Wealthy bargain hunters should be wary of getting married in New York, hiring lawyers in Hong Kong or buying fine wines in Rio de Janeiro.

That’s according to research from Julius Baer Group, which broke out the world’s most expensive cities for a variety of luxury goods and services - from houses to whisky to handbags. High local tax rates make Rio de Janeiro - Brazil’s second-largest city - the world’s most expensive metropolis in five of 18 categories in the Swiss bank’s “Global Wealth and Lifestyle Report 2020.”

New York ranked as the priciest place to lay on a 400-person wedding banquet or hire a personal trainer, while London took the top spot for the laser eye surgery that clears blurry vision. Still, Hong Kong is the world’s most expensive city overall, with the former British colony cited frequently in the top 10 priciest municipalities for categories such as fine dining, hotel suites and luxury cars. (Bloomberg)