, Makati

Pool Party by the crazy blond Frenchman!

French Spring Fashion Show 2007

These photos has been long overdue. Thanks to Marie Julie (http://mariejulie.multiply.com/) for the photos.

Venue: Sofitel Philippine Plaza.
Sponsored by the French Embassy in Manila and my former school Alliance Francaise de Manille. Moet and Chandon supplied by Le Cellier.

April 21, 2007

I loved this show!

Soundsgood's First X Yacht Party

4th Update. More to come.

Hillary Clinton Sopranos Parody

Clinton Spoofs Sopranos in Web Video

JIM KUHNHENN | June 19, 2007 07:22 PM EST |
The Huffington post


WASHINGTON — The scene: A diner and a jukebox. A nostalgic song. A cut to black. It worked as a finale for "The Sopranos." It now marks a new beginning for "The Clintons." Hillary Rodham Clinton's presidential campaign on Tuesday unveiled its new campaign song with a Web video that spoofs the final scene of the popular HBO mobster series.

The video and the announcement of Celine Dion's "You and I" as the official Clinton tune cap a monthlong, interactive Internet campaign that drew more than a million viewers to the Clinton campaign Web site and to YouTube, the popular online video display room.

The selection of Dion, who was born in Canada, resulted in some smirking accusations from Republicans that Clinton had "outsourced" her music. In fact, Dion's "You and I" has done a turn as a theme song already _ for Air Canada in 2004.

But the song campaign and the video also illustrates the growing effort by some of the more technologically savvy campaigns to connect with voters and potential donors in clever, relatively inexpensive formats that are infused with pop culture references, contemporary themes or intimate moments.

Just this week, the campaign of former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, a Republican, posted a video featuring Romney's wife, Ann, narrating scenes of Christmas vacation last year when the family reached the decision to pursue the White House.

In the new Clinton clip, Hillary Clinton, like Tony Soprano, spins through the musical selections in a diner in Mount Kisco, N.Y., near her home in Chappaqua, as her husband, former President Clinton, quizzes her about the campaign and the song contest winner.

The Soprano touches are subtle but perfectly obvious to any fan of the series.

The music that plays through the video is not Dion's but Journey's "Don't Stop Believin,'" the same song that Tony Soprano chooses from the jukebox in the show's final scene. At one point, actor Vince Curatola, who played New York mob boss Johnny "Sack" Sacramoni in the series, walks menacingly by the Clintons' table.

Tony Soprano ordered onion rings. Hillary orders carrots for Bill. "No onion rings?" the former president asks forlornly.

"Where's Chelsea?" Sen. Clinton asks. Outside a car tire hits the curb. "Parallel parking," President Clinton replies.

"How's the campaign going?" he asks.

"Well, like you always say, focus on the good times."

"So what's the winning song," he presses.

"You'll see."

"My money is on Smash Mouth," he says. "Everybody in America wants to know how it's going to end."

"Ready?" Hillary asks.

The scene cuts to black.

But, no, unlike the Sopranos, it's not over. You can click to hear Dion's song. A new page pops up. The most prominent word stands out against a red background:

"Contribute."

Manila: one of the Cheapest Cities to live in the World in 2006-2007

While Manila is far from perfect due to issues of traffic and air quality, the pros of living in Manila actually outweigh the extremely cheap cost of living here. In a 2006 survey of 144 cities all over the world by Mercer Human Resource consulting Manila ranked 141st (in terms of cost of renting a luxury 2 bedroom unfurnished apartment per month, the cost of a music CD, cost of a bus/subway ride, the cost of a single issue of an international daily newspaper, a cup of coffee plus service, and fastfood hamburger meal). According to the same survey, Manila is also the cheapest in Asia. The indices are composed by the following categories and are weighted: Alcohol and Tobacco (Very, very cheap in Manila so that it is an alcoholic's nightmare! And these are international branded liquor and cigarettes!!), Clothing and Footwear (Being close to China pays alot! Locally manufactured clothes that are very good quality are cheap as well that sometimes Filipinos living abroad have their friends and relatives buy clothing in the Philippines!), Domestic Services, Food at Home, Food Away from Home (there are just about a restaurant in almost every corner), Health and Personal Care (The government is now promoting health tourism), Household supplies, Sports and Leisure (Just check my photo albums), Transportation and Utilities. While I don't have the copy of the 2007 Report yet (while the cost of living went up, Manila still retains the post of the cheapest Asian city to live). Here is the rest of the 2006 report:

