Zurich, Lausanne, and Geneva were ranked as the most expensive cities worldwide with indices of ************************ Almost half of the 11 most expensive cities were in Switzerland.

Cost of Living Index (Excl. Rent) is a relative indicator of consumer goods prices, including groceries, restaurants, transportation and utilities. Cost of Living Index does not include accommodation expenses such as rent or mortgage. If a city has a Cost of Living Index of 120, it means Numbeo has estimated it is 20% more expensive than New York (excluding rent).

Please refer further to: https://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/cpi_explained.jsp for motivation and methodology.

All credits to https://www.numbeo.com .

This dataset would surely help socio-economic researchers to analyse and get deeper insights regarding the life of people country-wise.

Thanks to @andradaolteanu for the motivation! Upwards and onwards...

West Virginia and Kansas had the lowest cost of living across all U.S. states, with composite costs being half of those found in Hawaii. This was according to a composite index that compares prices for various goods and services on a state-by-state basis. In West Virginia, the cost of living index amounted to **** — well below the national benchmark of 100. Virginia— which had an index value of ***** — was only slightly above that benchmark. Expensive places to live included Hawaii, Massachusetts, and California. Housing costs in the U.S. Housing is usually the highest expense in a household’s budget. In 2023, the average house sold for approximately ******* U.S. dollars, but house prices in the Northeast and West regions were significantly higher. Conversely, the South had some of the least expensive housing. In West Virginia, Mississippi, and Louisiana, the median price of the typical single-family home was less than ******* U.S. dollars. That makes living expenses in these states significantly lower than in states such as Hawaii and California, where housing is much pricier. What other expenses affect the cost of living? Utility costs such as electricity, natural gas, water, and internet also influence the cost of living. In Alaska, Hawaii, and Connecticut, the average monthly utility cost exceeded *** U.S. dollars. That was because of the significantly higher prices for electricity and natural gas in these states.

Graph and download economic data for Estimated Mean Real Household Wages Adjusted by Cost of Living for St. Louis city, MO (MWACL29510) from 2009 to 2023 about St. Louis City, MO; St. Louis; adjusted; MO; average; wages; real; and USA.

Damascus in Syria was ranked as the least expensive city worldwide in 2023, with an index score of ** out of 100. The country has been marred by civil war over the last decade, hitting the country's economy hard. Other cities in the Middle East and North Africa, such as Tehran, Tripoli, and Tunis, are also present on the list. On the other hand, Singapore and Zurich were ranked the most expensive cities in the world.

The average for 2021 based on 165 countries was 79.81 index points. The highest value was in Bermuda: 212.7 index points and the lowest value was in Syria: 33.25 index points. The indicator is available from 2017 to 2021. Below is a chart for all countries where data are available.

Of the most populous cities in the U.S., San Jose, California had the highest annual income requirement at ******* U.S. dollars annually for homeowners to have an affordable and comfortable life in 2024. This can be compared to Houston, Texas, where homeowners needed an annual income of ****** U.S. dollars in 2024.

This is a comparison of the cost of living in various cities, as gathered by popular site numbeo. All data belongs to them and has been shared with permission

Currency is Euro

As of September 2024, Mumbai had the highest cost of living among other cities in the country, with an index value of ****. Gurgaon, a satellite city of Delhi and part of the National Capital Region (NCR) followed it with an index value of ****.  What is cost of living? The cost of living varies depending on geographical regions and factors that affect the cost of living in an area include housing, food, utilities, clothing, childcare, and fuel among others. The cost of living is calculated based on different measures such as the consumer price index (CPI), living cost indexes, and wage price index. CPI refers to the change in the value of consumer goods and services. The wage price index, on the other hand, measures the change in labor services prices due to market pressures. Lastly, the living cost indexes calculate the impact of changing costs on different households. The relationship between wages and costs determines affordability and shifts in the cost of living. Mumbai tops the list Mumbai usually tops the list of most expensive cities in India. As the financial and entertainment hub of the country, Mumbai offers wide opportunities and attracts talent from all over the country. It is the second-largest city in India and has one of the most expensive real estates in the world.

A dataset comparing monthly living costs across major cities in China, including rent, food, transport, and more for ESL teachers.

