The essential aspect of choosing where to live or travel often revolves around the cost of living. This encompasses the prices for goods and services, housing, food, transportation, utilities, and other daily essentials that form our lifestyle. Highlighting the status of this factor globally can provide valuable insights, allowing individuals, families, and businesses to make informed decisions. Yearly, numerous global indices measure the cost of living across the world, offering a comparative analysis. These statistics remarkably indicate that some of the world's most expensive countries are not always the ones with the highest income, suggesting a compelling disconnect between the cost of living and wage growth. Key findings from the data include:
Leading our list of the most expensive countries to live in is Monaco, which comes in with an astounding average cost of living of $3,743 per month. Known for its high-end lifestyle, luxury leisure activities and significant proportion of high-net-worth individuals, it comes as no surprise that Monaco tops the list. The Cayman Islands, a renowned offshore financial haven, holds the second spot with an average monthly cost of living of $2,844. This affluent Caribbean island nation attracts high-income earners due to its tax benefits, but at the cost of a high expense of living. Making its mark at third place is Switzerland, one of Europe's wealthiest nations. With an average monthly cost of $2,497, Swiss residents enjoy a high standard of living amidst breathtaking landscapes but at a steep price. Ireland, known for its strong economy and vibrant cities, comes in fourth with an average living cost of $2,316 per month. Situated at fifth place is Liechtenstein, a charming landlocked microstate in Central Europe with an average monthly living expense of $2,306. Iceland follows at sixth place with a cost of $2,207 per month, attributed to its high standards of healthcare, education and a well-functioning welfare system. The city-state of Singapore, famous for its impressive skyline and clean streets, incurs an average living cost of $2,169 per month and sits at seventh place. Luxembourg places eighth with an average cost of living of $2,163 per month, owing much to its affluent population and high GDP per capita. Following close behind is Norway, a country known for its comprehensive welfare system, occupying the ninth position with an average monthly cost of $2,074. Finally, completing our list is the United States. With a wide range of economic indicators contributing to its high cost of living, the USA sees a monthly average cost of $1,951.
10 Most Expensive Countries to Live In:
Metric
Value
Rank
Cost Of Living (Most Expensive)
$354
#193
Metric
Value
Rank
Cost Of Living (Most Expensive)
$608
#140
Metric
Value
Rank
Cost Of Living (Most Expensive)
$431
#187
Metric
Value
Rank
Cost Of Living (Most Expensive)
$1,232
#41
Metric
Value
Rank
Cost Of Living (Most Expensive)
$896
#80
Metric
Value
Rank
