Asian cities are expensive to live in

Asian cities like Hong Kong are becoming more and more expensive for expats. Filepic

Asia has become one of the most expensive regions for people working abroad, according to a new survey, with its major cities accounting for half of the top 10 costliest expatriate destinations.

Hong Kong climbed one place from last year to become the world's second most expensive place for expats, Mercer said in its annual Cost of Living Survey, with Singapore, Shanghai, Beijing and Seoul also making the shortlist.