I just reviewed a ranking of the most expensive cities in the world for 2025, and honestly, it's quite interesting. It turns out Switzerland literally dominates the top 6, no joke. Zurich leads the list with 112.5 points (12.5% more expensive than New York), followed by Geneva and Basel. The truth is, all those Swiss cities are on a different level of cost of living.

The interesting part is how this is calculated. They use New York as a reference with 100 points, so any city above is more expensive and below is cheaper. If you see a score of 112, it means approximately 12% more expensive. Quite simple but effective for comparison.

In the United States, there are also several expensive cities in the world on the ranking. New York is in 7th place globally (100 points), Honolulu at 94.4, San Francisco at 90.7. And then you have Seattle, Boston, Los Angeles, and San Diego also in the top 25. Basically, if you want to live on the U.S. West Coast, get ready to open your wallet.

Asia has a presence but less than I would expect. Singapore, Tel Aviv, and Hong Kong appear, but lower on the list. The interesting part is that Norway also has several expensive cities (Oslo, Trondheim, Bergen), so Europe definitely leads when it comes to the most expensive cities in the world.

The obvious conclusion: if you're looking to live in one of the most expensive cities in the world, aim for Switzerland. If not, New York and San Francisco in the U.S. are your most affordable options in the global top, although "affordable" is relative here.