Cost Of Living (Most Expensive)
$1,465
#30
Metric
Value
Rank
Cost Of Living (Most Expensive)
$494
#180
Metric
Value
Rank
Cost Of Living (Most Expensive)
$592
#147
Metric
Value
Rank
Cost Of Living (Most Expensive)
$1,944
#11
Metric
Value
Rank
Cost Of Living (Most Expensive)
$1,617
#22
Metric
Value
Rank
Cost Of Living (Most Expensive)
$513
#177
Metric
Value
Rank
Cost Of Living (Most Expensive)
$1,715
#20
Metric
Value
Rank
Cost Of Living (Most Expensive)
$1,165
#47
Metric
Value
Rank
Cost Of Living (Most Expensive)
$521
#173
Metric
Value
Rank
Cost Of Living (Most Expensive)
$1,258
#40
Metric
Value
Rank
Cost Of Living (Most Expensive)
$504
#179
Metric
Value
Rank
Cost Of Living (Most Expensive)
$1,495
#29
Metric
Value
Rank
Cost Of Living (Most Expensive)
$889
#81
Metric
Value
Rank
Cost Of Living (Most Expensive)
$731
#110
Metric
Value
Rank
Cost Of Living (Most Expensive)
$569
#153
Metric
Value
Rank
Cost Of Living (Most Expensive)
$750
#107
Metric
Value
Rank
Cost Of Living (Most Expensive)
$599
#146
Metric
Value
Rank
Cost Of Living (Most Expensive)
$666
#127
Metric
Value
Rank
Cost Of Living (Most Expensive)
$601
#144
Metric
Value
Rank
Cost Of Living (Most Expensive)
$1,152
#50
Metric
Value
Rank
Cost Of Living (Most Expensive)
$654
#131
Metric
Value
Rank
Cost Of Living (Most Expensive)
$799
#99
Metric
Value
Rank
Cost Of Living (Most Expensive)
$560
#155
Metric
Value
Rank
Cost Of Living (Most Expensive)
$692
#120
Metric
Value
Rank
Cost Of Living (Most Expensive)
$688
#121
Metric
Value
Rank
Cost Of Living (Most Expensive)
$1,701
#21
Metric
Value
Rank
Cost Of Living (Most Expensive)
$797
#100
Metric
Value
Rank
Cost Of Living (Most Expensive)
$2,844
#2
Metric
Value
Rank
Cost Of Living (Most Expensive)
$538
#166
Metric
Value
Rank
Cost Of Living (Most Expensive)
$540
#165
Metric
Value
Rank
Cost Of Living (Most Expensive)
$905
#79
Metric
Value
Rank
Cost Of Living (Most Expensive)
$752
#106
Metric
Value
Rank
Cost Of Living (Most Expensive)
$574
#152
Metric
Value
Rank
Cost Of Living (Most Expensive)
$589
#148
Metric
Value
Rank
Cost Of Living (Most Expensive)
$852
#91
Metric
Value
Rank
Cost Of Living (Most Expensive)
$1,001
#67
Metric
Value
Rank
Cost Of Living (Most Expensive)
$880
#84
Metric
Value
Rank
Cost Of Living (Most Expensive)
$1,222
#43
Metric
Value
Rank
Cost Of Living (Most Expensive)
$1,266
#38
Metric
Value
Rank
Cost Of Living (Most Expensive)
$1,014
#63
Metric
Value
Rank
Cost Of Living (Most Expensive)
$748
#108
Metric
Value
Rank
Cost Of Living (Most Expensive)
$1,837
#14
Metric
Value
Rank
Cost Of Living (Most Expensive)
$548
#161
Metric
Value
Rank
Cost Of Living (Most Expensive)
$856
#90
Metric
Value
Rank
Cost Of Living (Most Expensive)
$711
#114
Metric
Value
Rank
Cost Of Living (Most Expensive)
$756
#105
Metric
Value
Rank
Cost Of Living (Most Expensive)
$449
#183
Metric
Value
Rank
Cost Of Living (Most Expensive)
$816
#96
Metric
Value
Rank
Cost Of Living (Most Expensive)
$1,185
#44
Metric
Value
Rank
Cost Of Living (Most Expensive)
$538
#167
Metric
Value
Rank
