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 l...
About: Most Expensive Cities by Cost of Living Index 2026
Overview of the data behind this chart
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.
Key Findings
Auto-computed highlights from this dataset
🏆
Hong Kong leads with 127 in 2026.
📊
Average value in 2026: 102 · median: 99.
↔️
Gap in 2026: Hong Kong is 1.6× larger than Tokyo (Japan).
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Most Expensive Cities by Cost of Living Index 2026
Data Insights
Numbers, trends & sources behind this chart⬡
Data Points
8
8 categories
·
1 year
↑
Top Value
127
Hong Kong
Cost of Living Index (NYC = 100) · 2026
◈
Metrics
1
Cost of Living Index (NYC = 100)
◷
Period
2026
Single year snapshot
Category Rankings
Ranked by 2026 value · vs. 2026| # | Category | 2026 | 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🥇 | Hong Kong | 127 | 127 | +0% |
| 🥈 | Zurich (Switzerland) | 124 | 124 | +0% |
| 🥉 | Geneva (Switzerland) | 121 | 121 | +0% |
| 4 | New York (USA) | 100 | 100 | +0% |
| 5 | Singapore | 97 | 97 | +0% |
| 6 | London (UK) | 89 | 89 | +0% |
| 7 | Sydney (Australia) | 82 | 82 | +0% |
| 8 | Tokyo (Japan) | 78 | 78 | +0% |
Statistical Summary — 2026
127
Maximum
78
Minimum
102
Average
99
Median
What This Data Shows
Auto-generated trend summaries per category
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Full Data Table
8 records across 1 yearData Sources & References
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