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.

New York was the world's most expensive city for business tourism in the 4th quarter of 2024, reaching an average daily cost of around *** U.S. dollars. Among the top ten of that period, three cities were located in the United States.

Of the cities who have experienced cost of living increases, the top three are located in Latin America, two in Mexico and one in Costa Rica. Each moved 38, 39, and 48 spots in the ranking respectively since 2022. Due to increases in interest rates, the Mexican peso and Costa Rican colón have both appreciated against the U.S. Dollar. Comparatively, Singapore and Zurich were ranked the most expensive cities in the world.

Addis Ababa, in Ethiopia, ranked as the most expensive city to live in Africa as of 2024, considering consumer goods prices. The Ethiopian capital obtained an index score of ****, followed by Harare, in Zimbabwe, with ****. Morocco and South Africa were the countries with the most representatives among the ** cities with the highest cost of living in Africa.

Cities in the United States dominate the list of cities with the highest rents worldwide. New York was ranked as the most expensive city to rent in, ahead of San Francisco, with an index score of ***. Boston followed in third.

Barcelona, Madrid, and Donostia - San Sebastian were some of the most expensive cities to rent a house in Spain in February 2025. Barcelona, which is the capital of Catalonia, led the list with an average price of 23.7 euros per square meter. Madrid followed closely in the second position with an average square meter of rental residential property cost of 21.2 euros.

Geneva stands out as Europe's most expensive city for apartment purchases in early 2025, with prices reaching a staggering 15,720 euros per square meter. This Swiss city's real estate market dwarfs even high-cost locations like Zurich and London, highlighting the extreme disparities in housing affordability across the continent. The stark contrast between Geneva and more affordable cities like Nantes, France, where the price was 3,700 euros per square meter, underscores the complex factors influencing urban property markets in Europe. Rental market dynamics and affordability challenges While purchase prices vary widely, rental markets across Europe also show significant differences. London maintained its position as the continent's priciest city for apartment rentals in 2023, with the average monthly costs for a rental apartment amounting to 36.1 euros per square meter. This figure is double the rent in Lisbon, Portugal or Madrid, Spain, and substantially higher than in other major capitals like Paris and Berlin. The disparity in rental costs reflects broader economic trends, housing policies, and the intricate balance of supply and demand in urban centers. Economic factors influencing housing costs The European housing market is influenced by various economic factors, including inflation and energy costs. As of April 2025, the European Union's inflation rate stood at 2.4 percent, with significant variations among member states. Romania experienced the highest inflation at 4.9 percent, while France and Cyprus maintained lower rates. These economic pressures, coupled with rising energy costs, contribute to the overall cost of living and housing affordability across Europe. The volatility in electricity prices, particularly in countries like Italy where rates are projected to reach 153.83 euros per megawatt hour by February 2025, further impacts housing-related expenses for both homeowners and renters.

In the last quarter of 2024, Geneva registered the world's highest food cost for business travelers, with a daily rate of approximately *** U.S. dollars. Three cities in Switzerland were included in the top 10 for that period.

In the last quarter of 2024, three of the ten most expensive cities in the United States for business travel when it comes to food costs were located in California. However, the ranking was topped by Honolulu, which average daily food cost amounted to *** U.S. dollars at that time.

New York was the business travel destination with the highest hotel expenses at the end of 2024, registering an average daily cost of *** U.S. dollars. Meanwhile, the non-U.S. corporate travel destination with the highest hotel costs was London.

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.

In 2023, a square meter of retail space in Venice cost on average 4,301 euros, making it the most expensive city in Italy for retailers. The ranking presented in the graph shows that Milan, the Italian fashion capital, came second, with an average price per square meter of 4,069 euros. When looking at office space, Venice boasted again the highest prices in Italy. In this real estate segment, second in the ranking was Rome, followed by Milan. Residential real estate in Venice Venice is not only the most expensive city in Italy for office and retail spaces, but it also boasts some of the highest prices for residential properties. Residential dwellings on the island can fetch up to 6,000 euros per square meter, with the most expensive areas being the districts San Marco and Rialto. Renting is not very affordable either: a flat in the two districts can cost up to 19 euros per square meter per month, depending on the neighborhood. Why is Venice so expensive? Space in Venice is limited, and the city island became the victim of its own success. Before the coronavirus pandemic struck, the number of overnight stays in Venice had grown twofold since 2003. The unavailability of space for new constructions and the increasing pressure exerted by tourism pushed prices up in all real estate sectors. Due to many tourists visiting from all over the world, it should not come as a surprise that retailers and investors want to seize the chance to own a space in one of the most famous cities in the world.

Monaco was the leading city in terms of most expensive luxury real estate worldwide in 2024. One million dollars could only buy 19 square meters of luxury property there. In London, the same amount of money could purchase 34 square meters of luxury real estate. In Tokyo, one million dollars was enough to buy 58 square meters of prime real estate in 2024. Luxury real estate – additional information Real estate is considered one of the best long-term investments, and it certainly is one of the major investments one might make during a lifetime. As far as luxury real estate is concerned, though, only the most affluent individuals or prominent real estate companies can afford to invest in prime properties in the world’s most attractive locations.

