Most Expensive Cities for Real Estate

With property prices rising around the world, the most expensive cities for real estate investment in 2018 don’t give many metres squared for your money.

So, which are the most expensive cities in the world to invest in property, and what can you get for your investment?

Real estate brokerage Knight Frank has researched what investors can expect for $1 million in the world’s major cities and published a top twenty list of the priciest areas on the planet.

The famous principality of Monaco still reigns as the most expensive market in the world, where your $1 million dollars will purchase you the equivalent of a walk-in wardrobe at just 16 square metres (172 square feet).

Second place goes to Hong Kong. The heavily populous city can offer 22 square metres (236 square feet) for the same million-dollar investment.

The last podium place goes to New York where the same investment would secure 25 square metres (270 square feet) of the Big Apple.

London just missed out on the medal places in fourth. The UK capital offers 28 square metres, way less than the 39 square metres available in fifth placed Singapore.

The report also highlighted how much property prices have risen over the past year, saying: ‘2017 was a year when the economic stars aligned, and relatively healthy growth was seen across most markets.’

The majority of cities saw real estate prices rise during 2017. In Monaco and New York, $1 million buys 1 less square metre than it did a year ago. In fourth placed London, $1 million buys 28 square metres, 2 metres less than a year ago.

Los Angeles saw even stronger price rises, with $1 million now buying about 620 square feet, compared with about 657 square feet a year ago.

The last two places in the top twenty were taken up by Cape Town, South Africa, where $1 million will get you 157 square metres (1,700 square feet), and Sao Paulo in Brazil at 173 square metres (1,800 square feet). Though Sao Paulo has also risen greatly in price. A year ago the $1 million budget would have been able to purchase 1,900 square feet.

Overseas property investors with big wallets know where to go.

Most Expensive Cities

SQ Metres   City

16                Monaco

22                Hong Kong

25                New York

28                London

39                Singapore

41                Geneva

46                Paris

48                Sydney

54                Shanghai

58                Los Angeles

66                Beijing

76                Tokyo

77                Berlin

78                Miami

90                Melbourne

92                Mumbai

98                Istanbul

138               Dubai

157               Cape Town

173               Sao Paulo