Mapped: The Global Cost of Living Index 2026

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Mapped: The Global Cost of Living Index 2026

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Key Takeaways

• Bermuda is the most expensive place to live in the world in 2026, with prices 23.5% higher than New York City.
• Switzerland leads Europe, while Singapore is the most expensive in Asia.

How does the cost of living vary across countries in 2026?

To find out, this graphic visualizes Numbeo’s Global Cost of Living Index, which measures the price of everyday expenses, including rent, relative to New York City (baseline of 100).

If a country has an index score of 80, prices are 20% lower than in New York. Scores above 100 indicate higher everyday costs.

While inflation has eased in many regions, the cost of living remains a major global challenge. Across 28 countries, home prices have risen more than 50% since 2020, and grocery costs have risen sharply in countries such as Mexico, Germany, and Malaysia, continuing to strain household budgets worldwide.

Global Cost of Living by Country

Below, we show the cost of living index for 155 countries or territories in 2026, highlighting stark differences in everyday costs around the world.

Bermuda has the highest cost of living worldwide, a British Overseas Territory synonymous with high-end real estate, luxury tourism, and offshore wealth.

Rank	Country	Cost of Living Index 2026
1	Bermuda	123.5
2	Cayman Islands	97.9
3	Switzerland	84.3
4	U.S. Virgin Islands	82.5
5	Singapore	81.2
6	Bahamas	77.1
7	Iceland	75.9
8	Jersey	72.5
9	Hong Kong	69.8
10	Solomon Islands	65.4
11	Guernsey	65.3
12	Luxembourg	65.2
13	Gibraltar	63.9
14	Norway	59.4
15	Ireland	58.7
16	Israel	58
17	Netherlands	57.9
18	Denmark	56.6
19	United States	56.3
20	Isle Of Man	55.7
21	Australia	52.7
22	United Kingdom	51.9
23	Austria	50.7
24	Grenada	49.4
25	Germany	49
26	Canada	48.9
27	Belgium	48.6
28	United Arab Emirates	48.2
29	Finland	48
30	Seychelles	48
31	Sweden	47.8
32	France	47.5
33	Macao (China)	46.3
34	Qatar	45.8
35	Andorra	45.2
36	New Zealand	45
37	Cyprus	44.6
38	Puerto Rico	44.3
39	Malta	44.1
40	Italy	43.1
41	Democratic Republic of the Congo	42.4
42	South Korea	41.3
43	Estonia	40.5
44	Papua New Guinea	39.2
45	Slovenia	39.1
46	Spain	39
47	Guyana	39
48	Jamaica	38.7
49	Czech Republic	38.6
50	Costa Rica	38.3
51	Portugal	38.3
52	Maldives	38.1
53	Uruguay	37.3
54	Croatia	37.1
55	Greece	36
56	Bahrain	35.9
57	Panama	35.6
58	Senegal	35.5
59	Lithuania	35.3
60	Trinidad And Tobago	35.2
61	Slovakia	35.2
62	Ivory Coast	34.5
63	Angola	34.5
64	Poland	34.4
65	Latvia	34.3
66	Taiwan	33.9
67	Brunei	33.6
68	Kuwait	33.3
69	Japan	32.8
70	Hungary	32.3
71	Yemen	32
72	Belize	32
73	Albania	31.7
74	Mexico	31.5
75	Ethiopia	31.3
76	Cameroon	31.1
77	Montenegro	31
78	Palestine	30.9
79	Saudi Arabia	30.4
80	Oman	30
81	Cape Verde	29.6
82	Serbia	29.5
83	Lebanon	29.5
84	Armenia	29.5
85	Guatemala	29.5
86	El Salvador	29.4
87	Cuba	28.3
88	Argentina	28.3
89	Suriname	28.2
90	Bulgaria	28
91	Romania	27.8
92	Turkey	27.6
93	Dominican Republic	27.4
94	Thailand	27.2
95	Chile	26.8
96	Fiji	26.7
97	South Africa	26.4
98	Namibia	26.4
99	Moldova	26.4
100	Mauritius	26.1
101	Myanmar	26
102	Mozambique	25.9
103	Honduras	25.7
104	Russia	25.7
105	Nigeria	25.5
106	Jordan	25.3
107	Mongolia	25.1
108	Bosnia And Herzegovina	25
109	Zimbabwe	24.2
110	Venezuela	24
111	Georgia	24
112	Cambodia	23.7
113	Ghana	23.7
114	Peru	23.6
115	North Macedonia	23.2
116	Malaysia	22.9
117	Nicaragua	22.5
118	Colombia	22.4
119	Sri Lanka	22
120	Zambia	22
121	Belarus	21.5
122	China	21.5
123	Kazakhstan	21.4
124	Azerbaijan	21.3
125	Morocco	21.1
126	Botswana	21
127	Ecuador	21
128	Uzbekistan	20.6
129	Brazil	20.5
130	Kyrgyzstan	20.4
131	Paraguay	20.3
132	Philippines	20.2
133	Tajikistan	19.8
134	Uganda	19.6
135	Kosovo (Disputed Territory)	19.5
136	Kenya	19.5
137	Rwanda	19.4
138	Ukraine	19.2
139	Vietnam	19.1
140	Iraq	19
141	Bolivia	19
142	Tanzania	18.8
143	Tunisia	18.5
144	Indonesia	18.5
145	Algeria	17.1
146	Iran	16.2
147	Syria	16.1
148	Madagascar	15.8
149	Bangladesh	13.8
150	Nepal	13.8
151	Egypt	13.8
152	Afghanistan	12.7
153	Pakistan	12.4
154	India	12.4
155	Libya	12.3

Many of the world’s most expensive places, in terms of cost of living, are islands and often tax shelters or financial centers. The U.S. Virgin Islands, Jersey, and Cayman Islands all make the top 10 in the cost of living index. High concentrations of wealth, combined with heavy reliance on imports, push up prices across these island economies.

Switzerland ranks third overall, with Zurich named the world’s most expensive city in 2026. Beyond a strong Swiss franc, high wages and elevated living standards significantly drive up costs.

Singapore has the highest cost of living in Asia, placing fifth worldwide. Limited land availability has fueled high real estate prices, while the country’s reliance on imports—around 90% of its food—adds further cost pressures.

The U.S. ranks 19th globally, with a cost of living index score of 56.3. By comparison, the global median index score in 2026 stands at 30.8.

Learn More on the Voronoi App

To learn more about this topic, check out this graphic on the world’s most unaffordable housing markets.