Lifestyle Trend: The Most Expensive Countries In The World For 2026 You Should Know

Nothing unites people quite like a mutual anger towards rising rental prices, housing, and high cost of living. Where it used to be the case that the weekly average rent could see you live a fairly social life and still afford to take that holiday regularly, now it seems we’re destined to be spending every waking moment at work just so we can have a comfortable place to sleep at night and maybe even a long lunch with friends once a month. Purchasing power just isn’t what it used to be. 

And though it may seem like the insane cost of goods and services are solely ours to bear in Australia, the reality is that they are far more expensive places to live—and no matter what your geographic postcode, it’s likely you’ll find common ground with your neighbour as you moan about how expensive things are.

Thankfully, Numbeo has updated their annual assessment of the world’s most expensive countries—along with the cheapest, aiding your decision to relocate to help the savings account take a breather from repeated hits. 

The data makes an assessment based on a range of living costs and monthly expenses, factoring in aspects like transportation, clothing, accommodation, internet, utility, groceries, and eating out.

The data is compiled into an index, using New York City—renowned for being one of the most expensive cities in the world—as a benchmark with its given index score of 100. Consequently, those countries with a cost of living score higher than 100 are more expensive than New York and vice versa. 

According to the report, Bermuda is the world’s most expensive place to live, with the highest cost of living index in the world. Cayman Islands ranks second on the list (and it’s definitely not the only island nation), followed by the US Virgin Islands, Switzerland, and the Solomon Islands. Thankfully, Australia ranked just outside the top 20 most expensive countries to live at 27th on the list, with an index of 67.9. Our rent index was significantly lower than Bermuda’s 108.2, at just 33.7. 

Should you plan a move this year, you best consult the list to see how much you’ll need to have saved at the bank. Here are the 30 most expensive countries in the world to live in for 2026.