Hong Kong's high-end apartments are the world's most expensive to rent, followed by Tokyo and New York, reflecting high living costs in those cities, a survey on expatriate accommodation showed Tuesday.

An executive three-bedroom apartment in Hong Kong costs more than US$8,500 a month, according to the survey by United Kingdom-headquartered human resources consultancy ECA International.

Rents for typical expatriate apartments in Hong Kong rose an average 10 per cent last year and 15 per cent in 2005, thanks to the Chinese territory's robust economic growth, said Lee Quane, general manager of ECA International Hong Kong.

Widening gap

The gap between Hong Kong and the rest of the most expensive cities was widening, he added.

The survey compared rental prices in 92 locations worldwide, the firm said in a statement.

Moscow was ranked fourth most expensive, followed by Seoul, London, Mumbai and Shanghai, the survey found.

The Venezuelan capital of Caracas was ranked ninth as expatriates there need to live in high-security compounds for safety reasons, Quane said.

Paris was ranked 10th.

The cheapest location of the 92 cities was Nairobi, Kenya, where a three-bedroom apartment cost about US$1,000 a month, the survey said.

- AP