Just checked out the latest cost of living data and Switzerland is absolutely dominating the most expensive cities in the world rankings. Zurich tops the list at 112.5, followed by Geneva and Basel - all Swiss. Like, six out of the top six most expensive places are in Switzerland. It's wild.

The way they measure it is pretty straightforward actually. They use New York City as the baseline (100 points), so anything above that is pricier, anything below is cheaper. Zurich at 112.5 means you're paying roughly 12.5% more than NYC just to exist there. They factor in housing, food, transport, utilities, entertainment - basically everything.

Beyond Switzerland, you've got some pricey US cities scattered throughout the most expensive cities in the world list. New York itself is at 100 (obviously, since it's the reference point), then Honolulu, San Francisco, Seattle - all dealing with crazy housing costs. Even LA and San Diego cracked the top 25. Norway's got several cities up there too with Oslo, Bergen, Trondheim. Singapore's the main Asian contender at 85.3.

What's interesting is how much the wealth gap shows up in these numbers. Zurich residents average CHF 7,000-9,000 monthly salaries to offset those costs. Geneva's got all the UN and WHO offices driving prices up. Basel's pharmaceutical industry keeps it expensive. Meanwhile, these most expensive cities in the world tend to cluster around financial hubs, tech centers, or island locations. It's basically a map of where the money flows.