This book provides the annual update of Asia Competitiveness Institute (ACI) indices and rankings of the cost of living for ordinary residents and expatriates as well as wages and purchasing power for ordinary residents, covering 105 cities around the world over the period of 2005–2016. These indices reflect the notable differences in the cost of living for expatriates and ordinary residents as expatriates tend to have different consumption patterns than that of their local counterparts. This is important because the cost of living of expatriates is often mistaken for that of ordinary residents. This book is the fourth edition in the series.
In addition to providing the annual updates of the cost of living, wages, and purchasing power indices, this book also has a special chapter covering two topics of interest. The first compares the discrepancies between the cost of living indices and rankings between ordinary residents and expatriates in different regions. The second provides a case study on Singapore's HDB resale market and the role that the public sector can play in housing markets.
Sample Chapter(s)
Foreword
Chapter 1 Understanding and Tracking Cost of Living, Wages and Purchasing Power for Expatriates and Ordinary Residents
Contents:
- Understanding and Tracking Cost of Living, Wages and Purchasing Power for Expatriates and Ordinary Residents
- Methodology on Cost of Living for Expatriates
- Methodology on Cost of Living, Wages and Purchasing Power for Ordinary Residents
- Findings on Cost of Living for Expatriates
- Findings on Cost of Living, Wages and Purchasing Power for Ordinary Residents
- Comparing Cost of Living for Expatriates and Ordinary Residents
Readership: Students; professionals; researchers; think-tanks; and, policy makers interested in developmental economics and surveys on cost of living, wages and purchasing power between residents and expatriates.
Tan Khee Giap is a Co-Director of the Asia Competitiveness Institute (ACI) and Associate Professor at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, National University of Singapore. He is also the Chairman of the Singapore National Committee for Pacific Economic Cooperation. Upon graduating with a PhD from University of East Anglia, England, in 1987 under the Overseas Research Scheme awarded by the Committee of Vice-Chancellors and Principals of the Universities of the United Kingdom, he joined the banking sector as a treasury manager and served as secretary to the Assets and Liabilities Committee for three years, there after he taught at the Department of Economics and Statistics, National University of Singapore, 1990–1993. Dr Tan joined Nanyang Technological University in 1993 and was Associate Dean, Graduate Studies Office, 2007–2009.
Dr Tan has consulted extensively with the various government ministries, statutory boards and government linked companies of Singapore government including Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Trade & Industry, Ministry of Manpower, Housing & Development Board, Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore, Singapore Tourism Board, Trade Development Board, Maritime Port Authority, Ministry of Information, Culture & Arts, Economic Development Board, Ministry of National Development, Media Development Authority, Ministry of Environment and Water Resources, Singapore Design Council, Ministry of Community Development, Youth & Sports, Singapore Press Holdings, Yayasan Mendaki, StarHub, CapitaLand and Great Eastern Life. He has also served as a consultant to international agencies such as the Asian Development Bank, Asian Development Bank Institute, United Nations Industrial Development Group, World Bank Group, World Gold Council, ASEAN Secretariat, Central Policy Unit of Hong Kong, Kerzner International, Las Vegas Sands and Marina Bay Sands.
Dr Tan is the lead author for more than 20 books, serving as journal editor and publishing widely in international refereed journals. He is the associate editor of the journal Review of Pacific Basin Financial Markets and Policies (US) and is on the editorial advisory board of the journal Competitiveness Review (UK). His current research interests include Cost of Living and Purchasing Power Index for World's 105 Cities, Global Liveable Cities Index, Ease of Doing Business Index and competitiveness analysis on sub-national economies of China, India, Indonesia and Association of South East Asian Nations.
Dr Tan was Deputy President of the Singapore Economic Society, 2004. He served in the 2002 Economic Review Committee (ERC), served as Chairman of the Task Force on Portable Medical Benefits (PMB), served as the Deputy Chairman of the IPS Forum for Economic Restructuring (IFER) in 2003 and served as a member of the Resource Panel of the Government Parliamentary Committee for Transport and Government Parliamentary Committee for Finance and Trade & Industry and Government Parliamentary Committee for Defense and Foreign Affairs since 2007. Dr Tan is currently an Independent Director of the publicly listed BreadTalk Group, Boustead Singapore, TEE Land and Chengdu Rural Commercial Bank, and Senior Business Advisor to United Overseas Bank Limited, Singapore.
Isaac Tan is a Research Assistant at the Asia Competiveness Institute (ACI), Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, National University of Singapore (NUS). He graduated from the University of British Columbia with a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations in 2015. Isaac has also studied at the University of Sydney. He hopes to pursue further studies in Public Policy and International Organizations. At ACI, Isaac is currently involved in monitoring the trends in the cost of living, purchasing power, and wages of both expatriates and ordinary citizens in different cities.
Zhang Yanjiang is a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Asia Competitiveness Institute (ACI) at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy (LKYSPP), National University of Singapore (NUS). Dr Zhang obtained his PhD in urban economics and policies from NUS in April 2018. He obtained his Master's degree in energy and environment economics from Xiamen University (China) in June 2013, and earned his Bachelor's degree from Southwestern University of Finance and Economics (China) in June 2010. Before joining ACI, he worked as research associate in the Department of Real Estate NUS. He has also led and participated in various projects studying topics such as energy planning, green building, rental housing market and housing policies. He also has served as teaching assistant and tutors in NUS, teaching modules such as Research Methodology, Real Estate Economics, and Housing Policy. Yanjiang's research focuses on Housing Economics and Policy, Housing and Land Planning, and Environment Policy. In particular, his PhD dissertation explains how a sellers' stamp duty in the Singapore private housing market removes market liquidity by deterring the selling of individual investors and how it inhibits the effectiveness of later policies aiming to cool down the housing market. After joining ACI, Yanjiang serve as the supervisor for Liveability Ranking and Simulation Studies on World's Major Cities, Supervisor for Coordinated, Innovative and Sustainable Development Index for 17 Shandong Cities, Supervisor for Annual Ranking and Simulation on Liveability of 100 Chinese Cities, Supervisor for Annual Indices for Expatriates and Ordinary Residents on Cost of Living, Wages and Purchasing Power for World's Major Cities. He has obtained the Outstanding Paper Award from the 1st China Urban Economics Scholar Forum which is held jointly by MIT, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, Peking University, Tsinghua University and other leading institutions. He has published housing policy opinions in Singapore.
Sky Chua is a Research Assistant at the Asia Competitiveness Institute (ACI), Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, National University of Singapore. He graduated with a First Class Honours from University of London with a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics and Politics. He is currently involved in the Annual Indices for Expatriates and Ordinary Residents on Cost of Living, Wages and Purchasing Power for World's Major Cities, Global Liveable and Smart Cities Index as well as the Annual Competitiveness Analysis and Development Strategies for 34 Greater China Economies. His research interest includes Public Policy, International Political Economy, Developmental Economics & Socioeconomics Studies.
