Compare How Much it Costs to Live in These Popular Cities
Compare How Much it Costs to Live in These Popular Cities
If you’re an Americans who wants to move abroad, you might have have an exaggerated view of how much it costs to live in cities around the world. Countries like Monaco, Switzerland, Australia, and Singapore can be extremely pricy, but you’ll find that the cost of living anywhere you go is less than you’ll pay in an average U.S. city.
We used LivingCost.org to compare the average cost of living for single people and families of four. Here are 21 price comparisons between global hotspots and U.S. cities with similar costs, plus 16 incredible cities that are cheaper than anywhere you could live in the States.
We’ll start this cost of living comparison with the most expensive and work our way down to the least expensive destinations.
Zurich vs. San Francisco, CA
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Zurich costs $3262 for one person and $8174 for a family of four. San Francisco costs $3619 for one person and $7078 for a family of four.
London, United Kingdom vs. Los Angeles, CA
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London costs $3029 for one person and $6932 for a family of four. Los Angeles costs $3145 for one person and $7041 for a family of four.
Hong Kong vs. Tacoma, WA
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Hong Kong costs $2720 for one person and $6301 for a family of four. Tacoma costs $2501 for one person and $6444 for a family of four.
Dublin, Ireland vs. Austin, TX
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Dublin costs $2669 for one person and $5850 for a family of four. Austin costs $2605 for one person and $6043 for a family of four.
Amsterdam, Netherlands vs. Dallas, TX
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Amsterdam costs $2412 for one person and $5377 for a family of four. Dallas costs $2425 for one person and $5685 for a family of four.
Copenhagen, Denmark vs. Phoenix, AZ
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Copenhagen costs $2399 for one person and $5377 for a family of four. Phoenix costs $2445 for one person and $5574 for a family of four.
Oslo, Norway vs. Boise, ID
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Oslo costs $2245 for one person and $4850 for a family of four. Boise costs $2298 for one person and $5004 for a family of four.
Paris, France vs. Albuquerque, NM
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Paris costs $2194 for one person and $5386 for a family of four. Albuquerque costs $2183 for one person and $5368 for a family of four.
Berlin, Germany vs. St. Louis, MO
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Berlin costs $2180 for one person and $4983 for a family of four. St. Louis costs $1932 for one person and $5201 for a family of four.
Dubai, United Arab Emirates vs. Aberdeen, SD
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Dubai costs $1975 for one person and $4546 for a family of four. Aberdeen costs $1917 for one person and $4822 for a family of four.Â
Stockholm, Sweden vs. Birmingham, AL
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Stockholm costs $1936 for one person and $4162 for a family of four. Birmingham costs $1974 for one person and $5277 for a family of four.
Helsinki, Finland vs. Tucson, AZ
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Helsinki costs $1908 for one person and $4288 for a family of four. Tucson costs $1846 for one person and $4441 for a family of four.
Vienna, Austria vs. Macon Georgia
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Vienna costs $1749 for one person and $4282 for a family of four. Macon costs $1770 for one person and $4407 for a family of four.
Barcelona, Spain vs. Green Bay, WI
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Barcelona costs $1720 for one person and $3984 for a family of four. Green Bay costs $1711 for one person and $3838 for a family of four.
Rome, Italy vs. Morgantown, WV
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Rome costs $1716 for one person and $4082 for a family of four. Morgantown costs $1727 for one person and $3519 for a family of four.
Valletta, Malta vs. Casper, WY
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Valletta costs $1688 for one person and $4050 for a family of four. Casper costs $1680 for one person and $3474 for a family of four.
Prague, Czech Republic vs. Memphis, TN
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Prague costs $1684 for one person and $4104 for a family of four. Memphis costs $1712 for one person and $3912 for a family of four.
Madrid, Spain vs. Augusta, ME
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Madrid costs $1642 for one person and $3707 for a family of four. Augusta costs $1697 for one person and $4155 for a family of four.
Lisbon, Portugal vs. Jackson, MS
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Lisbon costs $1640 for one person and $3647 for a family of four. Jackson costs $1603 for one person and $3882 for a family of four.
Tokyo, Japan vs. Norman, OK
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Tokyo costs $1601 for one person and $4144 for a family of four. Norman costs $1654 for one person and $4065 for a family of four.
Panama City, Panama vs. Brownsville, TX
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Panama City costs $1284 for one person and $3007 for a family of four. Brownsville costs $1425 for one person and $3273 for a family of four.
