Cost of Living Calculator: Compare Any Two Countries

You have probably seen cost-of-living indices before. A website tells you that Thailand has an index of 35 while the US sits at 100, and you are supposed to conclude that Thailand is 65% cheaper. That number is not wrong, exactly. It is just useless.

A single index score tells you nothing about where your money goes. Is rent driving the difference, or is it healthcare? Are groceries genuinely cheaper, or does the average get pulled down by street food while supermarket prices stay stubbornly similar? If you are making a decision that involves uprooting your life and moving to another country, you need category-level data — not a single number plucked from a formula you cannot see.

That is why we built the WhereNext Cost of Living Calculator. It breaks down cost comparisons into the categories that actually matter to your monthly budget: rent, groceries, transport, dining, healthcare, and utilities. Every data point comes from real-world sources, updated regularly, covering all 95 countries in our database.

Why Single-Number Comparisons Fail

Imagine two countries with identical cost indices of 65. In Country A, rent is rock-bottom but groceries and healthcare are expensive. In Country B, rent is higher but food is dirt cheap and healthcare is free through the national system. For a retiree with chronic health needs, Country B is dramatically cheaper in practice. For a healthy 25-year-old who eats out constantly, Country A wins.

Single-number indices collapse all of these differences into one meaningless average. They treat a dollar saved on rent the same as a dollar saved on healthcare, ignoring that your personal spending profile determines which categories actually matter. A family with three kids cares about grocery and education costs far more than a solo digital nomad who eats every meal at restaurants.

Category-level data also reveals hidden traps. Some countries that look cheap on paper have unexpectedly high costs in specific areas. Singapore, for example, has moderate food and transport costs but some of the most expensive rent on the planet. The UAE looks expensive until you factor in zero income tax, which effectively offsets the higher sticker prices. Without breaking the numbers down, you miss the full picture entirely.

How Our Calculator Works

The WhereNext Cost of Living Calculator follows a straightforward workflow. Select your origin country — typically the US, UK, Canada, or wherever you currently live — then select your destination. The tool generates a side-by-side comparison across six core categories, showing both the absolute cost and the percentage difference for each.

Behind the scenes, every comparison draws from multiple data layers:

• Numbeo cost indices: The largest global database of user-contributed price data, covering rent, groceries, restaurant prices, transport, and utilities across 9,000+ cities. We normalize these indices to a 0–100 scale against US baselines.
• Local government statistics: Official consumer price indices and housing surveys from national statistics offices, used to cross-validate Numbeo data and catch outliers.
• Expat survey data: Real spending reports from expatriate communities, weighted toward recent arrivals who have up-to-date pricing experience rather than long-term residents on legacy rental contracts.
• Healthcare pricing: Insurance premium data from international providers (Cigna Global, Allianz Care, SafetyWing) combined with out-of-pocket cost surveys for common procedures.

The result is not a theoretical index — it is a practical breakdown of what you will actually spend each month if you move. For a deeper look at our data methodology, see our scoring methodology guide.

Top 10 Countries That Save You the Most vs. the US

When we run the calculator against every country in our database using the United States as the origin, these ten destinations deliver the deepest overall savings. The score reflects total cost reduction weighted across all six categories, with higher scores indicating greater savings potential.

Notice that the top of this list is dominated by Southeast Asia. That region consistently delivers the deepest savings because rent, food, and healthcare are all significantly cheaper than Western baselines. Latin America and Eastern Europe fill out the rest, offering strong savings with easier logistics for Americans — closer time zones, shorter flights, and in many cases simpler visa pathways.

Category Deep Dive: Where the Real Differences Are

Not all cost categories shrink equally when you cross a border. Some differences are staggering. Others are surprisingly modest. Here is what the data actually shows when you break it down category by category.

Rent: The Biggest Variance by Far

Rent is where the most dramatic savings happen, and it is also the category with the widest variance between countries. A one-bedroom apartment in Manhattan runs $3,000–$4,000 per month. The same quality apartment in central Bangkok costs $400–$600. That is not a typo. A modern, air-conditioned unit with a gym and pool in a central Bangkok neighborhood costs less per month than a studio in most US cities.

Even within affordable countries, rent varies enormously by city. In Thailand, Chiang Mai apartments run 30–40% less than Bangkok. In Mexico, Merida and Oaxaca are 40–50% cheaper than Mexico City’s trendy Roma Norte. The calculator accounts for national averages, but if you are targeting a specific city, our country explorer lets you drill down to city-level data.

Healthcare: Free in Some Countries, $500/Month in the US

This is the category that shocks Americans the most. In the United States, the average individual spends roughly $500 per month on health insurance premiums and out-of-pocket costs. In the UK and Spain, residents access the national health service at zero or near-zero cost. In Thailand, comprehensive private insurance from an international provider runs $50–$100 per month. In Mexico, enrollment in IMSS (the public system) costs about $50 per year.

Healthcare savings alone can total $4,000–$6,000 per year for a single person, and significantly more for families. For Americans with chronic conditions, the calculus is even more stark. Prescription medications that cost hundreds per month in the US are often available for a fraction of the price abroad, sometimes over the counter. Our universal healthcare guide covers which countries offer the best medical systems for expats.

Groceries: Surprisingly Similar Globally

Here is an unexpected finding: grocery costs are the most consistent category globally. A basic grocery basket in most countries runs $200–$350 per month for a single person, compared to $400–$500 in the US. The gap exists, but it is narrower than most people expect — typically 30–45% rather than the 60–70% you see in rent or healthcare.

