Money
Visualized: The Most (and Least) Expensive Cities to Live In
Visualizing The Most (and Least) Expensive Cities to Live In
There are many benefits to living in an iconic city like New York or Singapore, but the amenities and exclusivity can come at a high cost.
Cities become “expensive” due to a variety of factors such as high demand for housing, a concentration of high-paying businesses and industries, and a high standard of living. Additionally, factors such as taxes, transportation costs, and availability of goods and services can also contribute to the overall cost of living in global cities.
The infographic above uses data from EIU to rank the world most and least expensive cities to live in. To make the list, the EIU examines 400+ prices for over 200 products and services in 172 cities, surveying a variety of businesses to track price fluctuations over the last year.
Inflation + Strong Currency = Expensive Cities
If you live in a city where many residents find it challenging to put a roof over their heads, food on their plates, and make ends meet, you live in an expensive city.
But if this inflation is compounded with a strong national currency, you may live in one of the world’s most expensive cities.
Rank | City | Country | Index Score |
---|---|---|---|
#1 | Singapore | 🇸🇬 Singapore | 100 |
#1 | New York | 🇺🇸 U.S. | 100 |
#3 | Tel Aviv | 🇮🇱 Israel | 99 |
#4 | Hong Kong | 🇭🇰 Hong Kong | 98 |
#4 | Los Angeles | 🇺🇸 U.S. | 98 |
#6 | Zurich | 🇨🇭 Switzerland | 94 |
#7 | Geneva | 🇨🇭 Switzerland | 91 |
#8 | San Francisco | 🇺🇸 U.S. | 85 |
#9 | Paris | 🇫🇷 France | 84 |
#10 | Copenhagen | 🇩🇰 Denmark | 83 |
Singapore and New York City tied for the first rank amongst the world’s most expensive cities in 2022, pushing Israel’s Tel Aviv from the first place in 2021 to the third place in 2022. Both these cities had high inflation and a strong currency. Surprisingly, this is the Big Apple’s first time atop the ranking.
The city with one of the most expensive real estate markets worldwide, Hong Kong ranked fourth in this list, followed by Los Angeles, which moved up from its ninth rank in 2021.
Poor Economies = Cheaper Cities
Asia continues to dominate the list of the world’s least expensive cities, followed by parts of North Africa and the Middle East. Though affordability sounds good at face value, sitting at the bottom of the ranking isn’t necessarily a coveted position.
While the cost of living in some of the cities in these nations is low, it comes at the price of a weak currency, poor economy, and, in many cases, political and economic turmoil.
Rank | City | Country | Index Score |
---|---|---|---|
#161 | Colombo | 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka | 38 |
#161 | Bangalore | 🇮🇳 India | 38 |
#161 | Algiers | 🇩🇿 Algeria | 38 |
#164 | Chennai | 🇮🇳 India | 37 |
#165 | Ahmedabad | 🇮🇳 India | 35 |
#166 | Almaty | 🇰🇿 Kazakhstan | 34 |
#167 | Karachi | 🇵🇰 Pakistan | 32 |
#168 | Tashkent | 🇺🇿 Uzbekistan | 31 |
#169 | Tunis | 🇹🇳 Tunisia | 30 |
#170 | Tehran | 🇮🇷 Iran | 23 |
#171 | Tripoli | 🇱🇾 Libya | 22 |
#172 | Dasmascus | 🇸🇾 Syria | 11 |
The decade-long conflict in Syria weakened the Syrian pound, led to a spiraling inflation and fuel shortages, and further collapsed its economy. It’s no surprise that its capital city of Damascus has maintained its position as the world’s cheapest city.
Tripoli and Tehran, the capitals of Libya and Iran, respectively, follow next on this list, reflecting their weakened economies.
Meanwhile, seven cities in Asia with the common denominator of high-income inequality and low wages dominate the list of the world’s cheapest cities. These include three Indian cities, Tashkent in Uzbekistan, Almaty in Kazakhstan, Pakistan’s most populous city of Karachi, and Sri Lankan capital–Colombo.
Money
Charted: Who Has Savings in This Economy?
Older, better-educated adults are winning the savings game, reveals a January survey by the National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago.
Who Has Savings in This Economy?
This was originally posted on our Voronoi app. Download the app for free on iOS or Android and discover incredible data-driven charts from a variety of trusted sources.
Two full years of inflation have taken their toll on American households. In 2023, the country’s collective credit card debt crossed $1 trillion for the first time. So who is managing to save money in the current economic environment?
We visualize the percentage of respondents to the statement “I have money leftover at the end of the month” categorized by age and education qualifications. Data is sourced from a National Endowment for Financial Education (NEFE) report, published last month.
The survey for NEFE was conducted from January 12-14, 2024, by the National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago. It involved 1,222 adults aged 18+ and aimed to be representative of the U.S. population.
Older Americans Save More Than Their Younger Counterparts
General trends from this dataset indicate that as respondents get older, a higher percentage of them are able to save.
Age | Always/Often | Sometimes | Rarely/Never |
---|---|---|---|
18–29 | 29% | 33% | 38% |
30–44 | 36% | 27% | 37% |
45–59 | 39% | 23% | 38% |
Above 60 | 49% | 28% | 23% |
All Adults | 39% | 33% | 27% |
Note: Percentages are rounded and may not sum to 100.
Perhaps not surprisingly, those aged 60+ are the age group with the highest percentage saying they have leftover money at the end of the month. This age group spent the most time making peak earnings in their careers, are more likely to have investments, and are more likely to have paid off major expenses like a mortgage or raising a family.
The Impact of Higher Education on Earnings and Savings
Based on this survey, higher education dramatically improves one’s ability to save. Shown in the table below, those with a bachelor’s degree or higher are three times more likely to have leftover money than those without a high school diploma.
Education | Always/Often | Sometimes | Rarely/Never |
---|---|---|---|
No HS Diploma | 18% | 26% | 56% |
HS Diploma | 28% | 33% | 39% |
Associate Degree | 33% | 31% | 36% |
Bachelor/Higher Degree | 59% | 21% | 20% |
All Adults | 39% | 33% | 27% |
Note: Percentages are rounded and may not sum to 100.
As the Bureau of Labor Statistics notes, earnings improve with every level of education completed.
For example, those with a high school diploma made 25% more than those without in 2022. And as the qualifications increase, the effects keep stacking.
Meanwhile, a Federal Reserve study also found that those with more education tended to make financial decisions that contributed to building wealth, of which the first step is to save.
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