What is the cheapest country to live in 2026?

Egypt has the lowest estimated monthly cost of living in our 95-country dataset.

What is the most expensive country to live in?

Switzerland has the highest estimated monthly cost of living, at over $4,000/month.

Interactive Data Visualization

Cost of Living World Map 2026: 95 Countries Color-Coded by Monthly Cost

How much does it cost to live in every country? This map visualizes monthly living costs for a single person across 95 countries. Green = affordable, red = expensive. Data from World Bank PPP and 26 other institutional sources.

Countries

Cheapest

$700/mo

Egypt

Most Expensive

$4,000/mo

Switzerland

Global Average

$1,774/mo

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Affordable (<$1,200/mo)

Moderate ($1,200–$2,500/mo)

Expensive ($2,500+/mo)

5 Cheapest Countries to Live In

1.Egypt$700/mo 2.India$750/mo 3.Sri Lanka$750/mo 4.Myanmar$750/mo 5.Nepal$800/mo

5 Most Expensive Countries

1.Switzerland$4,000/mo 2.Iceland$3,600/mo 3.Israel$3,550/mo 4.Norway$3,500/mo 5.Luxembourg$3,500/mo

How We Calculate Cost of Living

Monthly cost estimates are for a single person with a moderate lifestyle, including rent, groceries, dining out, local transport, utilities, internet, healthcare, and entertainment. All figures in USD, adjusted using World Bank purchasing power parity (PPP). Costs are calibrated against a US baseline of ~$3,000/month.

See our full methodology or download the raw data (JSON).