Authority Data · 2026
Cost of Living Index 2026: 307 Cities Ranked
Monthly cost of a comfortable solo expat lifestyle across 307 cities worldwide. Transparent methodology, linkable per-row data.
TL;DR for journalists and researchers
Attribution: "Enough Money, 2026 Cost of Living Index (enoughmoney.ai)". Data as of 2026-04-18. Methodology below. Per-row provenance: Numbeo + research-grounded overrides where applicable.
Methodology
Monthly total sums 5 categories: rent (1-bedroom apartment, city center), groceries + dining, utilities (electricity, gas, water, internet), transportation (public transit or moderate private), and healthcare (private insurance or typical out-of-pocket). This mirrors what expat retirees actually spend.
Primary source: Numbeo, the industry-standard crowd-sourced cost-of-living database. Numbeo is what Mercer, Expatistan, and most relocation firms base their indices on. For cities with our detailed lifestyle-tier data (~260 of the 307), we use hand-curated minimum comfortable budgets that cross-check Numbeo against specific neighborhood rent listings.
What's NOT included: premium dining, international travel, one-time costs (furnishing, visa application fees, moving expenses), and discretionary lifestyle upgrades. Couples typically run 1.5× these numbers; families with kids 2–2.5×.
Update cadence: city data is refreshed quarterly. Last updated 2026-04-18. Major rent shifts — the biggest driver of month-to-month volatility — are captured with a 3–6 month lag.
Attribution: Free to cite with credit to "Enough Money, 2026 Cost of Living Index (enoughmoney.ai)".
The full ranking (307 cities)
| # | City | Country | Monthly (USD) | Rent 1BR | Safety |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ahmedabad | India | $800 | $450 | 69/100 |
| 2 | Bhopal | India | $800 | $240 | 55/100 |
| 3 | Bhubaneswar | India | $800 | $275 | 66/100 |
| 4 | Bishkek | Kyrgyzstan | $800 | $600 | 50/100 |
| 5 | Chelyabinsk | Russia | $800 | $350 | 56/100 |
| 6 | Chittagong | Bangladesh | $800 | $400 | 36/100 |
| 7 | Coimbatore | India | $800 | $325 | 62/100 |
| 8 | Córdoba | Argentina | $800 | $325 | 40/100 |
| 9 | Damascus | Syria | $800 | $350 | 32/100 |
| 10 | Dushanbe | Tajikistan | $800 | $600 | 51/100 |
| 11 | Eskişehir | Turkey | $800 | $350 | 75/100 |
| 12 | Giza | Egypt | $800 | $525 | 47/100 |
| 13 | Guwahati | India | $800 | $240 | 54/100 |
| 14 | Indore | India | $800 | $275 | 52/100 |
| 15 | Jaipur | India | $800 | $350 | 64/100 |
| 16 | Kaliningrad | Russia | $800 | $475 | 70/100 |
| 17 | Kochi | India | $800 | $275 | 58/100 |
| 18 | Krasnoyarsk | Russia | $800 | $500 | 58/100 |
| 19 | Lahore | Pakistan | $800 | $525 | 64/100 |
| 20 | Lucknow | India | $800 | $275 | 55/100 |
| 21 | Mangalore | India | $800 | $240 | 74/100 |
| 22 | Mersin | Turkey | $800 | $425 | 63/100 |
| 23 | Nizhny Novgorod | Russia | $800 | $475 | 72/100 |
| 24 | Patna | India | $800 | $240 | 48/100 |
| 25 | Perm | Russia | $800 | $350 | 53/100 |
| 26 | Rajkot | India | $800 | $200 | 65/100 |
