Cost of living rankings

Most expensive cities to live in (1970)

Ranked from priciest down, by what one person actually spends each month. New York tops the list at €4,270 a month before tax.

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Showing 43 of 43 cities.

#	City	Monthly budget	Rent (1-bed)	Groceries	Tech pay
1	🇺🇸 New YorkUnited States	€4,270	€3,200	€480	€8,200
2	🇺🇸 San FranciscoUnited States	€3,942	€2,900	€520	€9,500
3	🇨🇭 ZürichSwitzerland	€3,790	€2,600	€600	€9,000
4	🇬🇧 LondonUnited Kingdom	€3,468	€2,400	€420	€5,600
5	🇸🇬 SingaporeSingapore	€3,070	€2,300	€420	€6,000
6	🇮🇪 DublinIreland	€3,040	€2,100	€400	€5,200
7	🇦🇪 DubaiUAE	€2,794	€1,900	€400	€5,200
8	🇳🇱 AmsterdamNetherlands	€2,767	€1,900	€370	€5,000
9	🇨🇦 TorontoCanada	€2,737	€1,900	€400	€5,400
10	🇩🇰 CopenhagenDenmark	€2,563	€1,700	€400	€5,300
11	🇫🇷 ParisFrance	€2,552	€1,750	€380	€4,400
12	🇺🇸 AustinUnited States	€2,411	€1,600	€400	€6,500
13	🇩🇪 BerlinGermany	€2,258	€1,500	€350	€4,600
14	🇸🇪 StockholmSweden	€2,233	€1,500	€350	€4,700
15	🇮🇹 MilanItaly	€2,149	€1,450	€330	€3,200
16	🇪🇸 BarcelonaSpain	€2,105	€1,450	€320	€2,800
17	🇪🇸 MadridSpain	€1,909	€1,300	€310	€3,000
18	🇵🇹 LisbonPortugal	€1,874	€1,300	€290	€2,400
19	🇦🇹 ViennaAustria	€1,856	€1,150	€330	€4,000
20	🇯🇵 TokyoJapan	€1,794	€1,150	€330	€3,500
21	🇮🇹 RomeItaly	€1,777	€1,150	€300	€2,300
22	🇰🇷 SeoulSouth Korea	€1,639	€1,050	€340	€3,400
23	🇨🇿 PragueCzechia	€1,618	€1,050	€280	€2,900
24	🇵🇹 PortoPortugal	€1,526	€1,000	€270	€2,100
25	🇪🇸 ValenciaSpain	€1,489	€950	€265	€2,200
26	🇵🇱 WarsawPoland	€1,422	€900	€270	€3,100
27	🇪🇸 MálagaSpain	€1,380	€850	€260	€2,100
28	🇭🇷 SplitCroatia	€1,337	€780	€270	€1,900
29	🇲🇽 Mexico CityMexico	€1,284	€850	€260	€1,900
30	🇿🇦 Cape TownSouth Africa	€1,260	€750	€250	€1,800
31	🇵🇱 KrakówPoland	€1,260	€780	€250	€2,800
32	🇬🇷 AthensGreece	€1,236	€700	€250	€1,700
33	🇭🇺 BudapestHungary	€1,220	€750	€240	€2,300
34	🇮🇩 Canggu, BaliIndonesia	€1,095	€700	€220	€1,100
35	🇷🇴 BucharestRomania	€1,095	€650	€230	€2,600
36	🇧🇬 SofiaBulgaria	€1,050	€600	€220	€2,200
37	🇨🇴 MedellínColombia	€968	€600	€220	€1,300
38	🇹🇷 IstanbulTürkiye	€963	€550	€230	€1,600
39	🇦🇷 Buenos AiresArgentina	€936	€550	€240	€1,400
40	🇲🇾 Kuala LumpurMalaysia	€892	€520	€230	€1,600
41	🇬🇪 TbilisiGeorgia	€884	€520	€190	€1,500
42	🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh CityVietnam	€799	€480	€200	€1,300
43	🇹🇭 Chiang MaiThailand	€705	€380	€180	€1,200

Expensive isn't the same as unaffordable

High-cost cities usually pay more too. What matters is the gap between local pay and local costs — a €5,000 salary in a €3,000 city beats a €2,200 salary in a €1,400 one.

Rent is the single biggest driver of these rankings: it swings far wider between cities than groceries, transport or utilities do.

Expensive city head-to-heads

New York vs San FranciscoSan Francisco 8% cheaper San Francisco vs ZürichZürich 4% cheaper Zürich vs LondonLondon 8% cheaper London vs SingaporeSingapore 11% cheaper Singapore vs DublinDublin 1% cheaper Dublin vs DubaiDubai 8% cheaper Dubai vs AmsterdamAmsterdam 1% cheaper Amsterdam vs TorontoToronto 1% cheaper Toronto vs CopenhagenCopenhagen 6% cheaper Copenhagen vs ParisParis 0% cheaper Paris vs AustinAustin 6% cheaper Austin vs BerlinBerlin 6% cheaper

Cheaper alternatives to each expensive city

New York vs Chiang MaiChiang Mai 83% cheaper San Francisco vs Ho Chi Minh CityHo Chi Minh City 80% cheaper Zürich vs TbilisiTbilisi 77% cheaper London vs Kuala LumpurKuala Lumpur 74% cheaper Singapore vs Buenos AiresBuenos Aires 70% cheaper Dublin vs IstanbulIstanbul 68% cheaper Dubai vs MedellínMedellín 65% cheaper Amsterdam vs SofiaSofia 62% cheaper Toronto vs BucharestBucharest 60% cheaper Copenhagen vs Canggu, BaliCanggu, Bali 57% cheaper Paris vs BudapestBudapest 52% cheaper Austin vs AthensAthens 49% cheaper

Keep comparing

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