• Home
  • Reviews
    • Flight Reviews
    • Hotel Reviews
    • Lounge Reviews
    • Trip Reports
  • About
    • Press
  • Contact
  • Privacy
  • Award Expert
Live and Let's Fly
  • Home
  • Reviews
    • Flight Reviews
    • Hotel Reviews
    • Lounge Reviews
    • Trip Reports
  • About
    • Press
  • Contact
  • Privacy
  • Award Expert
Home » News » The 10 Most Expensive Cities in the World
NewsTravel

The 10 Most Expensive Cities in the World

Matthew Klint Posted onMarch 19, 2018November 14, 2023 6 Comments

a city skyline with a statue of a lion and a fountain

What are the 10 most expensive cities in the world to live in?

The Economist compiles an annual report each year and is out with its 2018 list. This list is formulated based upon a number of factors, including pricing on real estate and rent, transportation, food, alcohol, healthcare, and other staple items. This is NOT a “qualify of life” assessment, merely a cost assessment.

Let’s start with the list:

10. Sydney, Australia

9. Tel Aviv, Israel

8. Copenhagen, Denmark

7. Seoul, South Korea

6. Geneva, Switzerland

5. Oslo, Norway

4. Hong Kong, SAR

3. Zurich, Switzerland

2. Paris, France

1. Singapore, Singapore

NOTES

  • Singapore remains the world’s most expensive city (five consecutive years). While that may seem odd to visitors (since food and transportation is so cheap), it is the most expensive place in the world to buy and operate a car and buy clothes
  • In Seoul, a basket of groceries is 50% more expensive than in New York City
  • Tel Aviv is rising due to the soaring costs of real estate and transportation
  • New York City was #9 last year, but no U.S. cities are currently on the list due to weakening U.S. dollar
  • No Japanese cities are on the list (Tokyo was #1 every year until 2013) due to lack of inflation in Japan.

As an aside, there may be no hope for my collection of Uzbeki Som:

Tashkent in Uzbekistan, which experienced the sharpest decline in the cost of living ranking in the past 12 months, fell by 35 places to 112th position. The reason for this drastic decline was an almost 50% depreciation in the value of the national currency, the som, after it was allowed to float freely in early September 2017.

You can view the full report here (.pdf). Registration may be required.

Tomorrow: the 10 cheapest cities in the world.

Get Daily Updates

Join our mailing list for a daily summary of posts! We never sell your info.

You have Successfully Subscribed!

Previous Article Live and Let’s Fly Weekend Digest: March 18, 2018
Next Article New Air France Ad Campaign Misses Mark

About Author

Matthew Klint

Matthew is an avid traveler who calls Los Angeles home. Each year he travels more than 200,000 miles by air and has visited more than 135 countries. Working both in the aviation industry and as a travel consultant, Matthew has been featured in major media outlets around the world and uses his Live and Let's Fly blog to share the latest news in the airline industry, commentary on frequent flyer programs, and detailed reports of his worldwide travel.

Related Posts

  • Emirates Most Profitable Carrier

    Emirates Declares Itself World’s Most Profitable Airline

    May 8, 2025
  • Army Helicopter Flights DCA

    Army Grounds Helicopter Flights Near DCA After Another Close Call

    May 7, 2025
  • TWA Hotel Intelligentsia Closed

    Yet Another Reason To Avoid TWA Hotel…

    May 6, 2025

6 Comments

  1. SINJIm Reply
    March 19, 2018 at 10:27 am

    Learn it. Know it. Live it.

    Greetings from Singapore…

  2. henry LAX Reply
    March 19, 2018 at 10:45 am

    you mean to “float” freely ?

    • Matthew Reply
      March 19, 2018 at 10:50 am

      Correct. Thanks!

  3. Mitch Cumstein Reply
    March 19, 2018 at 12:23 pm

    Why is this list including car ownership? I thought most Sing residents didn’t own one.

    • Matt Reply
      March 19, 2018 at 5:08 pm

      A lot don’t because it is so prohibitively expensive. Over 100% import tax + $50k for license/registration every 7 years, I believe. Makes a base Camry cost significantly more than most luxury cars in the US.

      But, a decent number of them do own cars, so it should be included.

  4. Zee Reply
    March 20, 2018 at 1:23 am

    Of course you would expect Damascus and Caracas to be the cheapest cities to live in now, if you ignore the accessibility to goods.

    Meanwhile, I am surprised that Lagos is on the bottom 10 list, and Luanda is not even making the top 10.

Leave a Reply

Cancel reply

Search

Hot Deals for May

Note: Please see my Advertiser Disclosure

Capital One Venture X Business Card
Earn 150,000 Miles Sign Up Bonus
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
Earn 100,000 Points
Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
Earn 75,000 Miles!
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
Earn 75,000 Miles
Chase Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card
Earn $750 Cash Back
The Business Platinum Card® from American Express
The Business Platinum Card® from American Express
Earn 120,000 Membership Reward® Points

Recent Posts

  • Denver Airport Business Class
    $19K Business Class…On Your Dime: Denver Airport Execs Take Luxury Jaunt To Spain May 9, 2025
  • Pre-Departure Beverage Economy
    Pre-Departure Beverage…In Economy Class?! May 9, 2025
  • Breeze Airways A220
    My First Time Flying Breeze Airways: Friendly, Fashionable, But Filthy… May 9, 2025
  • Richard Quest Island Hopper
    “We Are Delivering The Mail And Milk!” Richard Quest Flies The United Airlines Island Hopper May 9, 2025

Categories

Popular Posts

  • a room with a table and benches
    Where To Smoke At Paris Charles De Gaulle Airport (CDG) April 26, 2025
  • United Airlines Polaris Lounge Chicago Review
    Review: United Polaris Lounge Chicago (ORD) May 1, 2025
  • United Airlines Refresh Polaris Lounge Chicago
    First Look: United Airlines Reopens Renovated Polaris Lounge In Chicago (ORD) April 29, 2025
  • a hand holding a blue card
    Chase Sapphire Preferred 100K Bonus Offer Ending Soon May 2, 2025

Archives

May 2025
M T W T F S S
 1234
567891011
12131415161718
19202122232425
262728293031  
« Apr    

As seen on:

facebook twitter instagram rss
Privacy Policy © Live and Let's Fly All Rights Reserved. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Live and Let's Fly with appropriate and specific directions to the original content.