Been digging into where you can actually stretch your money globally, and the data is pretty eye-opening. Turns out the cheapest cities in the world aren't where most people think. I pulled some research on cost-of-living indices and the pattern is clear - if you're serious about affordable living, Asia and parts of Africa are where it's at.

India absolutely dominates the list for cheapest city options. Pune tops everything with a cost-of-living index of just 24.8 compared to US averages at 100, meaning you're looking at roughly 75% savings overall. Delhi, Bangalore, Hyderabad - they're all in that same ballpark. Even groceries and rent are ridiculously cheap. Like, rent index under 7 in most of these places.

What's interesting is the local purchasing power. Cities like Bangalore and Pune score over 100 on purchasing power, which means your money goes even further because local salaries are more reasonable relative to costs. It's not just about prices being low - it's about them being low relative to what people actually earn there.

China's got some contenders too. Wuhan and Chengdu both score around 32 on the cost-of-living index. South Africa made the list with Cape Town and Johannesburg offering decent affordability with higher purchasing power indexes. Pakistan's cities like Karachi and Lahore are incredibly cheap but with lower local purchasing power, so the math works differently.

If you're actually considering a move to find the cheapest city to live in, the real question isn't just about rent and groceries - it's whether your income translates well there. Remote workers have it easiest since they can maintain US/Western salaries. But if you're relocating for local work, those purchasing power numbers matter more than the raw cost index. The data's from early 2024, so prices have probably shifted, but the relative rankings probably hold up pretty well.