The catch is what you buy. Local produce, meat, and staples are dramatically cheaper abroad. Rice in Thailand costs pennies. Fresh vegetables at a Mexican market are half the price of a US supermarket. But imported Western products — cheese, cereal, specific brands — often cost more than they do at home. The smartest expats adapt their diets to local ingredients and save substantially. Those who insist on recreating their American grocery list abroad lose much of the cost advantage.

Transport: The US Car Dependency Tax

Transport is where the US comparison gets almost absurd. The average American spends $600 per month on transportation: car payment, insurance, gas, maintenance, parking. Most US cities were built around cars, leaving residents with no practical alternative.

Abroad, the equation inverts completely. Bangkok’s BTS Skytrain costs $30–$50 per month of regular use. Lisbon’s metro pass is $45. Mexico City’s metro costs $0.30 per ride. Even in countries where you might want a car, insurance and fuel are dramatically cheaper. The freedom from a $600 monthly transport obligation is one of the most underappreciated financial benefits of living abroad — that is $7,200 per year back in your pocket before you even count the other categories.

Dining Out: The 5x Multiplier

Dining is the category with the single largest percentage gap. A proper sit-down dinner in New York City runs $40–$60 per person before tip. The equivalent meal — quality restaurant, table service, full plate — in Chiang Mai costs $4–$8. That is a 5x to 8x difference.

This is not comparing fine dining to street food. Thai restaurants in Chiang Mai serve expertly prepared meals with fresh ingredients in clean, comfortable settings for prices that would not cover an appetizer in Manhattan. The same pattern holds across Southeast Asia and much of Latin America. If you eat out frequently — and many expats do, precisely because it is so affordable — the dining category alone can save you $500–$1,000 per month versus the US.

Expensive Countries That Are Still Worth It

Not every cheap country is the best value, and not every expensive country is a bad deal. The calculator helps you see past raw price tags to understand effective cost of living — what you actually keep after taxes, fees, and purchasing power adjustments.

UAE: Zero Income Tax Offsets High Sticker Prices

The UAE looks expensive on paper. Rent in Dubai is high, groceries cost more than the US average, and dining out is pricey by global standards. But there is no income tax. For a remote worker earning $100,000 per year, that zero-tax environment effectively puts $20,000–$30,000 back in their pocket compared to living in California or New York. When you adjust for that, Dubai’s effective cost of living drops significantly below its headline numbers.

Singapore: The Efficiency Premium

Singapore has brutal rent prices — easily $2,000–$3,500 for a city-center one-bedroom. But the city-state compensates with exceptionally low healthcare costs, world-class public transport at $50–$80 per month, hawker center meals for $3–$5, and one of the most efficient bureaucracies on Earth. If you earn a strong income, Singapore’s combination of low taxes (0–22% progressive), safety, and infrastructure quality can make the high rent worthwhile.

Switzerland: Highest Salaries Globally

Switzerland is the most expensive country in Europe by virtually every metric. A coffee costs $5. Rent in Zurich rivals Manhattan. But Swiss salaries are also the highest in the world — the median household income exceeds $100,000, and tech workers routinely earn $150,000–$200,000+. When you calculate cost of living as a percentage of local salary rather than in absolute dollars, Switzerland suddenly looks reasonable. The lesson: expensive is relative to what you earn.

These examples illustrate why our calculator shows category-level breakdowns rather than just a single number. The countries that make financial sense for you depend entirely on your income source, tax situation, and spending priorities. Use the salary calculator alongside the cost comparison to see how your earning power translates in each destination.

From Comparison to Action

Running the numbers is the first step. But a cost comparison alone does not tell you whether you can actually make the move. Here is the workflow we recommend for going from “interesting data” to “actionable plan”:

1. Identify your target with the cost calculator. Use the Cost of Living Calculator to compare your current country against 2–3 destinations that interest you. Focus on the categories that matter most to your personal spending profile. If you spend heavily on dining out, the 5x savings in Southeast Asia might be more relevant than a 30% grocery discount in Portugal.
2. Cross-reference with the salary calculator. If you plan to work locally rather than remotely, your income will change too. The Salary Calculator shows what your role pays in each country, so you can calculate net purchasing power rather than just raw cost differences.
3. Build a realistic monthly budget. The Budget Builder lets you customize your spending plan for a specific destination, adjusting for your actual lifestyle rather than relying on averages. It accounts for setup costs, recurring expenses, and the transition period premium that most calculators ignore.
4. Check visa requirements. The cheapest country in the world does not help if you cannot legally live there. Our country explorer includes visa data for each destination — tourist visa duration, digital nomad visa availability, residency pathways, and work permit requirements. Cross-reference this with our visa accessibility guide to narrow your shortlist to countries where you can actually get legal status.
5. Compare side-by-side. Once you have 2–3 finalists, use the country comparison tool to see them head-to-head across every dimension — not just cost, but safety, healthcare quality, climate, internet speed, and expat community size.

The Bottom Line

Single-number cost indices are a starting point, not an answer. The difference between a good relocation decision and a costly mistake often comes down to understanding which categories drive the savings and whether those categories align with your actual spending habits.

The data is clear: most Americans can cut their monthly expenses by 40–75% by relocating to the right country abroad. But “the right country” is different for everyone. A retiree prioritizing healthcare savings will reach a different conclusion than a digital nomad optimizing for cheap restaurants and fast Wi-Fi. A family with school-age children will weigh different categories than a couple with no dependents.

That is exactly what the calculator is built for. Not to give you a single score and tell you where to move, but to show you the full picture — category by category, dollar by dollar — so you can make the decision that actually fits your life.