Portugal, Canada, and the United States were the countries with the highest house price to income ratio in 2024. In all three countries, the index exceeded 130 index points, while the average for all OECD countries stood at 116.2 index points. The index measures the development of housing affordability and is calculated by dividing nominal house price by nominal disposable income per head, with 2015 set as a base year when the index amounted to 100. An index value of 120, for example, would mean that house price growth has outpaced income growth by 20 percent since 2015. How have house prices worldwide changed since the COVID-19 pandemic? House prices started to rise gradually after the global financial crisis (2007–2008), but this trend accelerated with the pandemic. The countries with advanced economies, which usually have mature housing markets, experienced stronger growth than countries with emerging economies. Real house price growth (accounting for inflation) peaked in 2022 and has since lost some of the gain. Although, many countries experienced a decline in house prices, the global house price index shows that property prices in 2023 were still substantially higher than before COVID-19. Renting vs. buying In the past, house prices have grown faster than rents. However, the home affordability has been declining notably, with a direct impact on rental prices. As people struggle to buy a property of their own, they often turn to rental accommodation. This has resulted in a growing demand for rental apartments and soaring rental prices.

Amsterdam is set to maintain its position as Europe's most expensive city for apartment rentals in 2025, with median costs reaching 2,500 euros per month for a furnished unit. This figure is double the rent in Prague and significantly higher than other major European capitals like Paris, Berlin, and Madrid. The stark difference in rental costs across European cities reflects broader economic trends, housing policies, and the complex interplay between supply and demand in urban centers. Factors driving rental costs across Europe The disparity in rental prices across European cities can be attributed to various factors. In countries like Switzerland, Germany, and Austria, a higher proportion of the population lives in rental housing. This trend contributes to increased demand and potentially higher living costs in these nations. Conversely, many Eastern and Southern European countries have homeownership rates exceeding 90 percent, which may help keep rental prices lower in those regions. Housing affordability and market dynamics The relationship between housing prices and rental rates varies significantly across Europe. As of 2024, countries like Turkey, Iceland, Portugal, and Hungary had the highest house price to rent ratio indices. This indicates a widening gap between property values and rental costs since 2015. The affordability of homeownership versus renting differs greatly among European nations, with some countries experiencing rapid increases in property values that outpace rental growth. These market dynamics influence rental costs and contribute to the diverse rental landscape observed across European cities.

New York was one of the cities worldwide with the highest construction costs for high rise offices as of the third quarter of 2023. The average price of building a high rise office in London amounted to over ***** U.S. dollars per square meter, while the cost for that same type of building in Johannesburg was *** U.S. dollars per square meter. The cost of multi-unit high rise buildings were also the most expensive in New York.

At **** U.S. dollars, Switzerland has the most expensive Big Macs in the world, according to the January 2025 Big Mac index. Concurrently, the cost of a Big Mac was **** dollars in the U.S., and **** U.S. dollars in the Euro area. What is the Big Mac index? The Big Mac index, published by The Economist, is a novel way of measuring whether the market exchange rates for different countries’ currencies are overvalued or undervalued. It does this by measuring each currency against a common standard – the Big Mac hamburger sold by McDonald’s restaurants all over the world. Twice a year the Economist converts the average national price of a Big Mac into U.S. dollars using the exchange rate at that point in time. As a Big Mac is a completely standardized product across the world, the argument goes that it should have the same relative cost in every country. Differences in the cost of a Big Mac expressed as U.S. dollars therefore reflect differences in the purchasing power of each currency. Is the Big Mac index a good measure of purchasing power parity? Purchasing power parity (PPP) is the idea that items should cost the same in different countries, based on the exchange rate at that time. This relationship does not hold in practice. Factors like tax rates, wage regulations, whether components need to be imported, and the level of market competition all contribute to price variations between countries. The Big Mac index does measure this basic point – that one U.S. dollar can buy more in some countries than others. There are more accurate ways to measure differences in PPP though, which convert a larger range of products into their dollar price. Adjusting for PPP can have a massive effect on how we understand a country’s economy. The country with the largest GDP adjusted for PPP is China, but when looking at the unadjusted GDP of different countries, the U.S. has the largest economy.

In the 2023/24 season, the most expensive season ticket in the English Premier League (EPL) could be found at Fulham, with tickets in the Riverside Stand costing up to three thousand British pounds. By comparison, the most expensive season ticket at Sheffield United cost just 491 British pounds, or around 26 British pounds per game. Meanwhile, West Ham United had the cheapest season tickets in the Premier League in the 2023/24 season.

How many fans attend Premier League games?

The Premier League is one of the most popular football leagues worldwide, with EPL match attendance averaging over 40 thousand in the 2022/23 season. As of January 2024, Manchester United was the Premier League club with the highest average attendance in 2023/24, with crowds of over 73 thousand typically visiting Old Trafford that year. Looking at the average attendance of the Big Five soccer leagues in Europe, the EPL was second only to the Bundesliga in 2022/23.

Are Premier League season tickets becoming more expensive?

With clubs facing rising costs and matchday tickets in high demand, increases in ticket prices can be expected. Price increases were evident at Manchester City, with the cheapest season ticket price for the Cityzens increasing by nearly 7.7 percent between 2019/20 and 2022/23. This trend was also observed with Manchester City’s most expensive season tickets, which increased by just over three percent during the same period.

In 2024, the annual rent of a retail space in Upper 5th Avenue (49th to 60th Sts) in New York amounted to 2,000 U.S. dollars per square foot, making it the second-most expensive high street worldwide. Via Montenapoleone in Milan ranked top, with prime rents amounting to 2,047 U.S. dollars.

In a comparison of selected cities worldwide, New York had the highest costs for the construction of a multi-unit high-rise building in 2023. That year, such a project cost on average ***** U.S. dollars per square meter in New York, but just *** U.S. dollars per square meter in Kuala Lumpur. Sydney, London, San Francisco, and Los Angeles were also among the most expensive cities too.