Most Expensive Cities by Cost of Living Index 2026

About This Dataset

Cities ranked by overall cost of living index in 2026 according to Mercer Cost of Living Survey and ECA International data, benchmarked against New York City as the reference city. Hong Kong and Zurich compete at the top of global cost of living rankings — with expatriate accommodation, international schooling, and consumer goods commanding prices that make them among the most expensive places on Earth for internationally mobile workers, even before the extraordinary property prices that characterise both cities.

Analysis

Hong Kong (127), Zurich (Switzerland) (124) and Geneva (Switzerland) (121) take the top three in Cost of Living Index (NYC = 100) in 2026. Values run from 127 at the top to 78 at the bottom, a spread of 49. First and second are separated by 3, so the leader sits inside the field rather than apart from it. Below the top two the field is tightly packed: the remaining 6 run from 121 down to 78.

Source: Wikipedia

Key Findings

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Hong Kong leads in Cost of Living Index (NYC = 100) with 127 in 2026.

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Average Cost of Living Index (NYC = 100) in 2026: 102 · median: 99.

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Gap in 2026: Hong Kong is 1.6× larger than Tokyo (Japan).