But you mus understand the reason for that rapid increase:
"Mercer's cost-of-living indices are designed for today's
multinational companies who transfer employees to and from a
multitude of countries. Our unique international basket of goods
and services is the result of extensive research of actual
expatriate spending habits, allowing our indices to reflect a
reality-based international expenditure pattern."
From what I can tell, the index is designed with expats in mind. So
that is the case, the rapid 'improvement' in Singapore's ranking is
easy to explain. Just take a look at the rapid rise in property
prices and rentals at the high-end of the market.
Whether Mercer's index is relevant for the average Singaporean is
another story.
So, my point is this: If you are trying to show that things have
gotten worse for Singaporeans, please look deeper into the data. I
may not disagree with you about cost-of-living issues, but the data
you have cited does not necessarily support your claims.
regards,
obiterdicta
