I read an interesting study on the cost of living in 2025, and Switzerland completely dominates the ranking. Zurich, Geneva, and Basel are literally the most expensive cities in the world to live in, all three above 110 on the cost of living index. For reference, they use New York as a baseline at 100 points, so Zurich at 112.5 means living there costs 12.5% more than Manhattan. It's crazy.

What surprises me is that Switzerland really monopolizes the top six positions. Lausanne, Lugano, and Bern complete the Swiss dominance. It makes sense considering that salaries there are astronomical, between 7,000 and 9,000 Swiss francs per month, but rents and food are still incredibly expensive. Zurich is the financial center, so it attracts people from all over the world, which pushes prices even higher.

In the United States, New York serves as the benchmark at 100, making it the seventh most expensive city in the world. Honolulu, San Francisco, and Seattle follow, all above 80. California in general is expensive; Los Angeles and San Diego are around 76. In Asia, Singapore is the most expensive city with 85.3, followed by Tel Aviv and Hong Kong. Interestingly, Tel Aviv is on the list, even though it's not exactly in Asia, but still on the international ranking.

In short, if you want to understand where it's most difficult to live from an economic perspective, the most expensive cities in the world remain mainly in Switzerland and major American metropolises. Norway has several cities in the top 25, Oslo and Bergen are quite costly. It's also a good indicator of where the major centers of global wealth are located.