We adjust SNAP maximum allotments, deductions, and income eligibility standards at the beginning of each Federal fiscal year. The changes are based on changes in the cost of living. COLAs take effect on October 1 each year. Maximum allotments are calculated from the cost of a market basket based on the Thrifty Food Plan for a family of four, priced in June that year. The maximum allotments for households larger and smaller than four persons are determined using formulas that account for economies of scale. Smaller households get slightly more per person than the four-person household. Larger households get slightly less. Income eligibility standards are set by law. Gross monthly income limits are set at 130 percent of the poverty level for the household size. Net monthly income limits are set at 100 percent of poverty.

Graph and download economic data for Estimated Mean Real Household Wages Adjusted by Cost of Living for Salt Lake County, UT (MWACL49035) from 2009 to 2023 about Salt Lake County, UT; Salt Lake City; UT; adjusted; average; wages; real; and USA.

This dataset contains information about the cost of living in almost 5000 cities across the world. The data were gathered by scraping Numbeo's website (https://www.numbeo.com).

Data dictionary

Column	Description
city	Name of the city
country	Name of the country
x1	Meal, Inexpensive Restaurant (USD)
x2	Meal for 2 People, Mid-range Restaurant, Three-course (USD)
x3	McMeal at McDonalds (or Equivalent Combo Meal) (USD)
x4	Domestic Beer (0.5 liter draught, in restaurants) (USD)
x5	Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle, in restaurants) (USD)
x6	Cappuccino (regular, in restaurants) (USD)
x7	Coke/Pepsi (0.33 liter bottle, in restaurants) (USD)
x8	Water (0.33 liter bottle, in restaurants) (USD)
x9	Milk (regular), (1 liter) (USD)
x10	Loaf of Fresh White Bread (500g) (USD)
x11	Rice (white), (1kg) (USD)
x12	Eggs (regular) (12) (USD)
x13	Local Cheese (1kg) (USD)
x14	Chicken Fillets (1kg) (USD)
x15	Beef Round (1kg) (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) (USD)
x16	Apples (1kg) (USD)
x17	Banana (1kg) (USD)
x18	Oranges (1kg) (USD)
x19	Tomato (1kg) (USD)
x20	Potato (1kg) (USD)
x21	Onion (1kg) (USD)
x22	Lettuce (1 head) (USD)
x23	Water (1.5 liter bottle, at the market) (USD)
x24	Bottle of Wine (Mid-Range, at the market) (USD)
x25	Domestic Beer (0.5 liter bottle, at the market) (USD)
x26	Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle, at the market) (USD)
x27	Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro) (USD)
x28	One-way Ticket (Local Transport) (USD)
x29	Monthly Pass (Regular Price) (USD)
x30	Taxi Start (Normal Tariff) (USD)
x31	Taxi 1km (Normal Tariff) (USD)
x32	Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff) (USD)
x33	Gasoline (1 liter) (USD)
x34	Volkswagen Golf 1.4 90 KW Trendline (Or Equivalent New Car) (USD)
x35	Toyota Corolla Sedan 1.6l 97kW Comfort (Or Equivalent New Car) (USD)
x36	Basic (Electricity, Heating, Cooling, Water, Garbage) for 85m2 Apartment (USD)
x37	1 min. of Prepaid Mobile Tariff Local (No Discounts or Plans) (USD)
x38	Internet (60 Mbps or More, Unlimited Data, Cable/ADSL) (USD)
x39	Fitness Club, Monthly Fee for 1 Adult (USD)
x40	Tennis Court Rent (1 Hour on Weekend) (USD)
x41	Cinema, International Release, 1 Seat (USD)
x42	Preschool (or Kindergarten), Full Day, Private, Monthly for 1 Child (USD)
x43	International Primary School, Yearly for 1 Child (USD)
x44	1 Pair of Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar) (USD)
x45	1 Summer Dress in a Chain Store (Zara, H&M, ...) (USD)
x46	1 Pair of Nike Running Shoes (Mid-Range) (USD)
x47	1 Pair of Men Leather Business Shoes (USD)
x48	Apartment (1 bedroom) in City Centre (USD)
x49	Apartment (1 bedroom) Outside of Centre (USD)
x50	Apartment (3 bedrooms) in City Centre (USD)
x51	Apartment (3 bedrooms) Outside of Centre (USD)
x52	Price per Square Meter to Buy Apartment in City Centre (USD)
x53	Price per Square Meter to Buy Apartment Outside of Centre (USD)
x54	Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax) (USD)
x55	Mortgage Interest Rate in Percentages (%), Yearly, for 20 Years Fixed-Rate
data_quality	0 if Numbeo considers that more contributors are needed to increase data quality, else 1

