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Top 10 most and least expensive cities to live in 2025: As the cost of living rises in major urban hubs with growing price pressures, Numbeo’s recent Cost of Living Plus Rent Index 2025 ranked the most and least expensive cities worldwide to live in.
American and European cities, specifically the United States and Switzerland, are home to the world’s most expensive hubs, according to the 2025 index, occupying the Global Top 10.
New York City ranks as the most expensive city in the world to live in, primarily due to high housing demand and limited supply, which drive prices upwards.
Following closely is Zurich, where steep housing costs contribute significantly to its ranking, along with Switzerland’s stable economy and high standard of living.
As we can see, other U.S. cities like San Francisco, Boston, and San Jose also rank highly, with Swiss cities like Geneva and Basel featuring in the top five.
Singapore is the only Asian city to appear in the global top 10 cities with a high cost of living, ranking at #8.
| Rank | City | Country | Cost of Living + Rent Index | Local Purchasing Power Index |
| 1 | New York, NY | United States | 100.0 | 100.0 |
| 2 | Zurich | Switzerland | 93.2 | 167.3 |
| 3 | Geneva | Switzerland | 90.6 | 171.0 |
| 4 | San Francisco, CA | United States | 85.3 | 171.9 |
| 5 | Basel | Switzerland | 83.9 | 194.8 |
| 6 | Lausanne | Switzerland | 83.4 | 180.4 |
| 7 | Boston, MA | United States | 81.2 | 143.9 |
| 8 | Singapore | Singapore | 80.9 | 103.0 |
| 9 | San Jose, CA | United States | 80.4 | 141.3 |
| 10 | Lugano | Switzerland | 79.1 | 159.7 |
Source: Numbeo Cost of Living Plus Rent Index 2025
Note: These figures were derived from the “Cost of Living Plus Rent Index”, with the data as of mid-year 2025.
As of mid-2025, several Indian and Pakistani cities rank as the most affordable places to live.
Coimbatore, India, is the least expensive city globally, along with Lucknow and tier-3 cities such as Indore and Jaipur at the bottom.
Additionally, Pakistani cities like Lahore, Rawalpindi, and Karachi also have low costs of living and rental prices.
The only Egyptian city in the Global Top 10 is Alexandria, which has the weakest purchasing power parity among these cities.
| Rank | City | Country | Cost of Living + Rent Index | Local Purchasing Power Index |
| 1 | Coimbatore | India | 11.3 | 70.9 |
| 2 | Lucknow | India | 11.8 | 75.2 |
| 3 | Indore | India | 11.9 | 81.4 |
| 4 | Lahore | Pakistan | 11.9 | 29.7 |
| 5 | Rawalpindi | Pakistan | 12.1 | 28.8 |
| 6 | Jaipur | India | 12.3 | 97.0 |
| 7 | Bhubaneswar | India | 12.3 | 80.3 |
| 8 | Vadodara | India | 12.3 | 94.5 |
| 9 | Karachi | Pakistan | 12.3 | 31.0 |
| 10 | Alexandria | Egypt | 12.4 | 17.8 |
Source: Numbeo Cost of Living Plus Rent Index 2025
Note: These figures were derived from the “Cost of Living Plus Rent Index”, with the data as of mid-year 2025.
Numbeo analysed these cities to provide a broader perspective on urban affordability, examining daily expenses such as food, transportation, utilities, and housing costs.