Mercer Human Resource Consulting
Cost of Living Survey - Worldwide Rankings 2006
Rankings				COL Index
March 2006	March 2005	City	Country	March  2006	March 2005
1	4	MOSCOW	Russia	123.9	119
2	5	SEOUL	South Korea	121.7	115.4
3	1	TOKYO	Japan	119.1	134.7
4	9	HONG KONG	Hong Kong	116.3	109.5
5	3	LONDON	United Kingdom	110.6	120.3
6	2	OSAKA	Japan	108.3	121.8
7	6	GENEVA	Switzerland	103	113.5
8	8	COPENHAGEN	Denmark	101.1	110
9	7	ZURICH	Switzerland	100.8	112.1
10	10	OSLO	Norway	100	105.3
10	13	NEW YORK CITY	United States	100	100
12	15	ST.PETERSBURG	Russia	99.7	99.5
13	11	MILAN	Italy	96.9	104.9
14	19	BEIJING	China	94.9	95.6
15	22	ISTANBUL	Turkey	93.1	93.8
16	12	PARIS	France	93.1	102.2
17	34	SINGAPORE	Singapore	92	88
18	13	DUBLIN	Ireland	91.8	100
19	20	SYDNEY	Australia	91.3	95.2
20	30	SHANGHAI	China	91.2	90.4
21	17	ROME	Italy	89.8	97.3
21	54	KIEV	Ukraine	89.8	84.5
21	16	VIENNA	Austria	89.8	97.8
24	39	TEL AVIV	Israel	89.7	87.6
25	20	HELSINKI	Finland	87.8	95.2
25	73	DUBAI	United Arab Emirates	87.8	77.8
27	22	DOUALA	Cameroon	87.6	93.8
28	29	TAIPEI	Taiwan	86.8	90.6
29	44	LOS ANGELES	United States	86.7	86.7
30	64	ABU DHABI	United Arab Emirates	86	81
31	96	LAGOS	Nigeria	85.5	72.8
32	52	BEIRUT	Lebanon	85.4	84.6
32	50	HANOI	Vietnam	85.4	84.9
34	119	SAO PAULO	Brazil	85	66.6
34	50	SAN FRANCISCO	United States	85	84.9
36	18	STOCKHOLM	Sweden	84.8	96.8
37	56	HO CHI MINH CITY	Vietnam	84.2	83.8
38	52	CHICAGO	United States	84.1	84.6
39	57	MIAMI	United States	83.9	83.3
40	124	RIO DE JANEIRO	Brazil	83.5	65.4
41	123	LUSAKA	Zambia	83.4	65.6
41	24	AMSTERDAM	Netherlands	83.4	93.3
43	45	WHITE PLAINS	United States	83.2	86.6
44	63	SHENZHEN	China	82.9	81.3
45	26	ABIDJAN	Cote d’Ivoire	82.8	93
45	36	DAKAR	Senegal	82.8	87.9
47	82	TORONTO	Canada	82.6	76.2
48	71	JAKARTA	Indonesia	82.4	78.9
48	31	BRATISLAVA	Slovak Republic	82.4	89.9
50	28	PRAGUE	Czech Republic	82.1	90.8
51	58	ALGIERS	Algeria	82	81.9
52	75	ALMATY	Kazakhstan	81.9	77.6
53	46	MADRID	Spain	81.6	86
54	65	GUANGZHOU	China	81.5	80.6
55	74	SAN JUAN	Puerto Rico	81.4	77.7
56	87	VANCOUVER	Canada	81.2	74.3
56	43	BARCELONA	Spain	81.2	86.9
56	33	LUXEMBOURG	Luxembourg	81.2	88.2
59	41	ATHENS	Greece	81.1	87.2
60	40	GLASGOW	United Kingdom	80.7	87.5
61	34	FRANKFURT	Germany	80.5	88
62	67	AMMAN	Jordan	80.4	80.1
62	32	DUSSELDORF	Germany	80.4	88.4
62	27	WARSAW	Poland	80.4	91.5
65	37	MUNICH	Germany	80.2	87.8
65	24	BUDAPEST	Hungary	80.2	93.3
67	61	HONOLULU	United States	80	81.4
68	105	MUMBAI	India	79.9	70.8
69	47	BIRMINGHAM	United Kingdom	79.7	85.8
70	41	BRUSSELS	Belgium	79.5	87.2
71	98	CALGARY	Canada	79.3	72.5
72	38	BERLIN	Germany	79.2	87.7