| 27 | Rawalpindi | Pakistan | $800 | $250 | 48/100 |
| 28 | Samara | Russia | $800 | $400 | 68/100 |
| 29 | Sousse | Tunisia | $800 | $275 | 47/100 |
| 30 | Surat | India | $800 | $275 | 67/100 |
| 31 | Thiruvananthapuram | India | $800 | $350 | 61/100 |
| 32 | Tomsk | Russia | $800 | $325 | 55/100 |
| 33 | Tyumen | Russia | $800 | $425 | 62/100 |
| 34 | Vadodara | India | $800 | $200 | 70/100 |
| 35 | Bandung | Indonesia | $1,000 | $475 | 60/100 |
| 36 | Niš | Serbia | $1,000 | $350 | 72/100 |
| 37 | Voronezh | Russia | $1,000 | $350 | 55/100 |
| 38 | Wroclaw | Poland | $1,070 | $630 | 75/100 |
| 39 | Pristina | Kosovo (Disputed Territory) | $1,100 | $425 | 69/100 |
| 40 | Târgu Mureș | Romania | $1,100 | $400 | 76/100 |
| 41 | Poznan | Poland | $1,120 | $550 | 72/100 |
| 42 | Addis Ababa | Ethiopia | $1,200 | $900 | 50/100 |
| 43 | Agadir | Morocco | $1,200 | $425 | 64/100 |
| 44 | Aguascalientes | Mexico | $1,200 | $425 | 66/100 |
| 45 | Algiers | Algeria | $1,200 | $900 | 49/100 |
| 46 | Ankara | Turkey | $1,200 | $650 | 61/100 |
| 47 | Antalya | Turkey | $1,200 | $625 | 71/100 |
| 48 | Asunción | Paraguay | $1,200 | $575 | 45/100 |
| 49 | Bangalore | India | $1,200 | $675 | 46/100 |
| 50 | Barranquilla | Colombia | $1,200 | $500 | 33/100 |
| 51 | Batumi | Georgia | $1,200 | $500 | 80/100 |
| 52 | Bogotá | Colombia | $1,200 | $650 | 33/100 |
| 53 | Brașov | Romania | $1,200 | $475 | 75/100 |
| 54 | Burgas | Bulgaria | $1,200 | $425 | 62/100 |
| 55 | Bursa | Turkey | $1,200 | $425 | 71/100 |
| 56 | Cali | Colombia | $1,200 | $475 | 29/100 |
| 57 | Chandigarh | India | $1,200 | $350 | 58/100 |
| 58 | Changsha | China | $1,200 | $475 | 77/100 |
| 59 | Chennai | India | $1,200 | $500 | 60/100 |
| 60 | Chiang Mai | Thailand | $1,200 | $450 | 78/100 |
| 61 | Chongqing | China | $1,200 | $625 | 77/100 |
| 62 | Constanța | Romania | $1,200 | $475 | 55/100 |
| 63 | Craiova | Romania | $1,200 | $375 | 60/100 |
| 64 | Cuenca | Ecuador | $1,200 | $350 | 54/100 |
| 65 | Curitiba | Brazil | $1,200 | $525 | 40/100 |
| 66 | Da Nang | Vietnam | $1,200 | $450 | 77/100 |
| 67 | Dar es Salaam | Tanzania | $1,200 | $900 | 45/100 |
| 68 | Davao | Philippines | $1,200 | $375 | 71/100 |
| 69 | Debrecen | Hungary | $1,200 | $575 | 76/100 |
| 70 | Erbil | Iraq | $1,200 | $600 | 70/100 |
| 71 | Fortaleza | Brazil | $1,200 | $400 | 24/100 |
| 72 | Galați | Romania | $1,200 | $325 | 49/100 |
| 73 | Guayaquil | Ecuador | $1,200 | $500 | 26/100 |
| 74 | Hanoi | Vietnam | $1,200 | $600 | 66/100 |
| 75 | Harare | Zimbabwe | $1,200 | $900 | 38/100 |
| 76 | Ho Chi Minh City | Vietnam | $1,200 | $675 | 50/100 |
| 77 | Hua Hin | Thailand | $1,200 | $525 | 68/100 |
| 78 | Hyderabad | India | $1,200 | $625 | 57/100 |
| 79 | Islamabad | Pakistan | $1,200 | $625 | 70/100 |
| 80 | Izmir | Turkey | $1,200 | $650 | 67/100 |
| 81 | João Pessoa | Brazil | $1,200 | $450 | 36/100 |
| 82 | Kampala | Uganda | $1,200 | $900 | 44/100 |
| 83 | Katowice | Poland | $1,200 | $700 | 66/100 |
