Moving to a major city often comes with big benefits and opportunities, but it’s important to figure out if it makes sense financially before taking the leap.
It may come as no surprise that New York City and San Francisco top the global list for having the highest cost of living when rent is included. That’s according to the 2025 Cost of Living Index (including rent) by online database Numbeo.
In New York City, the estimated monthly expenses for one person, including the price of rent in a one-bedroom located in the city center, can cost a total of $5,639, according to Numbeo’s findings, which involve a combination of user-generated data and manually gathered information from reputable sources.
In Asia, Singapore tops the list as the the city with the highest cost of living, where a single person can expect to pay about $4,000 a month for living expenses and rent, according to Numbeo, which is comparable to the price it can cost someone to live in London for a month.
Globally, following closely after New York City and San Francisco are two cities in Switzerland — Zurich and Geneva — which rank third and fourth for cost of living, including rent.
Below is a list of how much it can cost one person to live in 12 major cities around the world in 2025, according to Numbeo. All figures are in U.S. dollars after being converted from the local currency.
When reading the numbers, it may be useful to consider the 50-30-20 budgeting rule, which financial experts define as follows for every paycheck: 20% for saving and investment, 50% for essentials and 30% for things you want.
New York City
Population: 8.1 million
Estimated monthly living expenses (excluding rent): $1,687.10
Rent for a 1-bedroom in the city center: $3,926.65
Total cost of living: $5,613.75
San Francisco, California
Population: 788,000
Estimated monthly living expenses (excluding rent): $1,556.60
Rent for a 1-bedroom in the city center: $3,222.58
Total cost of living: $4,779.18
London, UK
Population: 9.7 million
Estimated monthly living expenses (excluding rent): $1,311
Rent for a 1-bedroom in the city center: $2,772.91
Total cost of living: $4,083.91
Singapore
Population: 6.1 million
Estimated monthly living expenses (excluding rent): $1,131.30
Rent for a 1-bedroom in the city center: $2,921.58
Total cost of living: $4,052.88
Chicago, Illinois
Population: 2.6 million
Estimated monthly living expenses (excluding rent): $1,287.30
Rent for a 1-bedroom in the city center: $2,325.34
Total cost of living: $3,612.64
Sydney, Australia
Population: 5.2 million
Estimated monthly living expenses (excluding rent): $1,116.70
Rent for a 1-bedroom in the city center: $2,159.11
Total cost of living: $3,275.81
Lisbon, Portugal
Population: 3 million
Estimated monthly living expenses (excluding rent): $781.70
Rent for a 1-bedroom in the city center: $1,481.93
Total cost of living: $2,263.63
Tokyo, Japan
Population: 37.1 million
Estimated monthly living expenses (excluding rent): $961.80
Rent for a 1-bedroom in the city center: $1,113.08
Total cost of living: $2,074.88
Seoul, South Korea
Population: 10 million
Estimated monthly living expenses (excluding rent): $1,073.2
Rent for a 1-bedroom in the city center: $822.97
Total cost of living: $1,896.17
Shanghai, China
Population: 29.9 million
Estimated monthly living expenses (excluding rent): $616.80
Rent for a 1-bedroom in the city center: $924.45
Total cost of living: $1,541.25
Mumbai, India
Population: 21.7 million
Estimated monthly living expenses (excluding rent): $406.70
Rent for a 1-bedroom in the city center: $650.20
Total cost of living: $1,056.90
Jakarta, Indonesia
Population: 11.4 million
Estimated monthly living expenses (excluding rent): $515.30
Rent for a 1-bedroom in the city center: $394.60
Total cost of living: $909.90
