Slow return to office: The most expensive cities for commuters identified
Office life. Image (C) Tim Sandle.
While hybrid working has become the norm, according to new research, over half (64 percent) of CEOs anticipate that workers will return to the office full-time by 2026. The cost of doing so may surprise those workers who have stayed away, given the surge in inflation that has impacted many countries.
With this in mind, which cities worldwide are the least budget-friendly for commuters?
This is something the firm Business Name Generator has been considering. The company has assessed 40 cities worldwide, looking at various metrics including the cost of a monthly travel pass and the cost of a coffee. The team has also provided top tips for those returning to the office full-time. This is part of a wider study to reveal the best cities in the world for office-based working.
The main outcomes are shown in the table below.
The least affordable cities for office workers worldwide
| Rank | City | Country | Cost of a coffee (US$) | Commute costs (US$) |
| 1 | London | UK | $4.47 | $227.09 |
| 2 | Sydney | Australia | $3.34 | $145.04 |
| 3 | Melbourne | Australia | $3.48 | $132.34 |
| 4 | New York | USA | $5.61 | $132.25 |
| 5 | Dublin | Ireland | $4.20 | $1 |
