Where to Live?

Despite the seemingly massive amount of migration around the world (and it IS large in absolute terms), and the two hundred year march from a very small fraction of people living in cities to now more than half of us living there, most people ever born do not move. Or, if they do, they don't go too far. World elites, however, are in a position to move pretty much anywhere they want, and it is of continuing interest to see where those popular places might be. Two stories popped up this week with that theme. BBC News reported on the most expensive cities for expats (people moving to a country outside their place of birth/citizenship). Top on the list--wait for it--was Luanda, the capital of Angola. The second most expensive city was also in sub-Saharan Africa: N'Djamena, the capital of Chad. 

African cities ranked highest in the survey due to currency fluctuations, higher prices for imported goods, and more expensive accommodations.

The most expensive European cities for expats were in Switzerland--Zurich, Geneva, and Bern.

At the other extreme was the list of small towns in the U.S. where you might like to live (although they too are likely to cost you quite a bit). The New York Times summarized six such lists and found that the top cities on two of those lists were in--wait for it--New Mexico (Santa Fe and Los Alamos). However, unless I miscounted, only two cities showed up on more than one of the lists: Telluride, CO, and Woodbury, MN. I'm sure that next year's lists will be different, of course, so you have to stay on top of this stuff if you intend to move.