Introduction
The cost of living in the world can vary greatly from country to country. Certain countries, such as those in Western Europe, tend to have a much higher cost of living than those from developing nations. For example, the average rent for a two-bedroom apartment in London is more than double that of an equivalent apartment in India or Pakistan. Even within countries, there can be vast differences between different regions and cities.
Some of the most expensive places to live are Tokyo, New York City, and San Francisco. On the other end of the spectrum are places like Quito, Ecuador; Chiang Mai, Thailand; and Bucharest, Romania; which all offer low costs of living relative to other places on earth.
The differences can be attributed to factors such as real estate prices, salaries and wages, food and transportation costs, taxes, inflation rates and currency exchange rates. In addition to these factors, there may also be cultural or lifestyle preferences that contribute to how expensive a place is perceived by people from different parts of the world.
Cost of Living Comparison by Country
# | Country | Cost of Living |
---|---|---|
1 | Monaco | $3,585 |
2 | Cayman Islands | $2,888 |
3 | Switzerland | $2,507 |
4 | Singapore | $2,420 |
5 | Liechtenstein | $2,118 |
6 | United States of America | $2,112 |
7 | Iceland | $2,054 |
8 | Luxembourg | $2,050 |
9 | Ireland | $1,974 |
10 | Australia | $1,947 |
11 | Norway | $1,892 |
12 | Qatar | $1,891 |
13 | Vanuatu | $1,886 |
14 | Canada | $1,832 |
15 | The Bahamas | $1,809 |
16 | United Kingdom | $1,804 |
17 | Israel | $1,748 |
18 | Netherlands | $1,680 |
19 | New Zealand | $1,669 |
20 | Denmark | $1,665 |
21 | United Arab Emirates | $1,660 |
22 | Solomon Islands | $1,577 |
23 | North Korea | $1,554 |
24 | Antigua and Barbuda | $1,546 |
25 | Austria | $1,467 |
26 | Finland | $1,423 |
27 | Sweden | $1,398 |
28 | Seychelles | $1,387 |
29 | France | $1,363 |
30 | Germany | $1,325 |
31 | Belgium | $1,324 |
32 | Kuwait | $1,312 |
33 | Malta | $1,275 |
34 | Marshall Islands | $1,271 |
35 | Barbados | $1,262 |
36 | Lebanon | $1,254 |
37 | Italy | $1,221 |
38 | Cyprus | $1,213 |
39 | Maldives | $1,188 |
40 | Saint Kitts and Nevis | $1,184 |
41 | Bahrain | $1,171 |
42 | Japan | $1,171 |
43 | Palau | $1,162 |
44 | Turkmenistan | $1,159 |
45 | Spain | $1,141 |
46 | Angola | $1,129 |
47 | Oman | $1,126 |
48 | Andorra | $1,104 |
49 | Uruguay | $1,090 |
50 | Cuba | $1,078 |
51 | Brunei | $1,066 |
52 | South Korea | $1,062 |
53 | Slovenia | $1,059 |
54 | Mozambique | $1,042 |
55 | Saint Lucia | $1,042 |
56 | Panama | $1,040 |
57 | Saudi Arabia | $1,020 |
58 | Estonia | $1,019 |
59 | San Marino | $1,018 |
60 | Grenada | $1,012 |
61 | Nigeria | $1,008 |
62 | Czech Republic | $1,007 |
63 | Democratic Republic of the Congo | $1,001 |
64 | Zambia | $1,000 |
65 | Dominica | $992 |
66 | Taiwan | $981 |
67 | Portugal | $977 |
68 | Trinidad and Tobago | $977 |
69 | Senegal | $969 |
70 | Guinea | $933 |
71 | Greece | $919 |
72 | Palestine | $916 |
73 | Slovakia | $913 |
74 | Guatemala | $910 |
75 | Croatia | $896 |
76 | Laos | $894 |
77 | Costa Rica | $893 |
78 | Niger | $885 |
79 | Armenia | $884 |
80 | Jamaica | $875 |
81 | Equatorial Guinea | $871 |
