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.

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.

In June 2025, 59 percent of households in Great Britain reported that their cost of living had increased in the previous month, compared with 72 percent in April. Although the share of people reporting a cost of living increase has generally been falling since August 2022, when 91 percent of households reported an increase, the most recent figures indicate that the Cost of Living Crisis is still ongoing for many households in the UK. Crisis ligers even as inflation falls Although various factors have been driving the Cost of Living Crisis in Britain, high inflation has undoubtedly been one of the main factors. After several years of relatively low inflation, the CPI inflation rate shot up from 2021 onwards, hitting a high of 11.1 percent in October 2022. In the months since that peak, inflation has fallen to more usual levels, and was 2.5 percent in December 2024, slightly up from 1.7 percent in September. Since June 2023, wages have also started to grow at a faster rate than inflation, albeit after a long period where average wages were falling relative to overall price increases. Economy continues to be the main issue for voters Ahead of the last UK general election, the economy was consistently selected as the main issue for voters for several months. Although the Conservative Party was seen by voters as the best party for handling the economy before October 2022, this perception collapsed following the market's reaction to Liz Truss' mini-budget. Even after changing their leader from Truss to Rishi Sunak, the Conservatives continued to fall in the polls, and would go onto lose the election decisively. Since the election, the economy remains the most important issue in the UK, although it was only slightly ahead of immigration and health as of January 2025.

Background:
A household food consumption and expenditure survey has been conducted each year in Great Britain (excluding Northern Ireland) since 1940. At that time the National Food Survey (NFS) covered a sample drawn solely from urban working-class households, but this was extended to a fully demographically representative sample in 1950. From 1957 onwards the Family Expenditure Survey (FES) provided information on all household expenditure patterns including food expenditure, with the NFS providing more detailed information on food consumption and expenditure. The NFS was extended to cover Northern Ireland from 1996 onwards. In April 2001 these surveys were combined to form the Expenditure and Food Survey (EFS), which completely replaced both series. From January 2008, the EFS became known as the Living Costs and Food (LCF) module of the Integrated Household Survey (IHS). As a consequence of this change, the questionnaire was altered to accommodate the insertion of a core set of questions, common to all of the separate modules which together comprised the IHS. Some of these core questions are simply questions which were previously asked in the same or a similar format on all of the IHS component surveys. For further information on the LCF questionnaire, see Volume A of the LCF 2008 User Guide, held with SN 6385. Further information about the LCF, including links to published reports based on the survey, may be found by searching for 'Living Costs and Food Survey' on the ONS website. Further information on the NFS and Living Costs and Food Module of the IHS can be found by searching for 'Family Food' on the GOV.UK website.

History:
The LCF (then EFS) was the result of more than two years' development work to bring together the FES and NFS; both survey series were well-established and important sources of information for government and the wider community, and had charted changes and patterns in spending and food consumption since the 1950s. Whilst the NFS and FES series are now finished, users should note that previous data from both series are still available from the UK Data Archive, under GNs 33071 (NFS) and 33057 (FES).

Purpose of the LCF
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) has overall project management and financial responsibility for the LCF, while the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) sponsors the food data element. As with the FES and NFS, the LCF continues to be primarily used to provide information for the Retail Prices Index, National Accounts estimates of household expenditure, analysis of the effect of taxes and benefits, and trends in nutrition. The results are multi-purpose, however, providing an invaluable supply of economic and social data. The merger of the two surveys also brings benefits for users, as a single survey on food expenditure removes the difficulties of reconciling data from two sources. Design and methodology The design of the LCF is based on the old FES, although the use of new processing software by the data creators has resulted in a dataset which differs from the previous structure. The most significant change in terms of reporting expenditure, however, is the introduction of the European Standard Classification of Individual Consumption by Purpose (COICOP), in place of the codes previously used. An additional level of hierarchy has been developed to improve the mapping to the previous codes. The LCF was conducted on a financial year basis from 2001, then moved to a calendar year basis from January 2006 (to complement the IHS) until 2015-16, when the financial year survey was reinstated at the request of users. Therefore, whilst SN 5688 covers April 2005 - March 2006, SN 5986 covers January-December 2006. Subsequent years cover January-December until 2014. SN 8210 returns to the financial year survey and currently covers April 2015 - March 2016.

