This Is the World's Most Expensive City for 2025-and No, It's Not New York City or London

"The Swiss city was found to be the most expensive city to live in on Earth, according to a 2025 mid-year cost of living index from Numbeo, a crowd-sourced database. The index "measures the relative prices of consumer goods and services-including groceries, dining, transportation, and utilities-but excludes housing costs like rent or mortgage payments." The site uses New York City as its baseline city (with an index value of 100) to generate cost of living index numbers for other cities around the world. Relative to that, Zurich scored 112.5, which the company said "suggests that everyday expenses" are higher than in New York."

"When it comes to living expenses, residents in Zurich pay some of the highest grocery rates around the globe and must shell out quite a bit of cash to eat at restaurants. But Zurich is not alone. In fact, all of the top six most expensive cities are in Switzerland, including Geneva at No. 2, followed by Basel, Lausanne, Lugano, and Bern."

"As a whole, Zurich is undoubtedly expensive, but there are some areas where it actually has a relatively affordable score. The city's rent index, for example, comes in at just 68.1 (compared to New York's rent index of 100). It's also a city that may be worth the money: international consulting firm Mercer ranked Zurich as the best location for expats, and last year it was named the smartest city in the world."

Zurich registers a cost of living index of 112.5 on Numbeo’s 2025 mid-year measure, indicating everyday expenses exceed those in New York City (index 100). The index compares grocery, dining, transportation, and utility prices while excluding housing costs. Swiss cities dominate the most expensive rankings, with Geneva, Basel, Lausanne, Lugano, and Bern completing the top six. Zurich shows particularly high grocery and restaurant costs, yet its rent index is comparatively low at 68.1. International assessments rate Zurich highly for expat living and urban intelligence, while most other European cities score below 100.

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