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Visitors to Toronto spend more money on cabs than anywhere else in the world, study finds

Fresh off news that Toronto is now more expensive to live in than New York City, a new study of business travalers' expense accounts has found visitors in Toronto spend more on cabs than anywhere else in the world.

The Wall Street Journal asked the expense-management company Concur Technologies to look at data from 8.3 million expense reports in an effort to get insight into how business travelers spend company money.

They found Toronto was the most expensive city in the world for ground travel, with visitors averaging $66 of spending on cabs per trip. The next closest cities on the list were Munich, Germany, at $61 and Zurich, Switzerland, at $59. The average for all cities on the list was $34.

A 2010 study, reported widely in the Toronto media, found the capital of Ontario had the 20th most expensive taxis in the world. So why the number one ranking on the business travel list?

Scott Deveau, a financial writer at the National Post, tweeted his explanation Friday morning. "Any guesses why Toronto tops this list of most expensive ground travel? #noraillinktopearson."

The lack of an economical solution for traveling to and from Toronto's Pearson Airport and the downtown core has long been a source of complaint for residents and visitors alike. Ideas for a rail link to the airport have been studied since the late '80s.

Metrolinx, the organization charged with managing transportation in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton areas by the Ontario government, is now building the Air Rail Link to connect Pearson and downtown, but it's not scheduled to be completed until 2015 when the Pan American Games come to the city.

Until then, visitors must either take a bus then a subway on the TTC, an airport shuttle bus ($23.95 for a one-way ticket) or rent a car. The only other option is a cab, which seems to be the choice favoured by most business travelers.

While $66 for cab fares may seem extreme to some, the total pales in comparison to some of the more unusual items turned up in the expense study. One report listed $22,000 for a jet rental, while another showed $944 for samba dancers.

(Photo: Reuters)