Cost Of Living (Most Expensive)
$1,040
#59
Metric
Value
Rank
Cost Of Living (Most Expensive)
$711
#116
Metric
Value
Rank
Cost Of Living (Most Expensive)
$574
#151
Metric
Value
Rank
Cost Of Living (Most Expensive)
$773
#102
Metric
Value
Rank
Cost Of Living (Most Expensive)
$1,536
#25
Metric
Value
Rank
Cost Of Living (Most Expensive)
$1,519
#26
Metric
Value
Rank
Cost Of Living (Most Expensive)
$587
#149
Metric
Value
Rank
Cost Of Living (Most Expensive)
$520
#174
Metric
Value
Rank
Cost Of Living (Most Expensive)
$538
#168
Metric
Value
Rank
Cost Of Living (Most Expensive)
$1,414
#32
Metric
Value
Rank
Cost Of Living (Most Expensive)
$701
#118
Metric
Value
Rank
Cost Of Living (Most Expensive)
$1,008
#65
Metric
Value
Rank
Cost Of Living (Most Expensive)
$1,128
#54
Metric
Value
Rank
Cost Of Living (Most Expensive)
$857
#89
Metric
Value
Rank
Cost Of Living (Most Expensive)
$877
#86
Metric
Value
Rank
Cost Of Living (Most Expensive)
$712
#113
Metric
Value
Rank
Cost Of Living (Most Expensive)
$803
#98
Metric
Value
Rank
Cost Of Living (Most Expensive)
$531
#170
Metric
Value
Rank
Cost Of Living (Most Expensive)
$765
#103
Metric
Value
Rank
Cost Of Living (Most Expensive)
$817
#95
Metric
Value
Rank
Cost Of Living (Most Expensive)
$2,207
#6
Metric
Value
Rank
Cost Of Living (Most Expensive)
$423
#191
Metric
Value
Rank
Cost Of Living (Most Expensive)
$548
#160
Metric
Value
Rank
Cost Of Living (Most Expensive)
$668
#125
Metric
Value
Rank
Cost Of Living (Most Expensive)
$710
#117
Metric
Value
Rank
Cost Of Living (Most Expensive)
$2,316
#4
Metric
Value
Rank
Cost Of Living (Most Expensive)
$1,774
#18
Metric
Value
Rank
Cost Of Living (Most Expensive)
$1,359
#35
Metric
Value
Rank
Cost Of Living (Most Expensive)
$1,010
#64
Metric
Value
Rank
Cost Of Living (Most Expensive)
$829
#94
Metric
Value
Rank
Cost Of Living (Most Expensive)
$1,370
#34
Metric
Value
Rank
Cost Of Living (Most Expensive)
$850
#92
Metric
Value
Rank
Cost Of Living (Most Expensive)
$468
#181
Metric
Value
Rank
Cost Of Living (Most Expensive)
$654
#130
Metric
Value
Rank
Cost Of Living (Most Expensive)
$511
#178
Metric
Value
Rank
Cost Of Living (Most Expensive)
$1,326
#36
Metric
Value
Rank
Cost Of Living (Most Expensive)
$430
#188
Metric
Value
Rank
Cost Of Living (Most Expensive)
$888
#82
Metric
Value
Rank
Cost Of Living (Most Expensive)
$938
#73
Metric
Value
Rank
Cost Of Living (Most Expensive)
$1,411
#33
Metric
Value
Rank
Cost Of Living (Most Expensive)
$694
#119
Metric
Value
Rank
Cost Of Living (Most Expensive)
$544
#163
Metric
Value
Rank
Cost Of Living (Most Expensive)
$560
#156
Metric
Value
Rank
Cost Of Living (Most Expensive)
$2,306
#5
Metric
Value
Rank
Cost Of Living (Most Expensive)
$869
#87
Metric
Value
Rank
Cost Of Living (Most Expensive)
$2,163
#8
Metric
Value
Rank
Cost Of Living (Most Expensive)
$555
#158
Metric
Value
Rank
Cost Of Living (Most Expensive)
$666
#126
Metric
Value
Rank
Cost Of Living (Most Expensive)
$652
#132
Metric
Value
Rank
Cost Of Living (Most Expensive)
$1,288
#37
Metric
Value
