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Mapping The Global Cost Of Living In 2026

by | Feb 10, 2026 | Top Ten


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

To find out, this graphic, via Visual Capitalist’s Dorothy Neufeld, 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.

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

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