Northern Ireland sample
Users should note that, due to funding constraints, from January 2010 the Northern Ireland (NI) sample used for the LCF was reduced to a sample proportionate to the NI population relative to the UK.

Family Food database:
'Family Food' is an annual publication which provides detailed statistical information on purchased quantities, expenditure and nutrient intakes derived from both household and eating out food and drink. Data is collected for a sample of households in the United Kingdom using self-reported diaries of all purchases, including food eaten out, over a two week period. Where possible quantities are recorded in the diaries but otherwise estimated. Energy and nutrient intakes are calculated using standard nutrient composition data for each of some 500 types of food. Current estimates are based on data collected in the Family Food Module of the LCFS. Further information about the LCF food databases can be found on the GOV.UK Family Food Statistics web pages.

Secure Access version
A Secure Access version of the LCF from 2006 onwards is available from the UK Data Archive under SN 7047, subject to stringent access conditions. The Secure Access version includes variables that are not included in the standard End User Licence (EUL) version, including geographical variables with detail below Government Office Region, to postcode level; urban/rural area indicators; other sensitive variables; raw diary information files (derived variables are available in the EUL) and the family expenditure codes files. Users are strongly advised to check whether the EUL version is sufficient for their needs before considering an application for the Secure Access version.

Occupation data for 2021 and 2022 data files
The ONS have identified an issue with the collection of some occupational data in 2021 and 2022 data files in a number of their surveys. While they estimate any impacts will be small overall, this will affect the accuracy of the breakdowns of some detailed (four-digit Standard Occupational Classification (SOC)) occupations, and data derived from them. None of ONS' headline statistics, other than those directly sourced from occupational data, are affected and you can continue to rely on their accuracy. For further information on this issue, please see: https://www.ons.gov.uk/news/statementsandletters/occupationaldatainonssurveys.

Latest edition information

For the second edition (March 2025) the DEFRA Family Food database was added to the study. This is available as a separate Access download zip file for those users who require it.

For the third edition (April 2025), the following previously unpopulated variables in the dvhh files were replaced with new versions: a111p (Rooms used solely by household - anonymised), a112 (Rooms shared by household), a114p (Rooms in accomodation - anonymised), p200p (Number of rooms occupied (DE basis) anonymised) and oecd (OECD Scale factor).

The objective of this survey is to gather information on tuition fees, living accommodation costs at residences/housing and additional compulsory fees paid by full-time university students at Canadian universities. Data are collected annually by questionnaire through the Registrar or the Business Office of universities. Survey results are available at the end of August. Data for undergraduate programs are available by institution, by province, by program and by type of students (Canadian or Foreign). Data for graduate programs are available by institution, by province and by type of students (Canadian or Foreign). Additional compulsory fees are available by institution, by province and by type (athletics, health services, student association, and other). Living accommodation costs at residence/housing are available by institution, by type of students (single or married) and by type of costs (room, meal plan,or both). For current TLAC data refer to Statistics Canada

According to a survey conducted among adults in Australia in March 2025, ** percent of the respondents surveyed in September believed that the cost of living is the chief issue that Australia is facing. This represented a ***** percent decrease in those citing the cost of living as the main issue compared to March of the previous year.

Sonida Senior Living sg&a expenses from 2010 to 2025. Sg&a expenses can be defined as the sum of all selling, general and administrative expenses.

