Which cities cost the most to live in?
Pick your city. See how it stacks up against 43 cities worldwide.
Where does your city rank?
Select a city to see how its cost of living compares to 43 cities around the world.
Most expensive
🇨🇭 Zurich
Baseline (NYC = 100)
🇺🇸 New York
Most affordable
🇪🇬 Cairo
43 Cities at a Glance
Each dot is a city. The X-axis shows cost of living, the Y-axis shows local purchasing power. Cities in the top-left offer the best value. Click any dot to explore.
EuropeAmericasSouth AmericaAsiaAfricaOceania
Full City Ranking
All 43 cities ranked by Cost of Living Index (NYC = 100). Click any city for details.
What the city data reveals
5.1x price gap
The most expensive city costs 5.1 times more than the most affordable one in our ranking.
Swiss cities dominate the top
Zurich, Geneva, and Basel hold the top 3 spots — all more expensive than New York City.
Asia: extremes in one continent
Singapore ranks among the priciest, while Bangkok offers some of the lowest costs globally.
Rent changes everything
Some cities that rank low on cost of living jump dramatically when rent is included — Hong Kong and Singapore especially.
High cost ≠ low quality of life
Cities like Zurich and Oslo are expensive, but local purchasing power — what wages actually buy — is among the world's highest.
Europe's hidden bargains
Prague, Lisbon, and Barcelona offer Western European lifestyle at roughly half the cost of London or Amsterdam.
What is the most expensive city in the world in 2026?+
How is the Cost of Living Index calculated?+
Why does the index exclude rent?+
Why are Swiss cities so expensive?+
Which city offers the best value for money?+
How often is this ranking updated?+