73	110	NEW DELHI	India	79	69.9
74	68	MELBOURNE	Australia	78.8	80
75	91	ACCRA	Ghana	78.6	73.6
76	70	HOUSTON	United States	78.5	79.1
77	49	HAMBURG	Germany	78.2	85
78	72	KUWAIT CITY	Kuwait	78	78.3
79	48	ZAGREB	Croatia	77.7	85.2
80	107	MONTREAL	Canada	77.6	70.7
81	54	RIGA	Latvia	77.2	84.5
81	95	MEXICO CITY	Mexico	77.2	73.1
83	78	WASHINGTON	United States	77	77.4
84	80	MORRISTOWN	United States	76.8	76.9
84	79	BOSTON	United States	76.8	77
86	83	ATLANTA	United States	76.3	76.1
87	86	MANAMA	Bahrain	76.1	74.5
88	59	CASABLANCA	Morocco	75.9	81.6
88	66	LISBON	Portugal	75.9	80.2
90	122	OTTAWA	Canada	75.6	66.4
91	128	SANTIAGO	Chile	74.5	64.8
91	61	LYON	France	74.5	81.4
93	108	GUATEMALA CITY	Guatemala	74.3	70.4
93	97	CAIRO	Egypt	74.3	72.5
93	93	PERTH	Australia	74.3	73.5
96	60	TALLINN	Estonia	73.7	81.5
97	94	DENVER	United States	73.6	73.2
98	88	RIYADH	Saudi Arabia	73.5	74.1
99	84	BRISBANE	Australia	73.2	74.9
100	89	JEDDAH	Saudi Arabia	72.9	73.9
100	69	AUCKLAND	New Zealand	72.9	79.6
102	103	SEATTLE	United States	71.9	71.4
103	115	MONTERREY	Mexico	71.6	67.7
103	102	ST. LOUIS	United States	71.6	71.6
105	76	WELLINGTON	New Zealand	71.1	77.5
106	76	LJUBLJANA	Slovenia	71	77.5
107	119	NAIROBI	Kenya	70.9	66.6
108	89	ADELAIDE	Australia	70.6	73.9
109	105	KINGSTON	Jamaica	70	70.8
110	109	CLEVELAND	United States	69.8	70.3
111	112	PORTLAND	United States	69.7	68.8
111	81	SOFIA	Bulgaria	69.7	76.3
113	111	PITTSBURGH	United States	69.4	69.2
114	117	KUALA LUMPUR	Malaysia	69.3	67.1
114	103	BUCHAREST	Romania	69.3	71.4
116	91	VILNIUS	Lithuania	69.2	73.6
117	116	JOHANNESBURG	South Africa	69.1	67.4
118	100	LIMASSOL	Cyprus	68.7	71.9
118	118	LIMA	Peru	68.7	66.9
118	113	BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN	Brunei	68.7	68.5
121	114	PANAMA CITY	Panama	68.5	68.3
122	101	DETROIT	United States	68.3	71.8
123	85	LEIPZIG	Germany	68.1	74.8
124	119	WINSTON SALEM	United States	66.7	66.6
125	129	TEHRAN	Iran	66.4	64.4
126	99	SANTO DOMINGO	Dominican Republic	65.3	72.3
127	125	BANGKOK	Thailand	64.9	65.3
128	131	TIANJIN	China	63.6	62.5
129	130	BLANTYRE	Malawi	63.1	62.7
130	133	BOGOTA	Colombia	62.7	62.7
131	127	DACCA (DHAKA)	Bangladesh	62.5	62.5
132	132	COLOMBO	Sri Lanka	61.4	60
133	126	TUNIS	Tunisia	60.7	65.2
134	135	SAN JOSE	Costa Rica	58.1	58
135	137	QUITO	Ecuador	57.4	54.6
136	138	CARACAS	Venezuela	57.2	54.4
137	138	CHENNAI (MADRAS)	India	56.7	54.4
138	140	MONTEVIDEO	Uruguay	56.5	53.5
139	141	BANGALORE	India	56.4	51.7
140	136	KARACHI	Pakistan	56.1	56.1
141	143	MANILA	Philippines	56	49.8
142	142	BUENOS AIRES	Argentina	54.8	50.3
143	134	HARARE	Zimbabwe	50.9	58.4
144	144	ASUNCION	Paraguay	43.5	40.3

