2006年NPR美国国家公共电台二月-Life in Oslo, World's Most Expensive City

If you're heading to Oslo, be prepared to shell out lots of krone. It's now the most expensive city in the world. That according to the Economist 1 Intelligence Unit's bi-annual Worldwide Cost of Living Survey, Oslo has dethroned Tokyo, which held the top spot for 14 years. For a sense of, what it costs to live in Oslo, we've called Kristin Joys, she's a real estate 2 agent in the Norwegian capital. Thanks for being with us.

Eh hmm.

And give us a sense of a daily event, maybe, ah. . , a cup of coffee in Oslo, what would that cost?

Eh, a cup of coffee would cost 15 Kroners if you go to a coffee bar.

15 Kroner.then 1 Krone is 15 cents?

Eh, yeah, so I would say it's about 2 dollars.

2 dollars, OK, well that sounds about like what you might end up paying here and some parts of the country, anyway depending on how , how good that coffee is. Eh, what about a movie ticket?

100 Krones.

100 Kroners, so 15 dollars.

Yeah.

That better be a good movie.

Oh, yes, I`ve just been to the "Penguin`s March" today.

Oh, "The March of the Penguins 3".

Yeah, " March of the Penguins", yes.

And was it worth 100 Krones?

To me, yes, but not to my grandchildren who were 6 and 8.

They didn`t think it was, it was worth the price.

They thought it was a little too much walking.

Too much walking of the penguins?

Not happening anything.

Now if you go out to dinner at a, at a reasonably nice restaurant, nothing, nothing extravagant 4, and better something decent 5, eh, what would you end up paying for 2 people would you say?

For 2 people, if you have some glasses of wine, you would end up (ur) paying about 1000 Kroners each, 2000 Krones.

That's about 300 dollars, I think.

Yeah.

That would make you think twice for sure.

Yeah, absolutely.

Is , is the kind of thing that you get used to, that, this is just what things cost in Norway?

Well, yes, it looks like people are getting used to it, but I am not because I think twice to go to a restaurant. But I think the average people, they'd . . . the young people go much more to restaurants than my generation. I am (ur) 60 years old, and I am not used to these prices. But the young people are.

There must be bargains. There must be something that`s just a great deal.

Yes, well, you don`t pay anything for the nature we have.

Ha ha. . That's free.

That`s free yes. It`s difficult to find bargains but it is a good country to live in , peaceful and, and the bargains is that you can walk on / the steets and feel fairly secure 6 so, eh, but bargains when you go shopping? no, I don`t think so.

Well, Kristin Joys, it's good to talk with you, thanks very much.

Thank you for calling me.

Kristin Joys spoke 7 with us from Oslo. Again , the newly 8 named most expensive city in the world. 8 of the top 10 cities on the Economist Intelligence Unit's list are in Europe. They include London at number 7, Paris at number 4, and Zurich and Geneva at numbers 8 and 9.

Tokyo which, as Melissa has said, held the top spot since 1991 now falls to number 2, with its neighbour Osaka tied with Paris for number 4. Perhaps the United States can be happy that it doesn't do very well on this list. New York City ranks as most expensive among American cities, but globally it`s only number 27.

As for the least expensive cities in the world, where bargains abound 9, it's San Jose, Costa Rica, at 120. New Delhi at 122. Manila and the Philippines at 127, and the winner, the least expensive city. It`s the capital of Iran. Tehran is ranked 128 .