| 84 | Kaunas | Lithuania | $1,200 | $600 | 63/100 |
| 85 | Kigali | Rwanda | $1,200 | $650 | 75/100 |
| 86 | Kuching | Malaysia | $1,200 | $425 | 58/100 |
| 87 | Lviv | Ukraine | $1,200 | $475 | 63/100 |
| 88 | Marrakech | Morocco | $1,200 | $460 | 55/100 |
| 89 | Medellin | Colombia | $1,200 | $825 | 46/100 |
| 90 | Mérida | Mexico | $1,200 | $650 | 76/100 |
| 91 | Navi Mumbai | India | $1,200 | $350 | 64/100 |
| 92 | Olomouc | Czech Republic | $1,200 | $800 | 82/100 |
| 93 | Oradea | Romania | $1,200 | $400 | 79/100 |
| 94 | Ostrava | Czech Republic | $1,200 | $550 | 69/100 |
| 95 | Pécs | Hungary | $1,200 | $450 | 72/100 |
| 96 | Phnom Penh | Cambodia | $1,200 | $575 | 49/100 |
| 97 | Plovdiv | Bulgaria | $1,200 | $475 | 76/100 |
| 98 | Podgorica | Montenegro | $1,200 | $525 | 58/100 |
| 99 | Pune | India | $1,200 | $450 | 59/100 |
| 100 | Querétaro | Mexico | $1,200 | $650 | 62/100 |
| 101 | Quezon City | Philippines | $1,200 | $650 | 36/100 |
| 102 | Rabat | Morocco | $1,200 | $625 | 66/100 |
| 103 | Salvador | Brazil | $1,200 | $475 | 24/100 |
| 104 | Santa Cruz | Bolivia | $1,200 | $475 | 55/100 |
| 105 | Sibiu | Romania | $1,200 | $450 | 73/100 |
| 106 | Stara Zagora | Bulgaria | $1,200 | $285 | 81/100 |
| 107 | Surabaya | Indonesia | $1,200 | $525 | 63/100 |
| 108 | Szeged | Hungary | $1,200 | $500 | 76/100 |
| 109 | Tangier | Morocco | $1,200 | $475 | 52/100 |
| 110 | Tashkent | Uzbekistan | $1,200 | $850 | 74/100 |
| 111 | Thane | India | $1,200 | $350 | 69/100 |
| 112 | Timișoara | Romania | $1,200 | $450 | 74/100 |
| 113 | Ufa | Russia | $1,200 | $450 | 55/100 |
| 114 | Vlorë | Albania | $1,200 | $425 | 70/100 |
| 115 | Zaragoza | Spain | $1,322 | $762 | 74/100 |
| 116 | Tartu | Estonia | $1,363 | $643 | 78/100 |
| 117 | Bratislava | Slovakia | $1,397 | $802 | 70/100 |
| 118 | Brno | Czech Republic | $1,400 | $925 | 75/100 |
| 119 | Cluj-Napoca | Romania | $1,400 | $575 | 78/100 |
| 120 | Gdynia | Poland | $1,400 | $750 | 80/100 |
| 121 | Plzeň | Czech Republic | $1,400 | $775 | 70/100 |
| 122 | Rijeka | Croatia | $1,400 | $700 | 77/100 |
| 123 | San Salvador | El Salvador | $1,400 | $850 | 45/100 |
| 124 | Szczecin | Poland | $1,400 | $675 | 70/100 |
| 125 | Coimbra | Portugal | $1,500 | $800 | 77/100 |
| 126 | Florianópolis | Brazil | $1,500 | $600 | 54/100 |
| 127 | Penang | Malaysia | $1,500 | $500 | 71/100 |
| 128 | Varna | Bulgaria | $1,500 | $475 | 66/100 |
| 129 | Vladivostok | Russia | $1,500 | $575 | 55/100 |
| 130 | Tampere | Finland | $1,564 | $875 | 79/100 |
| 131 | Puerto Vallarta | Mexico | $1,620 | $1,050 | 55/100 |
| 132 | Reykjavik | Iceland | $1,620 | $800 | 76/100 |
| 133 | Accra | Ghana | $1,800 | $1,850 | 55/100 |
| 134 | Ajman | UAE | $1,800 | $500 | 87/100 |
| 135 | Athens | Greece | $1,800 | $725 | 45/100 |
| 136 | Baghdad | Iraq | $1,800 | $1,150 | 46/100 |
| 137 | Bangkok | Thailand | $1,800 | $875 | 62/100 |
| 138 | Braga | Portugal | $1,800 | $800 | 60/100 |
| 139 | Bucharest | Romania | $1,800 | $650 | 72/100 |
