In this article, we will list 11 cities with the highest cost of living. If you want to read our discussion about the cost of living in the United States, go to 30 Cities With The Highest Cost of Living.
11 – Los Angeles, California, United States
Insider Monkey Score – 34.5
Los Angeles, California is 11th on our list of the 30 cities with the highest cost of living. It is also among the top 10 most expensive cities in the United States. A single person in the city incurs a monthly cost of more than $4,000.
10 – Seattle, Washington, United States
Insider Monkey Score – 35.5
Seattle, Washington is among the top 10 cities with the highest cost of living. The average rent of a two-bedroom apartment in the city exceeds $3,300.
9 – Washington, District of Columbia, United States
Insider Monkey Score – 35.5
Washington, DC is recognized as one of the most expensive cities in the United States with the cost of living being 39% higher than the national average of the US. The housing expenses in the city are about 150% of the US average.
8 – London, United Kingdom
Insider Monkey Score – 37
London is the only UK city to make it to the list of 30 cities with the highest cost of living. The average cost of living for a single person in the city is more than $6,000.
7 – San Jose, California, United States
Insider Monkey Score – 41.5
San Jose is the city with the highest cost of living in California. The cost of living in the city is considerably higher than the US average with a single person expected to spend more than $5,000 a month.
6 – Boston, Massachusetts, United States
Insider Monkey Score – 42
Boston, Massachusetts is 6th on our list of the cities with the highest cost of living. It is also the second most expensive city in the United States. The median monthly rent in the city is more than $2,200.
5 – Lausanne, Switzerland
Insider Monkey Score – 44
Lausanne, Switzerland is among the top 5 cities with the highest cost of living. A family of four in the city is expected to incur more than $7,000 in monthly expenses.
4 – Geneva, Switzerland
Insider Monkey Score – 45.5
Geneva, Switzerland ranks third in terms of the cities with the highest cost of living in Switzerland. Groceries in the city can be up to 30% higher than in the neighboring EU countries.
3 – Basel, Switzerland
Insider Monkey Score – 46
Basel is the second most expensive city in Switzerland and ranks among the top 3 cities with the highest cost of living in the world. The average cost of living in the city is more than $7,800 per month.
2 – New York, New York, United States
Insider Monkey Score – 46.5
The city with the highest cost of living in the United States is New York. It is also the second most expensive city in the world. Its high expenses are primarily driven by significantly elevated housing costs, making it challenging for residents to afford living in the area.
1 – Zurich, Switzerland
Insider Monkey Score – 47.5
The city with the highest cost of living is Zurich, Switzerland, according to our methodology. The Mercer Cost of Living Survey for 2023 positions Zurich as the third most expensive city out of 227 cities worldwide, highlighting the city’s high living expenses.
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