Where a coffee costs ten dollars
10 Most Expensive Cities in the World
Annual surveys from EIU, Mercer and Numbeo disagree on the order, but the same handful of cities trade the top spots year after year.
The world's most expensive cities aren't always the richest — they're the ones where a combination of strong currency, scarce land and high taxes makes basic goods cost two or three times the global average.
Oslo, Norway · pop. 1,110,887
Oslo's prices are legendary — a pint of beer often clears 100 NOK, and locals routinely cross-shop in Sweden.
Capital Region, Denmark · pop. 613,288
High wages, high taxes and a small market keep almost everything in Copenhagen 30–50% more expensive than the EU average.
Tokyo, Japan · pop. 13,613,660
Tokyo used to top these lists outright in the 1990s; today it's still expensive, but a weaker yen has pulled it down the rankings.
England, United Kingdom · pop. 8,908,083
London is Europe's most expensive English-speaking city; even after Brexit and currency moves it stays in the global top ten.
Île-de-France, France · pop. 2,133,111
Paris is consistently the most expensive city in continental Europe outside Switzerland — and food prices have only widened the gap.
Hong Kong, China · pop. 7,534,200
Hong Kong's residential prices remain the highest per square foot of any major city, despite years of population shifts.
New York, United States · pop. 8,336,817
New York is the most expensive large city in the Americas — Manhattan rents alone push it onto every global top-ten list.
Geneva, Switzerland · pop. 191,557
Geneva tracks Zurich on cost and adds a layer of UN-and-banking demand for housing that keeps rents permanently squeezed.
Zurich, Switzerland · pop. 443,037
Zurich pairs Swiss wages with Swiss prices: a sit-down lunch can easily clear 30 CHF, and rents are among Europe's highest.
Singapore, Singapore · pop. 5,535,002
Singapore has topped the EIU's cost-of-living index more often than any other city — driven largely by sky-high car ownership costs.
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For entertainment only. Rankings on this page are editorial picks compiled from public sources for fun and discovery — they aren't a scientific measurement. Population figures and place details come from open data; see the linked place pages for sources.