| 140 | Budapest | Hungary | $1,800 | $900 | 66/100 |
| 141 | Buenos Aires | Argentina | $1,800 | $700 | 37/100 |
| 142 | Cancún | Mexico | $1,800 | $675 | 46/100 |
| 143 | Cape Town | South Africa | $1,800 | $975 | 27/100 |
| 144 | Cartagena | Colombia | $1,800 | $875 | 48/100 |
| 145 | Chengdu | China | $1,800 | $650 | 80/100 |
| 146 | Granada | Spain | $1,800 | $800 | 63/100 |
| 147 | Guadalajara | Mexico | $1,800 | $875 | 38/100 |
| 148 | Guangzhou | China | $1,800 | $900 | 72/100 |
| 149 | Hangzhou | China | $1,800 | $900 | 85/100 |
| 150 | Kaohsiung | Taiwan | $1,800 | $525 | 79/100 |
| 151 | Kraków | Poland | $1,800 | $700 | 75/100 |
| 152 | Kuala Lumpur | Malaysia | $1,800 | $700 | 41/100 |
| 153 | Lima | Peru | $1,800 | $800 | 30/100 |
| 154 | Makati | Philippines | $1,800 | $1,050 | 62/100 |
| 155 | Nanjing | China | $1,800 | $825 | 88/100 |
| 156 | Newcastle upon Tyne | United Kingdom | $1,800 | $1,175 | 61/100 |
| 157 | Phuket | Thailand | $1,800 | $675 | 61/100 |
| 158 | Qingdao | China | $1,800 | $625 | 89/100 |
| 159 | Rio de Janeiro | Brazil | $1,800 | $875 | 25/100 |
| 160 | São Paulo | Brazil | $1,800 | $900 | 30/100 |
| 161 | Suzhou | China | $1,800 | $850 | 89/100 |
| 162 | Taichung | Taiwan | $1,800 | $650 | 86/100 |
| 163 | Tallinn | Estonia | $1,800 | $825 | 78/100 |
| 164 | Tbilisi | Georgia | $1,800 | $700 | 74/100 |
| 165 | Torrevieja | Spain | $1,800 | $800 | 55/100 |
| 166 | Trieste | Italy | $1,800 | $800 | 73/100 |
| 167 | Ulaanbaatar | Mongolia | $1,800 | $900 | 49/100 |
| 168 | Vilnius | Lithuania | $1,800 | $875 | 70/100 |
| 169 | Wuhan | China | $1,800 | $650 | 70/100 |
| 170 | Xi'an | China | $1,800 | $525 | 70/100 |
| 171 | Zagreb | Croatia | $1,800 | $800 | 79/100 |
| 172 | Warsaw | Poland | $1,845 | $1,175 | 75/100 |
| 173 | Birmingham | United Kingdom | $1,923 | $1,225 | 36/100 |
| 174 | San Sebastian | Spain | $2,170 | $1,500 | 70/100 |
| 175 | Funchal | Portugal | $2,200 | $1,175 | 80/100 |
| 176 | Glasgow | United Kingdom | $2,200 | $1,300 | 55/100 |
| 177 | Graz | Austria | $2,200 | $925 | 73/100 |
| 178 | Groningen | Netherlands | $2,200 | $1,550 | 76/100 |
| 179 | Liverpool | United Kingdom | $2,200 | $1,175 | 53/100 |
| 180 | Ljubljana | Slovenia | $2,200 | $1,025 | 78/100 |
| 181 | Montevideo | Uruguay | $2,200 | $725 | 43/100 |
| 182 | Porto | Portugal | $2,200 | $1,125 | 66/100 |
| 183 | Seville | Spain | $2,200 | $1,075 | 63/100 |
| 184 | Calgary | Canada | $2,235 | $1,490 | 55/100 |
| 185 | Galway | Ireland | $2,328 | $1,452 | 69/100 |
| 186 | Montreal | Canada | $2,372 | $1,652 | 70/100 |
| 187 | Kitchener | Canada | $2,419 | $1,724 | 55/100 |
| 188 | Kingston | Canada | $2,435 | $1,740 | 55/100 |
| 189 | Bern | Switzerland | $2,480 | $1,600 | 74/100 |
| 190 | Abidjan | Ivory Coast | $2,500 | $390 | 44/100 |
| 191 | Al Khobar | Saudi Arabia | $2,500 | $875 | 88/100 |
| 192 | Bali (Canggu) | Indonesia | $2,500 | $900 | 73/100 |
| 193 | Barcelona | Spain | $2,500 | $1,500 | 48/100 |
| 194 | Beijing | China | $2,500 | $1,650 | 75/100 |