82 | Russia | $868 |
83 | Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | $863 |
84 | Latvia | $860 |
85 | Lithuania | $859 |
86 | El Salvador | $853 |
87 | South Africa | $852 |
88 | Ivory Coast | $845 |
89 | Belize | $840 |
90 | Chile | $840 |
91 | Guyana | $838 |
92 | Jordan | $835 |
93 | Zimbabwe | $831 |
94 | Myanmar | $822 |
95 | Namibia | $819 |
96 | Poland | $814 |
97 | Georgia | $812 |
98 | Somalia | $797 |
99 | Cambodia | $796 |
100 | São Tomé and Príncipe | $795 |
101 | Dominican Republic | $791 |
102 | Honduras | $771 |
103 | Venezuela | $762 |
104 | People's Republic of China | $758 |
105 | Ecuador | $750 |
106 | Sierra Leone | $748 |
107 | Tanzania | $743 |
108 | Thailand | $742 |
109 | Mauritania | $739 |
110 | Ethiopia | $732 |
111 | Eswatini | $728 |
112 | Fiji | $725 |
113 | Iran | $723 |
114 | Mexico | $713 |
115 | Hungary | $712 |
116 | Bolivia | $703 |
117 | Iraq | $688 |
118 | Suriname | $679 |
119 | Burkina Faso | $677 |
120 | Peru | $672 |
121 | Serbia | $667 |
122 | Rwanda | $664 |
123 | Brazil | $661 |
124 | Sudan | $657 |
125 | Montenegro | $655 |
126 | Romania | $650 |
127 | Benin | $645 |
128 | Bulgaria | $639 |
129 | Mauritius | $629 |
130 | Guinea-Bissau | $628 |
131 | Madagascar | $628 |
132 | Nicaragua | $625 |
133 | Nauru | $624 |
134 | Vietnam | $622 |
135 | Kenya | $608 |
136 | Botswana | $607 |
137 | Gabon | $606 |
138 | Togo | $594 |
139 | Albania | $592 |
140 | Lesotho | $589 |
141 | Philippines | $587 |
142 | Morocco | $586 |
143 | Belarus | $581 |
144 | Ghana | $581 |
145 | Argentina | $576 |
146 | Malaysia | $574 |
147 | Uganda | $574 |
148 | Indonesia | $564 |
149 | Cameroon | $560 |
150 | Paraguay | $555 |
151 | Malawi | $553 |
152 | Republic of the Congo | $550 |
153 | Colombia | $548 |
154 | Djibouti | $548 |
155 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | $546 |
156 | Mongolia | $546 |
157 | Mali | $536 |
158 | Yemen | $535 |
159 | Uzbekistan | $525 |
160 | Papua New Guinea | $524 |
161 | Azerbaijan | $522 |
162 | Liberia | $522 |
163 | Chad | $518 |
164 | Eritrea | $516 |
165 | Central African Republic | $515 |
166 | Haiti | $515 |
167 | Republic of Macedonia | $512 |
168 | Burundi | $508 |
169 | South Sudan | $505 |
170 | Comoros | $504 |
171 | East Timor | $503 |
172 | Syria | $503 |
173 | Moldova | $501 |
174 | Bhutan | $498 |
175 | Tajikistan | $491 |
176 | Kazakhstan | $475 |
177 | Ukraine | $458 |
178 | Bangladesh | $448 |
179 | Kyrgyzstan | $441 |
180 | Turkey | $428 |
181 | The Gambia | $425 |
182 | Egypt | $418 |
183 | India | $416 |
184 | Tunisia | $416 |
185 | Libya | $398 |
186 | Afghanistan | $397 |
187 | Algeria | $391 |
188 | Nepal | $385 |
189 | Sri Lanka | $316 |
190 | Pakistan | $294 |
Cost of Living by Country
Afghanistan
$397
Ranked in the World
#186
Albania
$592
Ranked in the World
#139
Algeria
$391
Ranked in the World
#187
Andorra
$1,104
Ranked in the World
#48
Andorra follows closely in forty-eighth place with a cost of living of $1,104.
Angola
$1,129
Ranked in the World
#46
Angola takes the forty-sixth spot with a cost of living of $1,129.
Antigua and Barbuda
$1,546
Ranked in the World
#24
Antigua and Barbuda rank twenty-fourth with a cost of living of $1,546.