Rank
Cost Of Living (Most Expensive)
$560
#154
Metric
Value
Rank
Cost Of Living (Most Expensive)
$1,519
#27
Metric
Value
Rank
Cost Of Living (Most Expensive)
$1,464
#31
Metric
Value
Rank
Cost Of Living (Most Expensive)
$781
#101
Metric
Value
Rank
Cost Of Living (Most Expensive)
$651
#134
Metric
Value
Rank
Cost Of Living (Most Expensive)
$678
#122
Metric
Value
Rank
Cost Of Living (Most Expensive)
$537
#169
Metric
Value
Rank
Cost Of Living (Most Expensive)
$3,743
#1
Metric
Value
Rank
Cost Of Living (Most Expensive)
$603
#143
Metric
Value
Rank
Cost Of Living (Most Expensive)
$720
#111
Metric
Value
Rank
Cost Of Living (Most Expensive)
$644
#135
Metric
Value
Rank
Cost Of Living (Most Expensive)
$1,006
#66
Metric
Value
Rank
Cost Of Living (Most Expensive)
$864
#88
Metric
Value
Rank
Cost Of Living (Most Expensive)
$921
#77
Metric
Value
Rank
Cost Of Living (Most Expensive)
$584
#150
Metric
Value
Rank
Cost Of Living (Most Expensive)
$439
#185
Metric
Value
Rank
Cost Of Living (Most Expensive)
$1,778
#17
Metric
Value
Rank
Cost Of Living (Most Expensive)
$1,782
#16
Metric
Value
Rank
Cost Of Living (Most Expensive)
$633
#138
Metric
Value
Rank
Cost Of Living (Most Expensive)
$950
#72
Metric
Value
Rank
Cost Of Living (Most Expensive)
$916
#78
Metric
Value
Rank
Cost Of Living (Most Expensive)
$1,540
#24
Metric
Value
Rank
Cost Of Living (Most Expensive)
$553
#159
Metric
Value
Rank
Cost Of Living (Most Expensive)
$2,074
#9
Metric
Value
Rank
Cost Of Living (Most Expensive)
$1,086
#57
Metric
Value
Rank
Cost Of Living (Most Expensive)
$370
#192
Metric
Value
Rank
Cost Of Living (Most Expensive)
$1,040
#60
Metric
Value
Rank
Cost Of Living (Most Expensive)
$937
#74
Metric
Value
Rank
Cost Of Living (Most Expensive)
$1,092
#56
Metric
Value
Rank
Cost Of Living (Most Expensive)
$530
#171
Metric
Value
Rank
Cost Of Living (Most Expensive)
$546
#162
Metric
Value
Rank
Cost Of Living (Most Expensive)
$630
#139
Metric
Value
Rank
Cost Of Living (Most Expensive)
$601
#145
Metric
Value
Rank
Cost Of Living (Most Expensive)
$882
#83
Metric
Value
Rank
Cost Of Living (Most Expensive)
$1,038
#61
Metric
Value
Rank
Cost Of Living (Most Expensive)
$1,856
#13
Metric
Value
Rank
Cost Of Living (Most Expensive)
$652
#133
Metric
Value
Rank
Cost Of Living (Most Expensive)
$656
#129
Metric
Value
Rank
Cost Of Living (Most Expensive)
$633
#137
Metric
Value
Rank
Cost Of Living (Most Expensive)
$1,145
#51
Metric
Value
Rank
Cost Of Living (Most Expensive)
$1,153
#49
Metric
Value
Rank
Cost Of Living (Most Expensive)
$1,109
#55
Metric
Value
Rank
Cost Of Living (Most Expensive)
$1,168
#46
Metric
Value
Rank
Cost Of Living (Most Expensive)
$880
#85
Metric
Value
Rank
Cost Of Living (Most Expensive)
$952
#71
Metric
Value
Rank
Cost Of Living (Most Expensive)
$1,144
#52
Metric
Value
Rank
Cost Of Living (Most Expensive)
$711
#115
Metric
Value
Rank
Cost Of Living (Most Expensive)
$1,725
#19
Metric
Value
Rank
Cost Of Living (Most Expensive)
$745
#109
Metric
Value
Rank
Cost Of Living (Most Expensive)
$2,169
#7