Estonia - Housing cost overburden rate: Tenant, rent at market price was 30.80% in December of 2024, according to the EUROSTAT. Trading Economics provides the current actual value, an historical data chart and related indicators for Estonia - Housing cost overburden rate: Tenant, rent at market price - last updated from the EUROSTAT on July of 2025. Historically, Estonia - Housing cost overburden rate: Tenant, rent at market price reached a record high of 42.30% in December of 2015 and a record low of 20.90% in December of 2009.

Monthly consumption and cost data by borough and development. Data set includes utility vendor and meter information.

This table contains figures on the housing costs of private households in independent homes. Households living (temporarily) in a house free of charge are not included. The figures are presented for both owners and tenants and can be further divided into various characteristics of the household and the dwelling, including region. Figures at the municipal level are only provided for municipalities who had more than 100.000 inhabitants in 2018.

Data available from: 2012

Status of the figures: final

Changes as of June 9, 2022: Revision figures 2012, 2015 and 2018 in connection with new calculation method and adaptation of housing policy to 2021 regulations.

When will new figures be published? Figures over reporting year 2024 will be published in 2025.

Germany - Housing cost overburden rate: Cities was 13.10% in December of 2024, according to the EUROSTAT. Trading Economics provides the current actual value, an historical data chart and related indicators for Germany - Housing cost overburden rate: Cities - last updated from the EUROSTAT on July of 2025. Historically, Germany - Housing cost overburden rate: Cities reached a record high of 19.80% in December of 2012 and a record low of 11.40% in December of 2020.

Living Cost: Children: Average per Month: FE: Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) data was reported at 25,974.000 RUB in 2025. This records an increase from the previous number of 23,801.000 RUB for 2024. Living Cost: Children: Average per Month: FE: Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) data is updated yearly, averaging 22,560.000 RUB from Dec 2021 (Median) to 2025, with 5 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 25,974.000 RUB in 2025 and a record low of 19,201.000 RUB in 2021. Living Cost: Children: Average per Month: FE: Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) 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.HF004: Living Cost: Children.

Living Cost: Pensioners: Average per Month: FE: Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) data was reported at 23,028.000 RUB in 2025. This records an increase from the previous number of 20,067.000 RUB for 2024. Living Cost: Pensioners: Average per Month: FE: Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) data is updated yearly, averaging 18,667.000 RUB from Dec 2021 (Median) to 2025, with 5 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 23,028.000 RUB in 2025 and a record low of 15,438.000 RUB in 2021. Living Cost: Pensioners: Average per Month: FE: Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) 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.HF003: Living Cost: Pensioner.

Abacus Life cost of goods sold from 2021 to 2025. Cost of goods sold can be defined as the difference between beginning and ending inventories for tangible products resulting in an expense that reflects production and sales costs.

In April 2025, 92 percent of households in Great Britain that reported a cost of living increase in the previous month advised that that their food bills had increased, with 80 percent reporting increased gas or electricity bills.

Germany Consumer Price Index (CPI): Housing Rent & Related Costs data was reported at 110.000 2020=100 in Mar 2025. This records an increase from the previous number of 109.800 2020=100 for Feb 2025. Germany Consumer Price Index (CPI): Housing Rent & Related Costs data is updated monthly, averaging 85.500 2020=100 from Jan 1991 (Median) to Mar 2025, with 411 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 110.000 2020=100 in Mar 2025 and a record low of 51.000 2020=100 in Jan 1991. Germany Consumer Price Index (CPI): Housing Rent & Related Costs data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Statistisches Bundesamt. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Germany – Table DE.I019: Consumer Price Index: by Special Groups: 2020=100.

Graph and download economic data for Average Sales Price of Houses Sold for the United States (ASPUS) from Q1 1963 to Q2 2025 about sales, housing, and USA.

WAVE Life Sciences pre-paid expenses from 2014 to 2025. Pre-paid expenses can be defined as a current asset created by prepayment of costs and expenses for which the benefits will occur at a future date.

Monthly consumption and cost data by borough and development. Data set includes utility vendor and meter information.