Tokyo has unsurprisingly retained its title of the most expensive city in the world, according to ECA International’s latest cost of living survey. More shocking however is Caracas’ 76-spot jump to cinch the fifteenth spot on this semi-annual list.

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ECA’s cost of living surveys are calculated to help multinational companies better plan salaries for their employees that have to live and work abroad. The list calculates the most expensive cities by comparing three broad basket of consumer goods and services:

• Food: Groceries; dairy produce; meat and fish; fresh fruit and vegetables
• Basic: Drink and tobacco; miscellaneous goods; services
• General: Clothing; electrical goods; motoring; meals out

To support the rankings we used Expatistan‘s comparative cost of living to give us a sense of just how much more expensive these cities are by using New York city as a benchmark for costs. Expatistan updates its prices on a regular basis, we highlight the most recent costs.

Note from ECA International: Certain living costs such as accommodation, utilities, car purchase and school fees are not included in the survey since they are usually compensated for separately in expatriate packages.