South Korea's capital Seoul had the highest cost of living among megacities in the Asia-Pacific region in 2024, with an index score of ****. Japan's capital Tokyo followed with a cost of living index score of ****. AffordabilityIn terms of housing affordability, Chinese megacity Shanghai had the highest rent index score in 2024. Affordability has become an issue in certain megacities across the Asia-Pacific region, with accommodation proving expensive. Next to Shanghai, Japanese capital Tokyo and South Korean capital Seoul boast some of the highest rent indices in the region. Increased opportunities in megacitiesAs the biggest region in the world, it is not surprising that the Asia-Pacific region is home to 28 megacities as of January 2024, with expectations that this number will dramatically increase by 2030. The growing number of megacities in the Asia-Pacific region can be attributed to raised levels of employment and living conditions. Cities such as Tokyo, Shanghai, and Beijing have become economic and industrial hubs. Subsequently, these cities have forged a reputation as being the in-trend places to live among the younger generations. This reputation has also pushed them to become enticing to tourists, with Tokyo displaying increased numbers of tourists throughout recent years, which in turn has created more job opportunities for inhabitants. As well as Tokyo, Shanghai has benefitted from the increased tourism, and has demonstrated an increasing population. A big factor in this population increase could be due to the migration of citizens to the city, seeking better employment possibilities.

Kazakhstan Cost of Living: Average per Capita: City: Almaty data was reported at 32,029.000 KZT in Oct 2018. This records a decrease from the previous number of 32,475.000 KZT for Sep 2018. Kazakhstan Cost of Living: Average per Capita: City: Almaty data is updated monthly, averaging 15,920.000 KZT from Oct 2000 (Median) to Oct 2018, with 217 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 32,640.000 KZT in Aug 2018 and a record low of 4,577.000 KZT in Oct 2000. Kazakhstan Cost of Living: Average per Capita: City: Almaty data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by The Agency of Statistics of the Republic of Kazakhstan. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Kazakhstan – Table KZ.H012: Cost of Living: Average per Capita.

Cost of living data based on food, housing, utilities, transportation, healthcare, and consumer discretionary spending in the United States.

Cost of Living Index data was reported at 7,726.308 1913=1 in 2017. This records an increase from the previous number of 7,642.160 1913=1 for 2016. Cost of Living Index data is updated yearly, averaging 5.167 1913=1 from Dec 1861 (Median) to 2017, with 157 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 7,726.308 1913=1 in 2017 and a record low of 0.766 1913=1 in 1865. Cost of Living Index data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by National Institute of Statistics. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Italy – Table IT.I030: Cost of Living Index: 1913=1.

This table contains data on the living wage and the percent of families with incomes below the living wage for California, its counties, regions and cities/towns. Living wage is the wage needed to cover basic family expenses (basic needs budget) plus all relevant taxes; it does not include publicly provided income or housing assistance. The percent of families below the living wage was calculated using data from the Living Wage Calculator and the U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey. The table is part of a series of indicators in the Healthy Communities Data and Indicators Project of the Office of Health Equity. The living wage is the wage or annual income that covers the cost of the bare necessities of life for a worker and his/her family. These necessities include housing, transportation, food, childcare, health care, and payment of taxes. Low income populations and non-white race/ethnic have disproportionately lower wages, poorer housing, and higher levels of food insecurity. More information about the data table and a data dictionary can be found in the About/Attachments section.

Graph and download economic data for Estimated Mean Real Household Wages Adjusted by Cost of Living for Richmond city, VA (MWACL51760) from 2009 to 2023 about Richmond City, VA; Richmond; adjusted; average; VA; wages; real; and USA.

Living Cost: Average per Month: CF: City of Moscow data was reported at 17,740.000 RUB in Dec 2020. This records a decrease from the previous number of 18,029.000 RUB for Sep 2020. Living Cost: Average per Month: CF: City of Moscow data is updated quarterly, averaging 9,158.000 RUB from Sep 2001 (Median) to Dec 2020, with 78 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 18,029.000 RUB in Sep 2020 and a record low of 2,295.000 RUB in Sep 2001. Living Cost: Average per Month: CF: City of Moscow data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Federal State Statistics Service. The data is categorized under Russia Premium Database’s Household Survey – Table RU.HF001: Living Cost.