Metric
Value
Rank
Cost Of Living (Most Expensive)
$990
#68
Metric
Value
Rank
Cost Of Living (Most Expensive)
$1,175
#45
Metric
Value
Rank
Cost Of Living (Most Expensive)
$1,222
#42
Metric
Value
Rank
Cost Of Living (Most Expensive)
$811
#97
Metric
Value
Rank
Cost Of Living (Most Expensive)
$974
#70
Metric
Value
Rank
Cost Of Living (Most Expensive)
$1,154
#48
Metric
Value
Rank
Cost Of Living (Most Expensive)
$519
#175
Metric
Value
Rank
Cost Of Living (Most Expensive)
$1,260
#39
Metric
Value
Rank
Cost Of Living (Most Expensive)
$428
#189
Metric
Value
Rank
Cost Of Living (Most Expensive)
$517
#176
Metric
Value
Rank
Cost Of Living (Most Expensive)
$714
#112
Metric
Value
Rank
Cost Of Living (Most Expensive)
$1,515
#28
Metric
Value
Rank
Cost Of Living (Most Expensive)
$2,497
#3
Metric
Value
Rank
Cost Of Living (Most Expensive)
$435
#186
Metric
Value
Rank
Cost Of Living (Most Expensive)
$1,057
#58
Metric
Value
Rank
Cost Of Living (Most Expensive)
$450
#182
Metric
Value
Rank
Cost Of Living (Most Expensive)
$760
#104
Metric
Value
Rank
Cost Of Living (Most Expensive)
$831
#93
Metric
Value
Rank
Cost Of Living (Most Expensive)
$669
#124
Metric
Value
Rank
Cost Of Living (Most Expensive)
$1,035
#62
Metric
Value
Rank
Cost Of Living (Most Expensive)
$979
#69
Metric
Value
Rank
Cost Of Living (Most Expensive)
$424
#190
Metric
Value
Rank
Cost Of Living (Most Expensive)
$447
#184
Metric
Value
Rank
Cost Of Living (Most Expensive)
$1,141
#53
Metric
Value
Rank
Cost Of Living (Most Expensive)
$608
#141
Metric
Value
Rank
Cost Of Living (Most Expensive)
$604
#142
Metric
Value
Rank
Cost Of Living (Most Expensive)
$542
#164
Metric
Value
Rank
Cost Of Living (Most Expensive)
$1,576
#23
Metric
Value
Rank
Cost Of Living (Most Expensive)
$1,929
#12
Metric
Value
Rank
Cost Of Living (Most Expensive)
$1,951
#10
Metric
Value
Rank
Cost Of Living (Most Expensive)
$929
#76
Metric
Value
Rank
Cost Of Living (Most Expensive)
$529
#172
Metric
Value
Rank
Cost Of Living (Most Expensive)
$1,829
#15
Metric
Value
Rank
Cost Of Living (Most Expensive)
$657
#128
Metric
Value
Rank
Cost Of Living (Most Expensive)
$639
#136
Metric
Value
Rank
Cost Of Living (Most Expensive)
$559
#157
Metric
Value
Rank
Cost Of Living (Most Expensive)
$676
#123
Metric
Value
Rank
Cost Of Living (Most Expensive)
$935
#75
Region ↕ | Cost Of Living (Most Expensive) ↕ |
---|---|
Afghanistan | $354 |
Albania | $608 |
Algeria | $431 |
Andorra | $1,232 |
Angola | $896 |
Antigua and Barbuda | $1,465 |
Argentina | $494 |
Armenia | $592 |
Australia | $1,944 |
Austria | $1,617 |
Azerbaijan | $513 |
Bahamas | $1,715 |
Bahrain | $1,165 |
Bangladesh | $521 |
Barbados | $1,258 |
Belarus | $504 |
Belgium | $1,495 |
Belize | $889 |
Benin | $731 |
Bhutan | $569 |
Bolivia | $750 |
Bosnia and Herzegovina | $599 |
Botswana | $666 |
Brazil | $601 |
Brunei | $1,152 |
Bulgaria | $654 |
Burkina Faso | $799 |
Burundi | $560 |
Cambodia | $692 |
Cameroon | $688 |
Canada | $1,701 |
Cape Verde | $797 |
Cayman Islands | $2,844 |
Central African Republic | $538 |
