I saw this ranking of the most expensive cities in the world in 2025 and I have to say, Switzerland completely dominates. Zurich, Geneva, Basel... basically all the top six positions are Swiss. Zurich is at the top with an index of 112.5 (New York is the benchmark at 100), which means living there costs 12.5% more than Manhattan. Crazy, right?

What struck me is how this index works. It’s not just rent — they consider housing, food, transportation, utilities, entertainment, and local purchasing power. If a city has a score of 112, it means it’s 12% more expensive than NYC. If it’s 60, it’s 40% cheaper. Simple but effective for understanding the real cost of living.

In the world’s most expensive city, Zurich, salaries compensate: on average between 7,000 and 9,000 Swiss francs per month. Geneva follows at 111.4, then Basel at 110.7. All three are financial hubs and tech centers — it makes sense that they’re so costly.

In the United States, New York sets the benchmark at 100 (it’s the seventh globally), followed by Honolulu at 94.4, San Francisco at 90.7, and Seattle at 86. Boston, Los Angeles, and San Diego also appear in the top 25. Norway has Oslo, Trondheim, Bergen, and Stavanger on the list. Singapore, Tel Aviv, and Hong Kong represent Asia among the most expensive cities in the world to live in.

The interesting thing? Europe completely dominates this ranking. Switzerland is the most expensive country overall, followed by Norway and then the USA. If you need to choose a European city where the cost of living is manageable, look around: Amsterdam (75.9) is cheaper than Los Angeles.