The latest world cost-of-living data reveals the cities where residents face some of the highest prices for everyday goods and services, with Swiss cities dominating the top of the ranking.
Zurich, Switzerland, is the world’s most expensive city in the 2026 mid-year ranking, recording a Cost of Living Index of 123.1, according to Numbeo.
George Town in the Cayman Islands ranked second with an index of 116.5, while Lucerne, Switzerland, came third at 112.7.
The ranking compares consumer prices across cities using New York City as the reference point with an index of 100.
It considers categories including groceries, restaurant prices, and other consumer expenses, while Numbeo also provides separate indexes for rent and local purchasing power.
Zurich Leads Global Cost of Living Ranking
Zurich recorded the highest Cost of Living Index in Numbeo’s 2026 Mid-Year Cost of Living Index in the world, making it the most expensive city on the list.
The Swiss city recorded a groceries index of 125.0 and a restaurant price index of 121.7, both above the New York City reference point of 100.
Its rent index stood at 74.5, while its overall Cost of Living Plus Rent Index was 100.9.
George Town, the capital of the Cayman Islands, followed with a Cost of Living Index of 116.5. Its groceries index was 129.8, while its restaurant price index stood at 100.7.
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Lucerne ranked third at 112.7, followed by Basel at 111.9 and Geneva at 111.3.
Top 10 Most Expensive Cities in the World 2026
| Rank | City | Country/Territory | Cost of Living Index |
| 1 | Zurich | Switzerland | 123.1 |
| 2 | George Town | Cayman Islands | 116.5 |
| 3 | Lucerne | Switzerland | 112.7 |
| 4 | Basel | Switzerland | 111.9 |
| 5 | Geneva | Switzerland | 111.3 |
| 6 | Lugano | Switzerland | 110.4 |
| 7 | St. Gallen | Switzerland | 108.7 |
| 8 | Lausanne | Switzerland | 108.7 |
| 9 | Bern | Switzerland | 108.7 |
| 10 | Honolulu | United States | 105.4 |
The figures are from Numbeo’s 2026 mid-year city ranking.
Switzerland Dominates the List
Switzerland accounts for eight of the 10 cities in the top 10 in the world, showing the concentration of high-cost cities in the country.
After Zurich, the other Swiss cities in the top 10 are Lucerne, Basel, Geneva, Lugano, St. Gallen, Lausanne and Bern.
The only cities outside Switzerland in the top 10 are George Town in the Cayman Islands and Honolulu in the United States.
The concentration of Swiss cities is also visible further down the table, with several other Swiss urban centres recording relatively high costs compared with cities in other parts of the world.
George Town Ranks Second
George Town recorded a Cost of Living Index of 116.5, putting it more than 16 points above New York City on Numbeo’s scale.
The Cayman Islands city recorded a particularly high groceries index of 129.8, the highest groceries figure among the first 10 cities in the ranking.
Its rent index stood at 77.1, while the Cost of Living Plus Rent Index was 98.5.
The figures indicate that food and other everyday consumer expenses are a significant component of the high overall cost of living in George Town.
Honolulu Completes the Top 10
Honolulu was the only US city in the top 10, recording a Cost of Living Index of 105.4.
The Hawaiian city had a groceries index of 128.3 and a restaurant price index of 107.8.
Its rent index stood at 63.9, resulting in a Cost of Living Plus Rent Index of 86.4.
New York City, which Numbeo uses as the baseline at 100, ranked below the top 10 in the mid-year table.
Other Major Cities With High Living Costs
Several other major international cities also recorded high costs of living, although they did not make the top 10.
Tel Aviv-Yafo recorded an index of 103.9, followed by New York City at 100.0 and Reykjavik at 98.3.
San Francisco recorded 94.9, while Washington, DC and Oslo each stood at 92.1.
Jerusalem recorded 91.7, Seattle 91.4, and Singapore 90.8.
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The figures show that expensive cities span several regions, although Swiss cities occupy most of the top positions.
What the Cost of Living Index Measures
Numbeo’s Cost of Living Index compares the prices of consumer goods and services between cities.
The index covers categories such as groceries, restaurant prices, transportation, and other everyday expenses.
Numbeo measures rent separately through the Rent Index, and it also calculates a combined Cost of Living Plus Rent Index.
New York City is assigned a value of 100, allowing the prices in other cities to be compared against the US city.
A city with an index above 100 therefore has higher measured consumer prices than New York under Numbeo’s methodology, while a city below 100 has lower prices.
Rent Can Change the Overall Cost
The Cost of Living Index does not by itself represent the full amount a resident needs to pay for housing.
Numbeo publishes a separate Rent Index, which lets users compare accommodation prices between cities.
For example, Zurich recorded a Cost of Living Index of 123.1 but a Rent Index of 74.5. George Town had a lower overall Cost of Living Index of 116.5 but a higher Rent Index of 77.1.
This distinction is important because the amount spent on housing can vary considerably even among cities with similarly high prices for food, restaurants and other goods.
Numbeo’s ranking focuses on consumer prices and publishes separate measures for rent, groceries, restaurants and purchasing power.
Its 2026 Mid-Year Index is a historical snapshot for that period, while Numbeo also maintains a continuously updated current index. The current table can therefore differ from the mid-year ranking as prices and other data change.
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