Argentina
$576
Ranked in the World
#145
Armenia
$884
Ranked in the World
#79
Australia
$1,947
Ranked in the World
#10
Australia rounds out the top ten with a cost of living of $1,947.
Austria
$1,467
Ranked in the World
#25
Austria follows closely in twenty-fifth place with a cost of living of $1,467.
Azerbaijan
$522
Ranked in the World
#161
Bahrain
$1,171
Ranked in the World
#41
Bahrain ranks forty-first with a cost of living of $1,171.
Bangladesh
$448
Ranked in the World
#178
Barbados
$1,262
Ranked in the World
#35
Barbados follows closely in thirty-fifth place with a cost of living of $1,262.
Belarus
$581
Ranked in the World
#143
Belgium
$1,324
Ranked in the World
#31
Belgium ranks thirty-first with a cost of living of $1,324.
Belize
$840
Ranked in the World
#89
Benin
$645
Ranked in the World
#127
Bhutan
$498
Ranked in the World
#174
Bolivia
$703
Ranked in the World
#116
Bosnia and Herzegovina
$546
Ranked in the World
#155
Botswana
$607
Ranked in the World
#136
Brazil
$661
Ranked in the World
#123
Brunei
$1,066
Ranked in the World
#51
Bulgaria
$639
Ranked in the World
#128
Burkina Faso
$677
Ranked in the World
#119
Burundi
$508
Ranked in the World
#168
Cambodia
$796
Ranked in the World
#99
Cameroon
$560
Ranked in the World
#149
Canada
$1,832
Ranked in the World
#14
Canada ranks fourteenth with a cost of living of $1,832.
Cayman Islands
$2,888
Ranked in the World
#2
The Cayman Islands ranks second with a cost of living of $2,888.
Central African Republic
$515
Ranked in the World
#165
Chad
$518
Ranked in the World
#163
Chile
$840
Ranked in the World
#90
Colombia
$548
Ranked in the World
#153
Comoros
$504
Ranked in the World
#170
Costa Rica
$893
Ranked in the World
#77
Croatia
$896
Ranked in the World
#75
Cuba
$1,078
Ranked in the World
#50
Cuba rounds out the top fifty with a cost of living of $1,078.
Cyprus
$1,213
Ranked in the World
#38
Cyprus follows closely in thirty-eighth place with a cost of living of $1,213.
Czech Republic
$1,007
Ranked in the World
#62
Democratic Republic of the Congo
$1,001
Ranked in the World
#63
Denmark
$1,665
Ranked in the World
#20
Denmark rounds out the top twenty with a cost of living of $1,665.
Djibouti
$548
Ranked in the World
#154
Dominica
$992
Ranked in the World
#65
Dominican Republic
$791
Ranked in the World
#101
East Timor
$503
Ranked in the World
#171
Ecuador
$750
Ranked in the World
#105
Egypt
$418
Ranked in the World
#182
El Salvador
$853
Ranked in the World
#86
Equatorial Guinea
$871
Ranked in the World
#81
Eritrea
$516
Ranked in the World
#164
Estonia
$1,019
Ranked in the World
#58
Eswatini
$728
Ranked in the World
#111
Ethiopia
$732
Ranked in the World
#110
Fiji
$725
Ranked in the World
#112
Finland
$1,423
Ranked in the World
#26
Finland takes the twenty-sixth spot with a cost of living of $1,423.
France
$1,363
Ranked in the World
#29
France takes the twenty-ninth spot with a cost of living of $1,363.
Gabon
$606
Ranked in the World
#137
Georgia
$812
Ranked in the World
#97
Germany
$1,325
Ranked in the World
#30
Germany rounds out the top thirty with a cost of living of $1,325.
Ghana
$581
Ranked in the World
#144
Greece
$919
Ranked in the World
#71
Grenada
$1,012
Ranked in the World
#60
Guatemala
$910
Ranked in the World
#74
Guinea
$933
Ranked in the World
#70
Guinea-Bissau
$628
Ranked in the World
#130
Guyana
$838
Ranked in the World
#91
Haiti
$515
Ranked in the World
#166
Honduras
$771
Ranked in the World
#102
Hungary
$712
Ranked in the World
#115
Iceland
$2,054
Ranked in the World
#7
Iceland ranks seventh with a cost of living of $2,054.
