City Cost Compare
Compare cost of living in 380 cities worldwide. Side-by-side rent, groceries, transport, and coworking prices with real data.
Powered by our open cost-of-living dataset · methodology
Data last updated: June 2026
Quick answer
The WhereNext City Cost Compare tool puts up to 4 cities (out of 380) side-by-side on rent (1-bed center vs outside), groceries, dining (inexpensive meal + cappuccino), monthly transport, coworking ($/mo), internet speed, and 6 quality-of-life indices (safety, healthcare, climate, education, career, infrastructure). All figures in USD at current rates — no currency math required. 130 of 380 cities have researched city costs; the remainder use country-derived cost-index estimates. Use this tool when you've narrowed to 2–4 candidate cities and need a head-to-head decision matrix.
Key facts
- 380 cities supported every city in the WhereNext seed dataset across 95 countries.
- 130 cities with researched costs city-specific price baskets where available; all other cost indices are country-derived.
- 12 dimensions tracked rent (center + outside) · groceries · meal · cappuccino · transport · coworking · internet · safety · healthcare · climate · education · career.
- Compare up to 4 cities e.g., Lisbon vs Bangkok vs Medellín vs Tbilisi · side-by-side decision matrix.
- All in USD quarterly-refreshed exchange rates · no currency math · directly comparable across continents.
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▶▼How City Cost Compare works
Choosing between Lisbon and Bangkok? Berlin and Medellin? This tool compares city cost estimates for 380 cities worldwide — rent, groceries, dining, transport, coworking, and internet where researched — side by side. Select up to 4 cities and instantly see how far your money goes in each.
Cost estimates use a World Bank ICP 2021 country anchor, with WhereNext researched city values where available. All figures are in USD at current exchange rates so you can make direct comparisons without currency math.
What this tool does
- Solves: How do living costs compare between specific cities I am considering?
- You provide: 2-4 cities to compare
- You get: Side-by-side prices for rent, meals, transport, coworking, and internet with percentage differences
Price data from national statistical agencies and local sources for 380 cities. Prices in USD at current exchange rates.
FAQ
How does the City Cost Comparison tool work?▼
Select 2-4 cities from our database of 380 cities worldwide. The tool displays side-by-side costs for rent, groceries, transport, coworking, and more. Cities with real price data show exact USD figures; others show index-based estimates.
Which cities have real price data?▼
50+ cities have researched price data from World Bank PPP data, national statistical agencies, and local sources — including Lisbon, Barcelona, Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Mexico City, Medellín, Berlin, and more. These cities show exact figures for rent, meals, cappuccinos, transport, and coworking. All other cities use cost-index estimates.
How is the monthly cost estimate calculated?▼
Monthly cost estimates are derived from each city's cost index using a calibrated formula based on real-world data. The estimate covers rent, food, transport, utilities, and discretionary spending for a comfortable single-person lifestyle.