| 195 | Berlin | Germany | $2,500 | $1,500 | 55/100 |
| 196 | Christchurch | New Zealand | $2,500 | $1,200 | 55/100 |
| 197 | Cincinnati | United States | $2,500 | $1,450 | 51/100 |
| 198 | Columbia | United States | $2,500 | $1,350 | 46/100 |
| 199 | Columbus | United States | $2,500 | $1,450 | 51/100 |
| 200 | Düsseldorf | Germany | $2,500 | $1,400 | 66/100 |
| 201 | Eindhoven | Netherlands | $2,500 | $1,650 | 77/100 |
| 202 | Frankfurt | Germany | $2,500 | $1,800 | 55/100 |
| 203 | Ghent | Belgium | $2,500 | $1,025 | 75/100 |
| 204 | Gothenburg | Sweden | $2,500 | $1,250 | 54/100 |
| 205 | Hamburg | Germany | $2,500 | $1,600 | 59/100 |
| 206 | Huntsville | United States | $2,500 | $1,350 | 58/100 |
| 207 | Istanbul | Turkey | $2,500 | $1,300 | 52/100 |
| 208 | Jacksonville | United States | $2,500 | $1,400 | 44/100 |
| 209 | Jeddah | Saudi Arabia | $2,500 | $925 | 75/100 |
| 210 | Knoxville | United States | $2,500 | $1,350 | 58/100 |
| 211 | Louisville | United States | $2,500 | $1,300 | 42/100 |
| 212 | Madrid | Spain | $2,500 | $1,350 | 71/100 |
| 213 | Málaga | Spain | $2,500 | $1,175 | 69/100 |
| 214 | Manama | Bahrain | $2,500 | $1,000 | 82/100 |
| 215 | Mauritius | Mauritius | $2,500 | $925 | 49/100 |
| 216 | Mexico City | Mexico | $2,500 | $1,150 | 34/100 |
| 217 | Muscat | Oman | $2,500 | $650 | 81/100 |
| 218 | Omaha | United States | $2,500 | $1,350 | 54/100 |
| 219 | Osaka | Japan | $2,500 | $950 | 67/100 |
| 220 | Panama City | Panama | $2,500 | $1,050 | 53/100 |
| 221 | Pittsburgh | United States | $2,500 | $1,800 | 61/100 |
| 222 | Prague | Czech Republic | $2,500 | $1,125 | 75/100 |
| 223 | Quebec City | Canada | $2,500 | $1,075 | 78/100 |
| 224 | Rochester | United States | $2,500 | $1,450 | 36/100 |
| 225 | Rotterdam | Netherlands | $2,500 | $1,950 | 70/100 |
| 226 | San Antonio | United States | $2,500 | $1,450 | 50/100 |
| 227 | Seoul | South Korea | $2,500 | $1,250 | 75/100 |
| 228 | Shanghai | China | $2,500 | $1,850 | 74/100 |
| 229 | Shenzhen | China | $2,500 | $1,150 | 75/100 |
| 230 | Split | Croatia | $2,500 | $1,025 | 70/100 |
| 231 | Stuttgart | Germany | $2,500 | $1,550 | 66/100 |
| 232 | Taipei | Taiwan | $2,500 | $850 | 83/100 |
| 233 | The Hague | Netherlands | $2,500 | $1,950 | 78/100 |
| 234 | Tulsa | United States | $2,500 | $1,150 | 48/100 |
| 235 | Valencia | Spain | $2,500 | $1,125 | 63/100 |
| 236 | Vienna | Austria | $2,500 | $1,450 | 71/100 |
| 237 | Villach | Austria | $2,500 | $800 | 71/100 |
| 238 | Las Vegas | United States | $2,501 | $1,700 | 45/100 |
| 239 | Phoenix | United States | $2,502 | $1,625 | 47/100 |
| 240 | Portland | United States | $2,509 | $1,625 | 42/100 |
| 241 | Bristol | United Kingdom | $2,517 | $1,872 | 57/100 |
| 242 | Halifax | Canada | $2,545 | $1,850 | 55/100 |
| 243 | Ottawa | Canada | $2,583 | $1,888 | 55/100 |
| 244 | Manchester | United Kingdom | $2,660 | $2,100 | 44/100 |
| 245 | Toronto | Canada | $2,668 | $2,000 | 55/100 |
| 246 | Victoria | Canada | $2,668 | $1,848 | 55/100 |
