Some of the most expensive haircuts around the world
If you are looking to save money on your monthly hair maintenance, steer clear of Switzerland.
In a report last year, investment bank UBS reported that, on average, Geneva and Zurich were the most expensive places in the world to have your hair cut.
As may be expected, it generally costs more to get your hair cut if you are a woman, no matter where in the world you live. Globally, the report’s authors said, women pay about 40 per cent more than men.
“In Jakarta and Hong Kong, women pay on average almost the same as men, whereas in Dublin and Cairo, the price for women is almost three times higher than for men,” wrote Andreas Hoefert, the former UBS chief economist.
“For the price of one women’s haircut in Oslo, men could afford to get their hair cut 18 times in Nairobi.”
Here is what high-end stylists charge in some of the world’s biggest cities.
London Stuart Phillips
This hairdresser made his name attending to British reality-TV stars and the wives of Russian oligarchs. The Diamond VIP package offered by his salon costs almost $26,000 and includes limo service, live music, products and a scalp massage by Phillips before he cuts your hair.
Richard Ward
This salon first found fame as the go-to blow-dry spot of choice for the Duchess of Cambridge (as well as her sister, Pippa, and mother, Carole Middleton), and Ward tended to the hair of the future queen on her wedding day in 2011. A wash, cut and finish with the man himself will set you back about $420 if you are a woman, and a more reasonable $140, if you are a man.
George Northwood
The shaggy cool Britannia bob of Alexa Chung and the shaggy mop of actor Nicholas Hoult are the responsibility of Northwood, known as the “hair magician” and possessed of a three-month waiting list. A cut by him starts at $390.
Paris David Mallet
This affable Aussie is on the speed dial of every major designer, model and actress in Paris, as well as the French Vogue editor, Emmanuelle Alt. He charges women about $270 for a cut and finish, and men about $163.
David Lucas
On the third floor of a Haussmann-style building on the Rue Danielle Casanova, close to l’Opéra, one can find the hairstyling apartment of David Lucas. Prices are calculated via hair length rather than sex, so a Brazilian straightening treatment begins at $290, while a scattering of balayage highlights starts at $390.
Christophe Robin
Robin has forged a reputation as the colourist of choice for designers John Galliano and Alber Elbaz, actress Tilda Swinton and model Natalia Vodianova. Prices go as high as $920 for a colour and consultation appointment.
Mumbai, India Hakim’s Aalim
During a visit to Hakim’s Aalim, a hair-and-tattoo lounge founded by Aalim Hakim Kairanvi, the son of India’s first celebrity hairdresser, Halim Kairanvi, you can expect Western-style prices (and a live DJ). A cut with the creative director for men is about $260, while for women it’s $290 (with the blow-dry done by an assistant).
Moscow Dolores
The grande dame of Russia salons is Dolores, founded by Dolores Kondrashova, the president of the Russian Hairdressing Union, in 1991. It is everything you would expect of a Muscovite hair haven: mirrored walls, gold chandeliers and a white grand piano in the corner. And then there are the wash and blow-dry prices, lower than in previous years thanks to the devaluation of the ruble: a snip at $300.
Beijing Tony Studio
The average cost in this city for a haircut for men is $5.24, and for women $9.27, according to UBS. For A-list service, head to one of 12 Tony Studios. The owner, Tony Li, favoured by celebrities and fashion folk, is fast becoming a household name. Lowlights for long hair start at $115, while a blow-dry is just $15.