The Most Expensive Countries To Live In Around The World – Where Does The United States Rank?
As the saying often goes, there's no Heaven on Earth. When it seems like a new locale has everything someone could want, people often discover that everything they want doesn't come cheap. And when a new place to live does come cheap, it's usually because something is either seriously wrong with it or the neighborhood surrounding it.
And while this rule of thumb can easily apply to neighborhoods and cities, it's sometimes true that life in entire countries will exist outside of certain price ranges. So anyone looking for a change in scenery would do well to see how each international possibility affects their budget. Keep reading to learn more.
The Netherlands
Those who want to settle down in the land of tulips should be aware that the average single person can expect a monthly cost of living of $1080, while a family of four can expect rates closer to $3,786.
That information comes courtesy of Numbeo.
Sweden
Sweden is often near the top of lists for international quality of life, but it is estimated that the price tag for that quality is $994 a month for a single person and $3,636 a month for a family of four.
Ireland
According to the cost of living database Numbeo, the monthly costs a family of four will experience in Ireland can reach $3,834. The average single person's cost of living can be estimated at $1,095 a month.
Iceland
According to Iceland Review, the average person can expect their general living expenses in Iceland to add up to about $1,358 a month. At the same time, Numbeo estimated a family of four could see their expenses go as high as $5,054 a month.
Japan
Although the low value of the Japanese yen can make the cost of living seem steeper than it is, a single person can still expect to pay $890 a month for living expenses, while a family of four would pay $3,141 a month.
The United States
Although the experience of someone living in California, New York, or Hawaii will be significantly more expensive than someone living in Mississippi, Kansas, or Oklahoma, the United States can nonetheless be a very expensive place to live.
According to Expatistan, the average monthly living expenses for a single person total $1,593, while they're estimated at $5,669 for a family of four.
Qatar
According to international insurance provider Global Health Foyer Group, 80% of Qatar's population lives in its capital city of Doha. Here, the average one-bedroom apartment costs about $1,785 a month, while tenants of a three-bedroom one can expect to pay about $3,296 a month.
Although housing is usually the most significant expense one can incur in Qatar, the provider estimates the other costs of living for a family of four as $3,103 a month.
Belgium
According to Expatistan, a single person living in Belgium can expect an average cost of living of $2,031 a month, while a family of four would need their budget to account for $4,425 a month.
And the rent prices are no joke either, as a 900 square-foot-apartment can run people between $1,090 to $1,415 a month, depending on where it is. Meanwhile, a 480-square-foot-apartment can cost between $766 and $970 a month.
Finland
According to Numbeo, the reputed high quality of life in Finland comes at a cost of about $1038 a month for a single person and $3,773 for a family of four.
Canada
Although Canada has a lot going for it, people who move there will quickly find that life there can get expensive quickly. According to Spring Financial, the average cost of living is the equivalent of $736 a month for a single person and $2,323 a month for a family of four.
Singapore
Singapore has a reputation as one of the world's most expensive cities to live in, and as a city-state, its cost of living is comparable to other heavy-hitting countries. Specifically, Numbeo estimated that the average single person could expect a monthly cost of living of $1,139, while a family of four would likely have to fork over $4,108 a month.
New Zealand
New Zealand is a gorgeous nation of unique cultures, but it's not exactly a cheap country to live in. According to Expatistan, the monthly cost of living for a single person is approximately $2,842 a month, while a family of four will need at least $4,962 per month to live there.
Israel
Those trying to make a living in Israel would face an average monthly cost of living of $1,031, which balloons to $3,631 when considering the lifestyle of a family of four.
United Kingdom
According to Wise, the cost of living in the U.K. varies significantly from place to place. So, while a single person can expect their living expenses to hover around $924 a month in Manchester, that number goes up to $1,166 a month in London. By a similar token, a family of four would need to account for about $3,183 a month to live in Manchester and $4,057 to live in London.
South Korea
According to Numbeo, the 1,388,330 won monthly cost of living a single person can expect in South Korea is still fairly hefty even after it's converted to $1,069. Meanwhile, a family of four would need about $3,869 a month to cover expenses.
Australia
There are so many unique and wonderful things about Australia, but the cost of living is not one of them. According to Expatistan, a single person needs to cover an estimated $2,618 in living expenses per month, while a family of four would need to budget for $4,834 a month.
France
France may be a land famous for its culture and cuisine, but it's also a place people can expect to pay a lot of money to move to. According to Expatistan, an average single person's cost of living is $2,420 a month there, while a family of four would need to budget $4,509 a month.
United Arab Emirates
According to the expatriate community platform InterNations, the average monthly living expenses for a family of four are about $3,000, while a single person can expect to budget about $800 a month.
Austria
Austria may be a beautiful nation to live in, but it's also a pretty expensive one. Expatistan estimated an average monthly cost of living of $2,237 for a single person and $4,574 for a family of four.
Lebanon
According to Numbeo, the average cost of living for a single person in Lebanon is about $1,050 per month. At the same time, a family of four would need to account for $3,611 in monthly living expenses.
Denmark
According to Wise, the average cost of living comes down to $1,129 a month for a single person in Copenhagen and $4,074 for a family of four living there. For perspective, the monthly living expenses in Aarhus are only slightly lower at $1,044 for singles and $3,771 for the aforementioned families.
Norway
According to Numbeo, this often-enviable Scandinavian nation has a not-so-enviable average monthly cost of living of $1,237 for a single person and $4,408 for a family of four.
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is a bustling metropolis, but it's also one of the most expensive places in the world to live in, with a monthly cost of living of $5,583. And according to Expatistan, that rate is only for a single person. The average family of four can expect monthly living expenses of $7,859.
Monaco
This royal city-state is about as expensive to live in as it looks, with an estimated monthly cost of living of $1,944 for a single person and $7,032 for a family of four.
Barbados
According to Expatistan, Barbados is only really a paradise for those who can afford the $2,966 cost of living a single person has to deal with there. For a family of four, that cost rises all the way to $5,796 a month.
Luxembourg
As often seems the case with small nations, Luxembourg has a fairly hefty cost of living, with about $1,079 in monthly living expenses for a single person and $3,763 for a family of four.
Bermuda
Like some other tropical nations, Bermuda has a staggering cost of living at $9,655 per month for single people and $13,123 for families of four.
And Expatistan also identified the rent in Bermuda as crazy expensive; there's a much larger variance between rates of 900-square-foot apartments by location than 480-square-foot units. For instance, the smaller of these units hover around $1,800 a month, while the larger ones can range between $5,527 and $11,441 per month.
Liechtenstein
One of the world's smallest nations to live in is also among its most expensive, as a single person in Liechtenstein can expect to incur living expenses of $1,653 a month. For a family of four, that number shoots up to $6,170.
Macao
This island nation on China's south coast is a little more reasonable in cost than some of its contemporaries, but a $938 monthly cost of living for a single person and $3,446 for a family of four is still nothing to sneeze at.
