Cost of living rankings
Cheapest cities to live in (1970)
Every city ranked by total monthly cost of living for one person — rent for a one-bedroom, groceries, transport and utilities. Chiang Mai currently sits lowest at €705 a month.
Showing 43 of 43 cities.
| # | City | Monthly budget | Rent (1-bed) | Groceries | Tech pay |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 🇹🇭 Chiang MaiThailand | €705 | €380 | €180 | €1,200 |
| 2 | 🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh CityVietnam | €799 | €480 | €200 | €1,300 |
| 3 | 🇬🇪 TbilisiGeorgia | €884 | €520 | €190 | €1,500 |
| 4 | 🇲🇾 Kuala LumpurMalaysia | €892 | €520 | €230 | €1,600 |
| 5 | 🇦🇷 Buenos AiresArgentina | €936 | €550 | €240 | €1,400 |
| 6 | 🇹🇷 IstanbulTürkiye | €963 | €550 | €230 | €1,600 |
| 7 | 🇨🇴 MedellínColombia | €968 | €600 | €220 | €1,300 |
| 8 | 🇧🇬 SofiaBulgaria | €1,050 | €600 | €220 | €2,200 |
| 9 | 🇷🇴 BucharestRomania | €1,095 | €650 | €230 | €2,600 |
| 10 | 🇮🇩 Canggu, BaliIndonesia | €1,095 | €700 | €220 | €1,100 |
| 11 | 🇭🇺 BudapestHungary | €1,220 | €750 | €240 | €2,300 |
| 12 | 🇬🇷 AthensGreece | €1,236 | €700 | €250 | €1,700 |
| 13 | 🇵🇱 KrakówPoland | €1,260 | €780 | €250 | €2,800 |
| 14 | 🇿🇦 Cape TownSouth Africa | €1,260 | €750 | €250 | €1,800 |
| 15 | 🇲🇽 Mexico CityMexico | €1,284 | €850 | €260 | €1,900 |
| 16 | 🇭🇷 SplitCroatia | €1,337 | €780 | €270 | €1,900 |
| 17 | 🇪🇸 MálagaSpain | €1,380 | €850 | €260 | €2,100 |
| 18 | 🇵🇱 WarsawPoland | €1,422 | €900 | €270 | €3,100 |
| 19 | 🇪🇸 ValenciaSpain | €1,489 | €950 | €265 | €2,200 |
| 20 | 🇵🇹 PortoPortugal | €1,526 | €1,000 | €270 | €2,100 |
| 21 | 🇨🇿 PragueCzechia | €1,618 | €1,050 | €280 | €2,900 |
| 22 | 🇰🇷 SeoulSouth Korea | €1,639 | €1,050 | €340 | €3,400 |
| 23 | 🇮🇹 RomeItaly | €1,777 | €1,150 | €300 | €2,300 |
| 24 | 🇯🇵 TokyoJapan | €1,794 | €1,150 | €330 | €3,500 |
| 25 | 🇦🇹 ViennaAustria | €1,856 | €1,150 | €330 | €4,000 |
| 26 | 🇵🇹 LisbonPortugal | €1,874 | €1,300 | €290 | €2,400 |
| 27 | 🇪🇸 MadridSpain | €1,909 | €1,300 | €310 | €3,000 |
| 28 | 🇪🇸 BarcelonaSpain | €2,105 | €1,450 | €320 | €2,800 |
| 29 | 🇮🇹 MilanItaly | €2,149 | €1,450 | €330 | €3,200 |
| 30 | 🇸🇪 StockholmSweden | €2,233 | €1,500 | €350 | €4,700 |
| 31 | 🇩🇪 BerlinGermany | €2,258 | €1,500 | €350 | €4,600 |
| 32 | 🇺🇸 AustinUnited States | €2,411 | €1,600 | €400 | €6,500 |
| 33 | 🇫🇷 ParisFrance | €2,552 | €1,750 | €380 | €4,400 |
| 34 | 🇩🇰 CopenhagenDenmark | €2,563 | €1,700 | €400 | €5,300 |
| 35 | 🇨🇦 TorontoCanada | €2,737 | €1,900 | €400 | €5,400 |
| 36 | 🇳🇱 AmsterdamNetherlands | €2,767 | €1,900 | €370 | €5,000 |
| 37 | 🇦🇪 DubaiUAE | €2,794 | €1,900 | €400 | €5,200 |
| 38 | 🇮🇪 DublinIreland | €3,040 | €2,100 | €400 | €5,200 |
| 39 | 🇸🇬 SingaporeSingapore | €3,070 | €2,300 | €420 | €6,000 |
| 40 | 🇬🇧 LondonUnited Kingdom | €3,468 | €2,400 | €420 | €5,600 |
| 41 | 🇨🇭 ZürichSwitzerland | €3,790 | €2,600 | €600 | €9,000 |
| 42 | 🇺🇸 San FranciscoUnited States | €3,942 | €2,900 | €520 | €9,500 |
| 43 | 🇺🇸 New YorkUnited States | €4,270 | €3,200 | €480 | €8,200 |
How we calculate a monthly budget
The monthly budget is rent for a one-bedroom apartment plus groceries, a transport pass and utilities. It excludes flights, tuition and health insurance, which vary too much by nationality to average honestly.
Cheap rent does not always mean cheap living: a low-rent city with weak local salaries can leave you with less each month than an expensive one. Check the tech pay column, or use the salary view to see what is actually left over.
Cheap city head-to-heads
Chiang Mai vs Ho Chi Minh CityChiang Mai 12% cheaperHo Chi Minh City vs TbilisiHo Chi Minh City 10% cheaperTbilisi vs Kuala LumpurTbilisi 1% cheaperKuala Lumpur vs Buenos AiresKuala Lumpur 5% cheaperBuenos Aires vs IstanbulBuenos Aires 3% cheaperIstanbul vs MedellínIstanbul 1% cheaperMedellín vs SofiaMedellín 8% cheaperSofia vs BucharestSofia 4% cheaperBucharest vs Canggu, BaliBucharest 0% cheaperCanggu, Bali vs BudapestCanggu, Bali 10% cheaperBudapest vs AthensBudapest 1% cheaperAthens vs KrakówAthens 2% cheaper
Expensive city vs cheaper alternative
New York vs Chiang MaiChiang Mai 83% cheaperSan Francisco vs Ho Chi Minh CityHo Chi Minh City 80% cheaperZürich vs TbilisiTbilisi 77% cheaperLondon vs Kuala LumpurKuala Lumpur 74% cheaperSingapore vs Buenos AiresBuenos Aires 70% cheaperDublin vs IstanbulIstanbul 68% cheaperDubai vs MedellínMedellín 65% cheaperAmsterdam vs SofiaSofia 62% cheaperToronto vs BucharestBucharest 60% cheaperCopenhagen vs Canggu, BaliCanggu, Bali 57% cheaperParis vs BudapestBudapest 52% cheaperAustin vs AthensAthens 49% cheaper