| 247 | Burlington | Canada | $2,720 | $2,000 | 70/100 |
| 248 | Vaughan | Canada | $2,745 | $2,050 | 55/100 |
| 249 | Stavanger | Norway | $2,752 | $1,425 | 75/100 |
| 250 | Dubrovnik | Croatia | $2,800 | $1,300 | 82/100 |
| 251 | Florence | Italy | $2,800 | $1,175 | 58/100 |
| 252 | Lisbon | Portugal | $2,800 | $1,500 | 67/100 |
| 253 | Wichita | United States | $2,800 | $925 | 55/100 |
| 254 | Guelph | Canada | $2,805 | $2,074 | 62/100 |
| 255 | Basel | Switzerland | $2,814 | $2,018 | 69/100 |
| 256 | Nashville | United States | $2,826 | $2,000 | 51/100 |
| 257 | Denver | United States | $2,828 | $2,000 | 52/100 |
| 258 | Oakville | Canada | $2,842 | $2,122 | 70/100 |
| 259 | Perth | Australia | $2,888 | $1,568 | 55/100 |
| 260 | Mississauga | Canada | $2,925 | $2,105 | 70/100 |
| 261 | Vancouver | Canada | $3,384 | $2,584 | 45/100 |
| 262 | Abu Dhabi | UAE | $3,500 | $1,769 | 89/100 |
| 263 | Adelaide | Australia | $3,500 | $1,350 | 67/100 |
| 264 | Auckland | New Zealand | $3,500 | $2,125 | 49/100 |
| 265 | Boise | United States | $3,500 | $1,400 | 62/100 |
| 266 | Brisbane | Australia | $3,500 | $1,600 | 62/100 |
| 267 | Charlotte | United States | $3,500 | $1,850 | 51/100 |
| 268 | Chicago | United States | $3,500 | $2,300 | 35/100 |
| 269 | Copenhagen | Denmark | $3,500 | $2,000 | 74/100 |
| 270 | Doha | Qatar | $3,500 | $1,650 | 85/100 |
| 271 | Dublin | Ireland | $3,500 | $2,200 | 46/100 |
| 272 | Edinburgh | United Kingdom | $3,500 | $1,375 | 70/100 |
| 273 | Gold Coast | Australia | $3,500 | $1,875 | 53/100 |
| 274 | Helsinki | Finland | $3,500 | $1,350 | 75/100 |
| 275 | London | United Kingdom | $3,500 | $2,500 | 45/100 |
| 276 | Luxembourg City | Luxembourg | $3,500 | $2,075 | 72/100 |
| 277 | Madison | United States | $3,500 | $1,700 | 64/100 |
| 278 | Milan | Italy | $3,500 | $1,550 | 46/100 |
| 279 | Munich | Germany | $3,500 | $1,700 | 78/100 |
| 280 | Raleigh | United States | $3,500 | $1,600 | 51/100 |
| 281 | Salt Lake City | United States | $3,500 | $1,625 | 64/100 |
| 282 | Tampa | United States | $3,500 | $2,000 | 55/100 |
| 283 | Tokyo | Japan | $3,500 | $2,650 | 76/100 |
| 284 | Utrecht | Netherlands | $3,500 | $2,025 | 73/100 |
| 285 | Wellington | New Zealand | $3,500 | $1,700 | 67/100 |
| 286 | Sydney | Australia | $3,565 | $2,538 | 55/100 |
| 287 | Zurich | Switzerland | $3,612 | $2,710 | 77/100 |
| 288 | Bergen | Norway | $3,614 | $1,350 | 76/100 |
| 289 | Honolulu | United States | $3,622 | $2,500 | 53/100 |
| 290 | Lugano | Switzerland | $3,633 | $1,950 | 78/100 |
| 291 | Trondheim | Norway | $3,647 | $1,400 | 79/100 |
| 292 | Lausanne | Switzerland | $3,735 | $2,275 | 71/100 |
| 293 | Geneva | Switzerland | $3,822 | $2,942 | 71/100 |
| 294 | Irvine | United States | $3,842 | $3,100 | 70/100 |
| 295 | Dubai | UAE | $4,000 | $2,300 | 84/100 |
| 296 | Brooklyn | United States | $4,420 | $3,550 | 55/100 |
| 297 | Amsterdam | Netherlands | $4,500 | $2,400 | 70/100 |
| 298 | Austin | United States | $4,500 | $2,100 | 56/100 |
