Why on earth is this country so expensive?

"The Economist Intelligence Unit's livability ...report placed Vancouver, BC, Canada as the most livable city in the world... The survey said "In the current global political climate, it is no surprise that the most desirable destinations are those with a lower perceived threat of terrorism.""

I'm happy to be anywhere that the editors and readership of the Economist don't want to live.

And if they're seriously taking 'perceived' threat of terrorism into account as a variable, they need to HTFU.

i think the perceived threat of terrorism is a very minor part of the rankings. most of the weighting is based on more general standard of living measures - wealth, health, education, weather, infrastructure... you know.