A recent analysis of overnight prices in three-star hotels in key world cities undertaken by booking service hotel.info has shown that Moscow is the most expensive hotel city in the world.

The average overnight stay in the Russian capital costs £125 and is often more expensive than the average rate in other world metropolises. Only New York comes close to Moscow with an average rate of £122.

In Tokyo and Sydney, a similar night in a single room costs around £70. Compared with the Russian capital, this represents a price difference of almost 80%. Moscow is expensive, but Warsaw (at £66 per night) confirms the general belief that hotels in Eastern Europe are comparatively cheap.

Scandinavia has certainly earned its reputation for high prices, with Copenhagen, Oslo, Stockholm and Helsinki among the 10 most expensive cities in the world to find hotel accommodation. Zurich in Switzerland is also in the top 10. In Paris, Rome and Madrid a bed costs an average of £73 for a night in a thee-star hotel.

The hotel.info Price Index has been compiled from all bookings made in the first quarter of 2008 by customers of hotel.de and TravelRes in the three-star category. The statistical basis used is the price for one overnight stay in a single room without breakfast. In order to remove currency fluctuation, prices relate to the average exchange rate in the first quarter of 2008 (£1 = €1.3).

hotel.info Top 25 most expensive cities to stay globally, with average price for a one-night stay
1. Moscow: £125
2. New York: £122
3. Chicago: £99
4. Copenhagen: £94
5. Oslo: £91
6. Stockholm: £89
7. Helsinki: £84
8. Zurich: £80
9. Paris: £79
10. London: £79
11. Rome: £77
12. Barcelona: £76
13. Miami: £73
14. Sydney: £70
15. Milan: £68
16. Tokyo: £68
17. Warsaw: £66
18. St. Petersburg: £66
19. Madrid: £64
20. Los Angeles: £62
21. Dubai: £61
22. Toronto: £60
23. Yokohama: £59
24. Vienna: £57
25. Singapore: £57