| 299 | Boston | United States | $4,500 | $3,400 | 60/100 |
| 300 | Los Angeles | United States | $4,500 | $3,000 | 46/100 |
| 301 | Melbourne | Australia | $4,500 | $2,500 | 56/100 |
| 302 | Miami | United States | $4,500 | $2,950 | 47/100 |
| 303 | New York | United States | $4,500 | $4,350 | 49/100 |
| 304 | San Diego | United States | $4,500 | $2,700 | 60/100 |
| 305 | Seattle | United States | $4,500 | $2,300 | 45/100 |
| 306 | Washington, D.C. | United States | $4,500 | $2,850 | 40/100 |
| 307 | San Francisco | United States | $5,500 | $3,150 | 39/100 |
Click any city name for the full guide with neighborhood detail.
Frequently asked questions
What's included in the monthly cost of living?
Five categories sum to the 'monthly total' shown: rent (1-bedroom apartment, city center), groceries + dining, utilities (electricity, gas, water, internet), transport (public transit or moderate private), and healthcare (private insurance or out-of-pocket). These correspond to what most expat retirees actually spend each month. Premium dining, international travel, and one-time costs (furnishing, visa fees, initial deposits) are excluded.
What's the source of the underlying data?
Primary source is Numbeo (crowd-sourced expat cost data, the industry-standard for cross-city comparison used by Mercer, Expatistan, and most relocation firms). We supplement with targeted research for categories Numbeo is weak on (healthcare for expat plans, utilities for specific neighborhoods). For cities with our detailed lifestyle-tier data, we use hand-curated minimum comfortable budgets instead of raw Numbeo sums.
How is 'comfortable' defined?
The monthly total reflects a comfortable solo lifestyle for someone who wants: their own 1BR apartment (not shared), regular home cooking with occasional restaurant meals, reliable internet, private or tiered healthcare, and flexibility to enjoy the city. It's above 'lean' or backpacker budgets and below 'luxury' or country-club tiers. Couples typically run 1.5× these numbers; families 2–2.5×.
Why is my city more or less expensive than your number suggests?
Cost of living in any city varies 2–3× within the city itself by neighborhood, housing type, and lifestyle choices. Our number reflects a median expat-suitable lifestyle. If you're willing to live in cheaper neighborhoods and cook at home, subtract 20–30%. If you want the most expensive neighborhood and dine out daily, add 40–60%. Check our linked city guides for neighborhood-level detail.
How often is this updated?
The underlying city data is refreshed quarterly. Major rent shifts — the biggest driver of month-to-month volatility — are typically caught with a 3–6 month lag. For any city where you're about to make a major decision, cross-reference against the most recent month of local rental listings.
Related data
This index is for educational and planning purposes. Verify specifics against current local rent listings and government data before making relocation decisions. Free to cite with attribution.