India
$416
Ranked in the World
#183
Indonesia
$564
Ranked in the World
#148
Iran
$723
Ranked in the World
#113
Iraq
$688
Ranked in the World
#117
Ireland
$1,974
Ranked in the World
#9
Ireland takes the ninth spot with a cost of living of $1,974.
Israel
$1,748
Ranked in the World
#17
Israel ranks seventeenth with a cost of living of $1,748.
Italy
$1,221
Ranked in the World
#37
Italy ranks thirty-seventh with a cost of living of $1,221.
Ivory Coast
$845
Ranked in the World
#88
Jamaica
$875
Ranked in the World
#80
Japan
$1,171
Ranked in the World
#42
Japan follows closely in forty-second place with a cost of living of $1,171.
Jordan
$835
Ranked in the World
#92
Kazakhstan
$475
Ranked in the World
#176
Kenya
$608
Ranked in the World
#135
Kuwait
$1,312
Ranked in the World
#32
Kuwait follows closely in thirty-second place with a cost of living of $1,312.
Kyrgyzstan
$441
Ranked in the World
#179
Laos
$894
Ranked in the World
#76
Latvia
$860
Ranked in the World
#84
Lebanon
$1,254
Ranked in the World
#36
Lebanon takes the thirty-sixth spot with a cost of living of $1,254.
Lesotho
$589
Ranked in the World
#140
Liberia
$522
Ranked in the World
#162
Libya
$398
Ranked in the World
#185
Liechtenstein
$2,118
Ranked in the World
#5
Liechtenstein takes the fifth spot with a cost of living of $2,118.
Lithuania
$859
Ranked in the World
#85
Luxembourg
$2,050
Ranked in the World
#8
Luxembourg follows closely in eighth place with a cost of living of $2,050.
Madagascar
$628
Ranked in the World
#131
Malawi
$553
Ranked in the World
#151
Malaysia
$574
Ranked in the World
#146
Maldives
$1,188
Ranked in the World
#39
The Maldives take the thirty-ninth spot with a cost of living of $1,188.
Mali
$536
Ranked in the World
#157
Malta
$1,275
Ranked in the World
#33
Malta takes the thirty-third spot with a cost of living of $1,275.
Marshall Islands
$1,271
Ranked in the World
#34
The Marshall Islands rank thirty-fourth with a cost of living of $1,271.
Mauritania
$739
Ranked in the World
#109
Mauritius
$629
Ranked in the World
#129
Mexico
$713
Ranked in the World
#114
Moldova
$501
Ranked in the World
#173
Monaco
$3,585
Ranked in the World
#1
Monaco has the highest cost of living at $3,585.
Mongolia
$546
Ranked in the World
#156
Montenegro
$655
Ranked in the World
#125
Morocco
$586
Ranked in the World
#142
Mozambique
$1,042
Ranked in the World
#54
Myanmar
$822
Ranked in the World
#94
Namibia
$819
Ranked in the World
#95
Nauru
$624
Ranked in the World
#133
Nepal
$385
Ranked in the World
#188
Netherlands
$1,680
Ranked in the World
#18
Netherlands follows closely in eighteenth place with a cost of living of $1,680.
New Zealand
$1,669
Ranked in the World
#19
New Zealand takes the nineteenth spot with a cost of living of $1,669.
Nicaragua
$625
Ranked in the World
#132
Niger
$885
Ranked in the World
#78
Nigeria
$1,008
Ranked in the World
#61
North Korea
$1,554
Ranked in the World
#23
North Korea takes the twenty-third spot with a cost of living of $1,554.
Norway
$1,892
Ranked in the World
#11
Norway ranks eleventh with a cost of living of $1,892.
Oman
$1,126
Ranked in the World
#47
Oman ranks forty-seventh with a cost of living of $1,126.
Pakistan
$294
Ranked in the World
#190
Palau
$1,162
Ranked in the World
#43
Palau takes the forty-third spot with a cost of living of $1,162.
