Packing up and moving overseas can be an appealing prospect. But it can be an expensive one, too — especially if you have your heart set on Asia.

That's according to research from consultancy Mercer, which found that Asian cities lead the way among the priciest destinations for employees living abroad.

In its 2018 cost of living survey, the firm found that four of the world's five most expensive cities for expats were in Asia, while just one was in Europe.

The annual survey examined the costs of 200 common expenses, including accommodation, transport, clothes, food, entertainment and gas.

New York City is used as the base city for all comparisons, and currency movements are measured against the U.S. dollar.

U.S. cities did not figure in this year's top ten, however. Aside from Asia, Europe and Africa dominated the list. Switzerland's capital Bern ranked as the tenth most expensive city, followed by Beijing, China (9); N'Djamena, Chad (8); Shanghai, China (7); and Luanda, Angola (6).