Worldwide Cost of Living Survey 2007 – city rankings
United Kingdom
London, 18 June 2007

    *
      Moscow remains the world’s most expensive city for expatriates; Asuncion in Paraguay is the cheapest
    *
      European cities dominate the top of the list
    *
      Many North American cities have dropped sharply in the rankings
    *
      London climbs three places to rank second  

Moscow is the world’s most expensive city for expatriates for the second consecutive year, according to the latest Cost of Living Survey from Mercer Human Resource Consulting. London is in second position, climbing three places since last year. Seoul moves down one place in the ranking to take third place, followed by Tokyo in fourth. Asuncion in Paraguay is the least expensive city for the fifth year running.

With New York as the base city scoring 100 points, Moscow scores 134.4 and is over two-and-a-half times costlier than Asuncion, which has an index of 50. Even so, the gap between the world’s most and least expensive cities appears to be narrowing.   

                                                                                                                                                                                               

Mercer’s survey covers 143 cities* across six continents and measures the comparative cost of over 200 items in each location, including housing, transport, food, clothing, household goods and entertainment. It is the world’s most comprehensive cost of living survey and is used to help multinational companies and governments determine compensation allowances for their expatriate employees.


“There have been some significant changes in the rankings since last year. These are primarily due to exchange rate fluctuations - in particular, the weakening of the US Dollar and strengthening of the Euro,” said Rebecca Powers, a principal and senior consultant at Mercer.

 

She added: “As companies continue to send employees on expatriate assignments, they must closely monitor changes in cost of living to ensure their expatriate compensation packages are fair and competitive.”
Europe, Middle East and Africa

Moscow is the most expensive city in Europe and in the rest of the world, for the second year running, with a score of 134.4 (compared with 123.9 in 2006).  “The appreciation of the Rouble against the US Dollar, combined with ever-increasing accommodation charges, has driven up costs for expatriates in Moscow,” said Yvonne Traber, research manager and senior associate at Mercer.

 

London has climbed three positions to second place in the ranking (score 126.3). “Steep property rental costs, together with the strengthening of the British Pound compared to the US Dollar, have contributed to the city’s high ranking,” commented Ms Yvonne Traber.

 

Other costly European cities include Copenhagen in 6th place (110.2), Geneva in 7th (109.8) and Zurich in 9th (107.6). Oslo remains in 10th place with a score of 105.8 while Milan climbs two places to position 11 (104.4). Sofia in Bulgaria is Europe’s least expensive city in 108th place with a score of 72.5.

 

The strengthening of the Euro has resulted in a number of European cities moving significantly up the ranking this year. For example, Stockholm has moved up from 36th position to reach 23rd place (score 93.1) while Amsterdam has climbed from 41st position to 25th (92.2). Cities in Spain, Greece, Germany and the UK also rank notably higher this year.


Ms Yvonne Traber commented: “The relative strength of the Euro and other European currencies, including the Swiss Franc and the Swedish, Danish and Norwegian Krone, has pushed up the living costs faced by expatriates in many European countries.”

 

Tel Aviv is the costliest city in the Middle East. The Israeli city ranks in 17th place and scores 97.7.  Dubai and Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates have moved down in the ranking this year. The main reason for this drop is that the UAE Dirham is pegged to the US Dollar. The majority of African cities covered by the survey come in the bottom half of the ranking.
The Americas

New York remains the most expensive city in North America but drops five places to position 15 (score 100).  Other North American cities have dropped more steeply and only New York and Los Angeles (position 42, score 87.1) rank in the top 50 cities.

 

“The decline of most US cities in the ranking can be attributed to the depreciation of the US dollar against the Euro and other major currencies worldwide.  The change reflects a reversal of the situation experienced this time last year, when the majority of US cities climbed the ranking due to the strength of the dollar,” said Ms Powers.

