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Vancouver has surpassed Toronto as Canada’s most expensive city, according to Mercer’s latest cost of living survey.

Up thirty-five places from last year, Vancouver (107) has overtaken Toronto (119) to become the most expensive Canadian city in Mercer’s 2017 Cost of Living Survey ranking, followed by Montreal (129) and Calgary (143).

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Ottawa (152) is the least expensive major city in Canada.

“The Canadian dollar has appreciated in value triggering the major jumps in this year’s ranking,” the report said.

The survey covers 209 cities across five continents and measures the comparative cost of more than 200 items in each location, including housing, transportation, food, clothing, household goods, and entertainment.

Governments and major companies use data from the Mercer survey to protect the purchasing power of their employees when transferred abroad.

In general, Asian and European cities – particularly Hong Kong (2), Tokyo (3), Zurich (4), and Singapore (5) – are the most expensive cities for expatriates. The most expensive city, driven by cost of goods and security, is Luanda (1), the capital of Angola.