【英语生活】东京是亚洲生活最贵的城市吗？

Japan is number one again, but not for good reason: Tokyo and Osaka are the two most expensive cities in Asia, according to Mercer's annual cost of living survey released on Wednesday.

This comes as news to anyone living in Tokyo these days, where the rents - usually the single-biggest expense for an expatriate -- for expat-type apartments have plunged about 10-20% since the credit crisis in 2008, as bankers fled the city in droves. Even more pressure has been put on rents since March 11, as more expats have fled Tokyo due to the uncertainty surrounding the nuclear plant situation. Eating out isn't that pricey either: a decade of deflation means that one can eat a beef sukiyaki bowl at Yoshinoya for as little as ¥280, or $3.50.

Meanwhile, in Hong Kong (fourth priciest city in Asia, after Singapore), rents are steadily climbing: 'There isn't much supply on the market now for rentals, as many landlords are choosing to sell instead and lock in the gains,' said one Hong Kong-based agent. Agents estimate that some rental prices have increased by around 20% over the past two years.

So why the heck does Tokyo keep coming in at number one on the annual survey? Mercer says the main reason is due to the strengthening of the Japanese yen against the U.S. dollar -- more than 9% this year. 'As New York is the reference city for the ranking, price movements for each city of the ranking is compared to New York, and currency fluctuations are measured against the U.S. dollar,' said a Mercer spokesperson, acknowledging that prices on the Mercer international basket of goods and services in Tokyo has slightly decreased, as the residential rental market in Tokyo has been adversely affected.

The lesson? The methodology used for compiling these lists don't always reflect true living costs. But for those of you thinking of the move to Tokyo, now's the time to do it: the survey can help you negotiate a better package when you move to a city that's certainly not the most expensive in Asia.

Bloomberg News东京，工人们在一家商铺前卸货。
日本再次排在了第一名，但却不是因为什么好事：据周三发布的美世公司（Mercer）年度全球生活成本调查报告显示，东京和大阪成为亚洲生活成本最高的两座城市。

这条消息对于近来住在东京的任何一个人来说多少有些意外。2008年信贷危机以来，由于银行家成群结队地逃离东京，外籍公寓的房租下跌了大约10%至20%。今年3月11日的天灾发生以来，房租承受的下跌压力就更大了。由于受损的核电站的情况并不稳定，更多的外籍人士逃离东京。外出就餐的成本也有所降低，长达10年的通货紧缩意味着只要280日圆（约合3.50美元）就可以在吉野家（Yoshinoya）吃一份牛肉寿喜烧。

与此同时，香港的房租却在稳步上升。香港的一位房产代理说，市场上可供出租的房屋并不多。为了锁定收益，许多业主选择卖房。据一些房产代理估计，过去两年内某些地区的房租上涨了大约20%。在今年的全球生活成本调查中，香港紧随新加坡，位列亚洲地区第四。

那么，到底为什么东京会成为亚洲地区生活成本最高的城市呢？美世公司说，主要原因是日圆兑美元的汇率走高，今年以来日圆兑美元升值超过9%。美世公司的一位发言人说，编制排名时，纽约是参考和比较的对象，入围排名的每一座城市的生活成本都和纽约比较，这座城市所在国家的货币币值变动会通过兑换成美元体现出来。这位发言人也承认，在美世公司一篮子国际商品和服务中，东京提供的商品和服务的价格略有下跌。因为东京的住宅租赁市场受到了不利影响。

从中吸取的教训？编制这些名单所用的方法并不总是真实地反映生活成本。但对于那些考虑搬到东京的人来说，现在倒是可以试试下面这个方法：利用这份调查和老板谈下更高的薪酬标准。事实上你即将前往的这座城市并非亚洲生活成本最高的地方！