I just saw a ranking of the most expensive cities in the world, and honestly, I’m not surprised that Switzerland dominates completely. Zurich, Geneva, Basel... all Swiss cities in the top spots. Zurich leads with an index of 112.5, which means living there costs 12% more than New York. But what’s interesting is that salaries are also much higher, ranging from 7,000 to 9,000 Swiss francs per month.

What caught my attention is how New York is the reference point with 100 points, but it’s not even in the top 5 of the most expensive cities in the world. San Francisco, Seattle, and Boston also appear on the U.S. list, although with lower indices. Honolulu ranks at 94.4, probably because it’s an island.

In Asia, Singapore, Tel Aviv, and Hong Kong have the highest indices, but they are still cheaper than the Swiss cities. The full ranking also includes cities from Norway, Denmark, and Iceland. It’s fascinating to see how the cost of living varies so much by region, and how the most expensive cities in the world are mainly concentrated in Europe.