Top 25 Most Expensive Cities in the World to Live In 2025

The Cost of Living compares how expensive it is to live in different cities around the world. According to the latest Numbeo ranking, Zurich, Geneva, and Basel are the top expensive cities in the world to live in 2025. Several cities in the United States, Norway, and Asia also rank high on the high cost of living list.

How the Cost of Living Index Is Calculated

The index is computed by comparing the cost of everyday items in each city to New York City. In its calculation, the index takes into account the prices for housing, food, transportation, utilities, entertainment, and local purchasing power. Each category gets a score, and these scores are combined into one number for the city.

For example, if a city has a score of 112, it means living there is about 12% more expensive than New York. If a city has a score of 60, it means it is about 40% cheaper than New York.

The Most Expensive 25 Cities in the World

The following table shows the top 25 cities in the world ranked by their Cost of Living Index.

Rank	City	Country	Cost of Living Index
1	Zurich	🇨🇭 Switzerland	112.5
2	Geneva	🇨🇭 Switzerland	111.4
3	Basel	🇨🇭 Switzerland	110.7
4	Lausanne	🇨🇭 Switzerland	110.5
5	Lugano	🇨🇭 Switzerland	108.4
6	Bern	🇨🇭 Switzerland	103.4
7	New York, NY	🇺🇸 United States	100
8	Reykjavik	🇮🇸 Iceland	96.2
9	Honolulu, HI	🇺🇸 United States	94.4
10	San Francisco, CA	🇺🇸 United States	90.7
11	Seattle, WA	🇺🇸 United States	86
12	Singapore	🇸🇬 Singapore	85.3
13	Oslo	🇳🇴 Norway	84.3
14	San Jose, CA	🇺🇸 United States	83.7
15	London	🇬🇧 United Kingdom	83.2
16	Trondheim	🇳🇴 Norway	83
17	Boston, MA	🇺🇸 United States	82.7
18	Washington, DC	🇺🇸 United States	82.5
19	Bergen	🇳🇴 Norway	81.4
20	Copenhagen	🇩🇰 Denmark	81.3
21	Tel Aviv-Yafo	🇮🇱 Israel	81.2
22	Stavanger	🇳🇴 Norway	79
23	San Diego, CA	🇺🇸 United States	76.3
24	Los Angeles, CA	🇺🇸 United States	76.3
25	Amsterdam	🇳🇱 Netherlands	75.9

Source: Numbeo

Zurich, Switzerland

Zurich is the most expensive city in the world, with a score of 112.5. Living in Zurich costs about 12.5% more than in New York. The city is an important center for finance, banking, and technology. Everything from housing to groceries and eating out is very expensive.

However, Zurich also has very high salaries and an excellent standard of living, which helps balance the costs for people who live there. On average, monthly salaries in Zurich are between CHF 7,000 and 9,000 ($7,900 to $10,170), among the highest in the world.

Geneva, Switzerland

Geneva is the second most expensive city in the world after Zurich, with a score of 111.4. It is home to big international organizations like the United Nations and the World Health Organization. The city is also known for luxury watches, fine dining, and a large expat community. However, all these benefits make Geneva a very costly place to live.

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Basel, Switzerland

Basel, in Switzerland, is the third most expensive city in the world with a cost of living index of 110.7. The city is close to the borders of Germany and France and is an important cultural and business center of switzerland.

The city is famous for its pharmaceutical and biotech industries. Housing in Basel is extremely expensive, and everyday costs like food and transportation are also well above global averages.

Expensive Cities in the United States

The United States also has several cities high on the list of most expensive cities in the world . New York City sets the benchmark with a score of 100, making it the most expensive city in America and seventh globally.

Honolulu follows at 94.4, showing the high costs of living on an island. San Francisco (90.7), Seattle (86.0), and Boston (82.7) are all well-known for their high housing costs driven by demand from tech industries. Even Los Angeles (76.3) and San Diego (76.3) rank in the top 25, which reflects California’s expensive real estate and lifestyle.

The Most Expensive Country

Out of the top six most expensive cities, all six are Swiss. This makes Switzerland the most expensive country in the world for city living. Other expensive regions include Norway, which has multiple cities in the top 25, and the United States, which dominates with several entries. Europe leads the ranking, while Asia is mainly represented by Singapore, Tel Aviv, and Hong Kong, which appear further down the list.

Conclusion

The Cost of Living Index shows how much daily life can vary across the world. At the top of the list, Zurich, Geneva, and Basel in Switzerland are the most expensive cities to live in. This shows Switzerland’s wealth and high standard of living in the world. In the United States, New York, Honolulu, and San Francisco are the most expensive cities due to costly housing and lifestyle.