Palestine
$916
Ranked in the World
#72
Panama
$1,040
Ranked in the World
#56
Papua New Guinea
$524
Ranked in the World
#160
Paraguay
$555
Ranked in the World
#150
People's Republic of China
$758
Ranked in the World
#104
Peru
$672
Ranked in the World
#120
Philippines
$587
Ranked in the World
#141
Poland
$814
Ranked in the World
#96
Portugal
$977
Ranked in the World
#67
Qatar
$1,891
Ranked in the World
#12
Qatar follows closely in twelfth place with a cost of living of $1,891.
Republic of Macedonia
$512
Ranked in the World
#167
Republic of the Congo
$550
Ranked in the World
#152
Romania
$650
Ranked in the World
#126
Russia
$868
Ranked in the World
#82
Rwanda
$664
Ranked in the World
#122
Saint Kitts and Nevis
$1,184
Ranked in the World
#40
Saint Kitts and Nevis round out the top forty with a cost of living of $1,184.
Saint Lucia
$1,042
Ranked in the World
#55
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
$863
Ranked in the World
#83
San Marino
$1,018
Ranked in the World
#59
São Tomé and Príncipe
$795
Ranked in the World
#100
Saudi Arabia
$1,020
Ranked in the World
#57
Senegal
$969
Ranked in the World
#69
Serbia
$667
Ranked in the World
#121
Seychelles
$1,387
Ranked in the World
#28
Seychelles follows closely in twenty-eighth place with a cost of living of $1,387.
Sierra Leone
$748
Ranked in the World
#106
Singapore
$2,420
Ranked in the World
#4
Singapore ranks fourth with a cost of living of $2,420.
Slovakia
$913
Ranked in the World
#73
Slovenia
$1,059
Ranked in the World
#53
Solomon Islands
$1,577
Ranked in the World
#22
The Solomon Islands follows closely in twenty-second place with a cost of living of $1,577.
Somalia
$797
Ranked in the World
#98
South Africa
$852
Ranked in the World
#87
South Korea
$1,062
Ranked in the World
#52
South Sudan
$505
Ranked in the World
#169
Spain
$1,141
Ranked in the World
#45
Spain follows closely in forty-fifth place with a cost of living of $1,141.
Sri Lanka
$316
Ranked in the World
#189
Sudan
$657
Ranked in the World
#124
Suriname
$679
Ranked in the World
#118
Sweden
$1,398
Ranked in the World
#27
Sweden ranks twenty-seventh with a cost of living of $1,398.
Switzerland
$2,507
Ranked in the World
#3
Switzerland has the third highest cost of living, with a cost of living of $2,507.
Syria
$503
Ranked in the World
#172
Taiwan
$981
Ranked in the World
#66
Tajikistan
$491
Ranked in the World
#175
Tanzania
$743
Ranked in the World
#107
Thailand
$742
Ranked in the World
#108
The Bahamas
$1,809
Ranked in the World
#15
The Bahamas follows closely in fifteenth place with a cost of living of $1,809.
The Gambia
$425
Ranked in the World
#181
Togo
$594
Ranked in the World
#138
Trinidad and Tobago
$977
Ranked in the World
#68
Tunisia
$416
Ranked in the World
#184
Turkey
$428
Ranked in the World
#180
Turkmenistan
$1,159
Ranked in the World
#44
Turkmenistan ranks forty-fourth with a cost of living of $1,159.
Uganda
$574
Ranked in the World
#147
Ukraine
$458
Ranked in the World
#177
United Arab Emirates
$1,660
Ranked in the World
#21
The United Arab Emirates ranks twenty-first with a cost of living of $1,660.
United Kingdom
$1,804
Ranked in the World
#16
The United Kingdom takes the sixteenth spot with a cost of living of $1,804.
United States of America
$2,112
Ranked in the World
#6
The United States is sixth on the list with a cost of living of $2,112.
Uruguay
$1,090
Ranked in the World
#49
Uruguay takes the forty-ninth spot with a cost of living of $1,090.
Uzbekistan
$525
Ranked in the World
#159
Vanuatu
$1,886
Ranked in the World
#13
Vanuatu takes the thirteenth spot with a cost of living of $1,886.
Venezuela
$762
Ranked in the World
#103
Vietnam
$622
Ranked in the World
#134
Yemen
$535
Ranked in the World
#158
Zambia
$1,000
Ranked in the World
#64
Zimbabwe
$831
Ranked in the World
#93
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