I’m aware studies comparing cell phone charges generally have to be taken with a grain of salt (especially cross-country studies like the following one), but this one coming from the Japanese Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications is pretty interesting.

It’s not really a “world” ranking, but the ministry compared [JP, PDF] cell phone charges in seven major cities in Europe, Asia and the US. The result in a nutshell: New Yorkers are pretty lucky, Parisians aren’t.

Cell phone charges in Paris were the highest in in fiscal 2008 (at the end of March 2009), with one minute costing $0.33. New York is on the other end of the spectrum with just $0.11. Here is the complete breakdown:

1. Paris: $0.33 per minute
2. Tokyo: $0.28
3. Düsseldorf (Germany): $0.23
4. London: $0.17
5. Seoul: $0.13
6. Stockholm: $0.13
7. New York: $0.11

The ministry compared the cheapest rate plans of those cell phone carriers in the seven cities that have the largest market share.

Picture credit: Bling Ring