Where is the priciest residential property? Hong Kong keeps crown, but livability drops

Deutsche Bank cuts the financial hub’s quality-of-life standing as soaring expenses squeeze households, and Seoul emerges as a tech-driven regional competitor Hong Kong has retained its position as the world’s most expensive residential property market despite a 10 per cent price decline from pre-pandemic levels, according to a new Deutsche Bank report warning that housing affordability continues to weigh on living standards. The investment bank lowered the city’s quality-of-life ranking to 55th this year, down from 48th in 2025. Even so, the financial hub has maintained its appeal to international investors and high earners when factoring in residents’ purchasing power and overall livability, according to the 10th edition of the “Mapping the World’s Prices” report, co-authored by Jim Reid and Galina Pozdnyakova. “Hong Kong remains a global magnet for talent and capital,” the analysts said. “The richest cities are not always the easiest places to live.” The ranking assessed residential property purchase prices across 69 cities worldwide. Prices were converted into US dollars and measured by the purchase costs of flats, with comparisons made against 2016 levels and the pre-Covid-19 baseline from 2019.

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