I just saw an interesting ranking of the most expensive cities in the world in 2025, and honestly, Switzerland completely dominates. Zurich tops the list with an index of 112.5, followed by Geneva and Basel. That is, living in Zurich costs approximately 12.5% more than in New York, which is the baseline reference with 100 points. Almost all of the most expensive cities are concentrated there.

What surprised me is that New York barely ranks seventh with 100 points. Honolulu (94.4), San Francisco (90.7), and Seattle (86) also appear in the top, but clearly Switzerland takes the prize. Then there are cities like Singapore, Tel Aviv, and Hong Kong representing Asia.

The ranking is calculated by comparing the cost of housing, food, transportation, services, and entertainment with New York. If a city has 112, it means it is approximately 12% more expensive. Quite simple but effective for understanding where it’s really more costly to live.

The interesting thing is that although these most expensive cities in the world have very high costs, they also have very high salaries. In Zurich, monthly wages range between 7,000 and 9,000 Swiss francs. So, the cost of living isn’t so brutal if you earn in that currency. Anyway, if you thought New York was expensive, wait until you see the prices in Switzerland.