Expats can double their money by moving to the Indian city of Mumbai, according to new global research looking at how much expats can earn.
The global average salary for an expat is US$99,900 – but those working in Mumbai are glad to report their average earnings are a massive $217,165 a year.
The figures come from a global study of earnings based on information gleaned from nearly 30,000 expats by bank HSBC.
Edinburgh, Scotland, returned the lowest expat salary of $56,250 a year, while 31 cities offered jobs that paid $100,000 or more a year.
Switzerland and the USA both figured twice in the top 20 cities, while the Gulf states had four entries and Asian cities featured seven times.
Sky high cost of living
“Mumbai has the highest percentage of expats sent by their employer — these expats often benefit from relocation packages which goes some way in explaining the higher salaries expats enjoy in the city,” said Dean Blackburn, who heads HSBC Expat.
He also explained high employment and experience levels among expats and a substantial number of engineers relocating from German and infrastructure companies in other countries had bolstered Mumbai’s claim for top slot.
“Although Mumbai pays the most, the financial and technology hubs of the US and UK are the most attractive for ambitious expats eager to push their careers to the next level,” Blackburn said.
Despite Switzerland’s sky-high cost of living, the country’s high salaries and low personal tax rates saw 77% of expats in Zurich report that their disposable income had increased since moving.
Global average salaries for expats
| Rank | City | Country | Average salary |
| 1 | Mumbai | India | $217,165 |
| 2 | San Francisco | USA | $207,227 |
| 3 | Zurich | Switzerland | $206,875 |
| 4 | Shanghai | China | $202,211 |
| 5 | Geneva | Switzerland | $184,942 |
| 6 | New York | USA | $182,240 |
| 7 | Los Angeles | USA | $161,126 |
| 8 | Jakarta | Indonesia | $152,589 |
| 9 | Hong Kong | China | $148,410 |
| 10 | Paris | France | $139,602 |
| 11 | Dubai | United Arab Emirates | $138,177 |
| 12 | Moscow | Russia | $135,909 |
| 13 | Sydney | Australia | $134,368 |
| 14 | Tokyo | Japan | $132,508 |
| 15 | Doha | Qatar | $131,408 |
| 16 | Abu Dhabi | United Arab Emirates | $127,456 |
| 17 | Kuwait City | Kuwait | $123,041 |
| 18 | Bangkok | Thailand | $119,601 |
| 19 | Nairobi | Kenya | $119,182 |
| 20 | Singapore | Singapore | $117,904 |
Source: HSBC Expat Explorer