Chad | $540 |
Chile | $905 |
China | $752 |
Colombia | $574 |
Comoros | $589 |
Costa Rica | $852 |
Croatia | $1,001 |
Cuba | $880 |
Curacao | $1,222 |
Cyprus | $1,266 |
Czech Republic | $1,014 |
DR Congo | $748 |
Denmark | $1,837 |
Djibouti | $548 |
Dominica | $856 |
Dominican Republic | $711 |
Ecuador | $756 |
Egypt | $449 |
El Salvador | $816 |
Equatorial Guinea | $1,185 |
Eritrea | $538 |
Estonia | $1,040 |
Eswatini | $711 |
Ethiopia | $574 |
Fiji | $773 |
Finland | $1,536 |
France | $1,519 |
Gabon | $587 |
Gambia | $520 |
Georgia | $538 |
Germany | $1,414 |
Ghana | $701 |
Greece | $1,008 |
Grenada | $1,128 |
Guatemala | $857 |
Guinea | $877 |
Guinea Bissau | $712 |
Guyana | $803 |
Haiti | $531 |
Honduras | $765 |
Hungary | $817 |
Iceland | $2,207 |
India | $423 |
Indonesia | $548 |
Iran | $668 |
Iraq | $710 |
Ireland | $2,316 |
Israel | $1,774 |
Italy | $1,359 |
Ivory Coast | $1,010 |
Jamaica | $829 |
Japan | $1,370 |
Jordan | $850 |
Kazakhstan | $468 |
Kenya | $654 |
Kiribati | $511 |
Kuwait | $1,326 |
Kyrgyzstan | $430 |
Laos | $888 |
Latvia | $938 |
Lebanon | $1,411 |
Lesotho | $694 |
Liberia | $544 |
Libya | $560 |
Liechtenstein | $2,306 |
Lithuania | $869 |
Luxembourg | $2,163 |
Madagascar | $555 |
Malawi | $666 |
Malaysia | $652 |
Maldives | $1,288 |
Mali | $560 |
Malta | $1,519 |
Marshall Islands | $1,464 |
Mauritania | $781 |
Mauritius | $651 |
Mexico | $678 |
Moldova | $537 |
Monaco | $3,743 |
Mongolia | $603 |
Montenegro | $720 |
Morocco | $644 |
Mozambique | $1,006 |
Myanmar | $864 |
Namibia | $921 |
Nauru | $584 |
Nepal | $439 |
Netherlands | $1,778 |
New Zealand | $1,782 |
Nicaragua | $633 |
Niger | $950 |
Nigeria | $916 |
North Korea | $1,540 |
North Macedonia | $553 |
Norway | $2,074 |
Oman | $1,086 |
Pakistan | $370 |
Palau | $1,040 |
Palestine | $937 |
Panama | $1,092 |
Papua New Guinea | $530 |
Paraguay | $546 |
Peru | $630 |
Philippines | $601 |
Poland | $882 |
Portugal | $1,038 |
Qatar | $1,856 |
Romania | $652 |
Russia | $656 |
Rwanda | $633 |
Saint Kitts and Nevis | $1,145 |
Saint Lucia | $1,153 |
Samoa | $1,109 |
San Marino | $1,168 |
Sao Tome and Principe | $880 |
Saudi Arabia | $952 |
Senegal | $1,144 |
Serbia | $711 |
Seychelles | $1,725 |
Sierra Leone | $745 |
Singapore | $2,169 |
Slovakia | $990 |
Slovenia | $1,175 |
Solomon Islands | $1,222 |
Somalia | $811 |
South Africa | $974 |
South Korea | $1,154 |
South Sudan | $519 |
Spain | $1,260 |
Sri Lanka | $428 |
Sudan | $517 |
Suriname | $714 |
Sweden | $1,515 |
Switzerland | $2,497 |
Syria | $435 |
Taiwan | $1,057 |
Tajikistan | $450 |
Tanzania | $760 |
Thailand | $831 |
Togo | $669 |
Tonga | $1,035 |
Trinidad and Tobago | $979 |
Tunisia | $424 |
Turkey | $447 |
Turkmenistan | $1,141 |
Tuvalu | $608 |
Uganda | $604 |
Ukraine | $542 |
United Arab Emirates | $1,576 |
United Kingdom | $1,929 |
United States | $1,951 |
Uruguay | $929 |
Uzbekistan | $529 |
Vanuatu | $1,829 |
Venezuela | $657 |
Vietnam | $639 |
Yemen | $559 |
Zambia | $676 |
Zimbabwe | $935 |