 

Toronto, the most expensive city in Canada, has dropped 35 places to position 82 (score 78.8). Calgary and Vancouver have also tumbled down the rankings, sliding from 71st place to 92nd  and 56th to 89th respectively. Ottawa remains the cheapest Canadian city in 109th position scoring 72.3. Canadian cities have traditionally rated favourably in the worldwide ranking. The new scores reflect a low rate of inflation and stable housing prices. In addition, while it has appreciated slightly against the US Dollar, the Canadian Dollar has depreciated nearly 13% against the Euro since last year’s survey.

 

Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro have dropped significantly in the ranking, but remain the most expensive cities in Latin America. Sao Paulo is now placed 62nd, compared with 34th in 2006, and is followed by Rio de Janeiro in 64th place (position 40 in 2006). Although the Brazilian Real has remained stable against the US Dollar over the last 12 months, the Brazilian cities surveyed have been pushed down the ranking as they give way to European cities that are ascending due to the buoyancy of the Euro.

 

Globally, the least costly city is Asuncion in Paraguay for the fifth consecutive year (score 50). Other low-ranking cities include Karachi, Quito and Montevideo in 142nd (score 56.1), 141st (56.3) and 140th place (58.4) respectively.
Asia

Four of the world’s top 10 costliest cities for expatriates are in Asia. Seoul ranks in 3rd place (score 122.4), Tokyo in 4th (122.1) and Hong Kong in 5th (119.4) – all have been pushed down one place this year.

 

Chinese cities have moved down the ranking this year. Beijing ranks 20th and scores 95.9, while Shanghai is in 26th place with a score of 92.1. Over the past 12 months, the value of the Chinese Yuan has decreased by around 6% against the Euro. This factor, together with a low inflation rate and stable property rental prices, has kept the major Chinese cities from moving up the ranking. Accommodation costs have not escalated because, while demand is increasing, the availability of high-quality rentals in these cities is also good.

 

In contrast, elsewhere in Asia, the cost of international-standard accommodation has pushed some cities up the ranking. For example, sharp increases in house prices have contributed to Singapore climbing from 17th to 14th position. Rising property prices have also caused Indian cities to move up the ranking – for example, Mumbai has jumped from position 68 to 52 (score 84.9).     
Australasia

Wellington is the least costly city in this region in 111th place with a score of 71.8.  Auckland climbs one place to rank 99th (score 73.9). Expatriates in Australia continue to face higher living costs than their counterparts in New Zealand. Sydney remains the most expensive city in Australia at position 21 with a score of 94.9. Melbourne occupies position 60, up 14 places from last year, and scores 82.5. Adelaide is in 96th place (score 74.7).

 

Individual reports are produced for each city surveyed. For further information or to purchase copies of the city reports, visit www.mercerHR.com/costofliving, or call Information Product Solutions, Geneva on +41 22 869 3000.   

Notes to Editors:

The figures for Mercer’s cost of living comparisons are based on a survey conducted in March 2007. The 2007 comparisons are based on a similar survey conducted in March 2006.  The information is used by governments and major companies to protect the purchasing power of their employees when transferred abroad. The choice of cities surveyed is based on the demand for corresponding data from companies and governmental organizations.

Mercer Human Resource Consulting is a global leader for HR and related financial advice and services, with more than 15,000 employees serving clients in more than 180 cities and 42 countries and territories worldwide. The company is a wholly owned subsidiary of Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc., which lists its stock (ticker symbol: MMC) on the New York, Chicago and London stock exchanges. For more information, visit www.mercerHR.com.


Exchange rates used in attached table of cost comparisons:

1 GBP = 1.944390 USD
1 GBP = 1.476181 EUR

*Harare are been excluded from this year’s rankings because the severe economic crisis in Zimbabwe has rendered costs there incomparable.

Note that the Cost of Living Indicies contained in our press release and this related article have been prepared specifically for this press release and article. The indices are based on Mercer's cost of living database and are modified to include housing and to reflect constant weighting and basket items. The results may differ from those calculated for Mercer's clients who use the results solely for the purpose of expatriate compensation. We do not recommend that expatriates use these figures to compare their own compensation packages.

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Actually there are two leading surveys for cost of living, one is being done by The Economist Intelligence Unit, of which Oslo leads the pack. Manila tho making a rise due to economic growth, is still the cheapest place to live in.