The study assesses the cost of rent, restaurants, groceries, and the purchasing power of locals, and combines all this data.
Living in the most exciting cultural centers of the world, nightlife hubs, and places to enjoy amazing food, shopping, and entertainment does not come cheap. This is reported by Time Out.
It is noted that this is why the annual Numbeo cost of living index is so informative. The study assesses the cost of rent, restaurants, groceries, and the purchasing power of locals, and combines all this data to provide us with two cost of living rankings - one that includes rent and another that does not.
"You may wonder why there is a ranking that excludes rent, but it is useful for travelers to know which places are the most expensive when considering only everyday expenses, right?" the article states.
At the top of this list (and second after New York when considering rent) is Zurich. The overall cost of living index in Switzerland is 118.5, the food price index is 115.4, the restaurant price index is 121, and the purchasing power of the population is 164.4.
It is noted that Switzerland is known for its high cost of living, and its cities occupy the top six spots: Geneva, Basel, Lausanne, Lugano, and Bern follow the largest city in the country. As for the other cities in the top ten, New York ranks 7th, the magnificent capital of Iceland, Reykjavik, is 8th, while two other centers in the USA round out the list.
Here are the 10 cities with the highest cost of living:
-
Zurich, Switzerland;
-
Geneva, Switzerland;
-
Basel, Switzerland;
-
Lausanne, Switzerland;
-
Lugano, Switzerland;
-
Bern, Switzerland;
-
New York, USA;
-
Reykjavik, Iceland;
-
Honolulu, USA;
-
San Francisco, USA.