Porto, Portugal
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Porto costs $1278 for one person and $2831 for a family of four.
Athens, Greece
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Athens costs $1251 for one person and $3102 for a family of four.
Mexico City, Mexico
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Mexico City costs $1208 for one person and $2933 for a family of four.
Budapest, Hungary
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Budapest costs $1149 for one person and $2875 for a family of four.
Split, Croatia
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Split costs $1017 for one person and $2367 for a family of four.
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
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Rio de Janeiro costs $972 for one person and $2435 for a family of four.
Johannesburg, South Africa
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Johannesburg costs $967 for one person and $2232 for a family of four.
Buenos Aires, Argentina
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Buenos Aires costs $800 for one person and $1988 for a family of four.
Quito, Ecuador
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Quito costs $797 for one person and $2012 for a family of four.
Istanbul, Turkey
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Istanbul costs $778 for one person and $1878 for a family of four.
Lagos, Nigeria
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Lagos costs $758 for one person and $1948 for a family of four.
Medellin, Colombia
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MedellÃn costs $748 for one person and $1848 for a family of four.
Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
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Ho Chi Minh City costs $725 for one person and $2019 for a family of four.
Nairobi, Kenya
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Nairobi costs $674 for one person and $1785 for a family of four.
Chiang Mai, Thailand
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Chiang Mai costs $668 for one person and $1840 for a family of four.
Denpasar (Bali), Indonesia
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Denpasar costs $560 for one person and $1607 for a family of four.
10 Countries Where You Can Retire With $2,000/Month (One Will Make You Say Ooh La La!)
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Are you looking forward to retirement? Do you imagine peaceful days spent socializing with family and friends, pursuing hobbies, and catching up on things you put off during a long career with limited time off?
While we all long for those days, you may look at your bank account and bills and wonder if they’ll ever come. If retiring in the U.S. feels unattainable, there are options for moving abroad that may be within your budget.
➤ 10 Countries Where You Can Retire With $2,000/Month
How Much Does It Cost to Live in Costa Rica?
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One of the gems of Latin America, Costa Rica’s cost of living weighs heavily on people’s minds. Americans have been moving to Costa Rica for years, after all. Beach lovers enjoy life around Tamarindo in Guanacaste state, enjoying the warm breezes off the central Pacific. Digital nomads seek major cities like capital city San Jose, looking to save money while working from a laptop among the lush vegetation of the Central Valley. Retirees find the cost to live in Costa Rica to be significantly cheaper, with housing costs, healthcare, and average rent prices coming in well below their comparable cost of living in the US.
➤ How Much Does It Cost to Live in Costa Rica?
The Best Countries for Paying Low Taxes
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The U.S. has tax treaties with lots of foreign countries. These treaties can lower or eliminate the taxes that people from other countries owe to the U.S. on certain types of income. The specific rates and exemptions vary depending on the country and the type of income, such as employment wages, capital gains, and so on. The treaties also offer similar benefits to U.S. citizens and residents who earn income in a foreign country. But most treaties have a “saving clause” that prevents U.S. citizens and residents from using the treaty to avoid paying U.S. taxes on their worldwide income. With that said, let’s review the tax agreements with 40 countries and see how to avoid paying double taxes while living abroad.
➤ The Best Countries for Paying Low Taxes
Jen is the co-founder of Expatsi, a company that helps Americans move abroad. She created the Expatsi Test, an assessment that recommends countries for aspiring emigrants based on lifestyle data. Jen has an MBA from Emory University with concentrations in marketing and innovation. She's written for BusinessWeek, Health, Cooking Light, and Southern Living. Prior to Expatsi, she created Freshfully and Bottle & Bone—two businesses in the local food space—and spoke at TEDx on being brave. She's moving to Mexico in 2024, along with her husband and co-founder Brett, pitbull mix Squiggy, and three rotten cats. How can she help you move abroad?
Jen is the co-founder of Expatsi, a company that helps Americans move abroad. She created the Expatsi Test, an assessment that recommends countries for aspiring emigrants based on lifestyle data. Jen has an MBA from Emory University with concentrations in marketing and innovation. She's written for BusinessWeek, Health, Cooking Light, and Southern Living. Prior to Expatsi, she created Freshfully and Bottle & Bone—two businesses in the local food space—and spoke at TEDx on being brave. She's moving to Mexico in 2024, along with her husband and co-founder Brett, pitbull mix Squiggy, and three rotten cats. How can she help you move abroad?