Cost of Living
Compare cost of living across 95 countries. See rent, groceries, transport, and healthcare costs with real data. Free interactive tool.
Powered by our open cost-of-living dataset · methodology
Data last updated: September 2026
Quick answer
Key facts
- 95 countries · 380 cities same dataset that powers the paid plans · official and institutional sources.
- 14 expense categories rent, groceries, transport, utilities, healthcare, dining, entertainment, clothing, and more.
- Basket median: $1,450/mo 49 countries with category-level data · detailed rankings below.
- 176 pre-computed city comparisons each at /tools/cost-of-living/compare/[slug] with full category-level breakdown.
- Free · no signup · CC BY 4.0 URL-shareable; raw data at /data/cost-of-living-2026 · JSON + CSV download.
Healthcare costs — top 5 destinations vs US
Five common line items. Destination visit prices are modelled from US prices with a country multiplier; private insurance uses separate estimates. Grey bar = US price (reference); green = destination; amber = destination above US.
Updated · WhereNext healthcare-cost dataset
Private ins./mo
GP visit
Specialist visit
ER visit
Dental cleaning
| Line item | Country | Local range | US price (reference) | Delta |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Private ins./mo | 🇵🇹 Portugal | $56-$104 | $500 | −$420 |
| Private ins./mo | 🇪🇸 Spain | $70-$130 | $500 | −$400 |
| Private ins./mo | 🇲🇽 Mexico | $56-$104 | $500 | −$420 |
| Private ins./mo | 🇹🇭 Thailand | $70-$130 | $500 | −$400 |
| Private ins./mo | 🇮🇹 Italy | $105-$195 | $500 | −$350 |
| GP visit | 🇵🇹 Portugal | $45-$90 | $225 | −$157 |
| GP visit | 🇪🇸 Spain | $40-$75 | $225 | −$167 |
| GP visit | 🇲🇽 Mexico | $25-$45 | $225 | −$190 |
| GP visit | 🇹🇭 Thailand | $25-$45 | $225 | −$190 |
| GP visit | 🇮🇹 Italy | $30-$60 | $225 | −$180 |
| Specialist visit | 🇵🇹 Portugal | $75-$150 | $375 | −$262 |
| Specialist visit | 🇪🇸 Spain | $65-$125 | $375 | −$280 |
| Specialist visit | 🇲🇽 Mexico | $40-$75 | $375 | −$317 |
| Specialist visit | 🇹🇭 Thailand | $40-$75 | $375 | −$317 |
| Specialist visit | 🇮🇹 Italy | $50-$100 | $375 | −$300 |
| ER visit | 🇵🇹 Portugal | $360-$750 | $1.9K | −$1.3K |
| ER visit | 🇪🇸 Spain | $300-$625 | $1.9K | −$1.4K |
| ER visit | 🇲🇽 Mexico | $180-$375 | $1.9K | −$1.6K |
| ER visit | 🇹🇭 Thailand | $180-$375 | $1.9K | −$1.6K |
| ER visit | 🇮🇹 Italy | $240-$500 | $1.9K | −$1.5K |
| Dental cleaning | 🇵🇹 Portugal | $30-$60 | $150 | −$105 |
| Dental cleaning | 🇪🇸 Spain | $25-$50 | $150 | −$112 |
| Dental cleaning | 🇲🇽 Mexico | $15-$30 | $150 | −$127 |
| Dental cleaning | 🇹🇭 Thailand | $15-$30 | $150 | −$127 |
| Dental cleaning | 🇮🇹 Italy | $20-$40 | $150 | −$120 |
How much does it cost to live abroad in 2026?
For the standard 11-category, single-person basket, monthly living costs among the 49 countries with category-level data range from $550/month in Egypt to $3,585/month in Switzerland. This itemized basket differs from the broad price-index model used by the country rankings and data index. The median is $1,450/month. The five lowest-cost countries are Egypt ($550/month), India ($555/month), Vietnam ($695/month), Indonesia ($700/month), Philippines ($700/month); the five highest-cost countries are Switzerland ($3,585/month), United States ($3,510/month), Norway ($2,750/month), Singapore ($2,540/month), Sweden ($2,520/month). Each estimate covers rent, utilities, internet and mobile, groceries, restaurants and coffee, transport, healthcare, leisure, household goods, clothing, and a miscellaneous buffer. Source: WhereNext Cost of Living Index 2026, compiled from World Bank PPP data, OECD price level indices, and national statistical agencies.
What is the cost of living in Portugal vs Spain in 2026?
Portugal is approximately 6% cheaper than Spain on the standard 11-category single-person basket ($1,725/month vs $1,835/month). Lisbon is ~$1,750/month on the price-index model across a broader consumption basket, versus $1,790/month on the lean single-person basket: sourced 1-bedroom rent outside the centre + utilities, transport, mobile, and meal-price-derived groceries/dining. Porto is ~$1,550/month on the price-index model across a broader consumption basket, versus $1,437/month on the lean single-person basket: sourced 1-bedroom rent outside the centre + utilities, transport, mobile, and meal-price-derived groceries/dining. These city baskets are not the country-level basket. Both countries offer digital nomad visas: Portugal's D8 requires EUR 3,680/month income, Spain's requires EUR 2,442/month (200% of the 2026 SMI). Source: WhereNext Cost of Living Index 2026 (World Bank ICP 2021).
Which countries are 50% cheaper than the US?
In the same standard 11-category, single-person basket, the selected countries below are 70–80% cheaper than the United States (baseline $3,510/month): Thailand (75% cheaper), Mexico (70% cheaper), Colombia (75% cheaper), Vietnam (80% cheaper), Indonesia (80% cheaper), Philippines (80% cheaper). Savings vary by category, so use the calculator's category breakdown rather than treating this overall comparison as a rent or healthcare estimate. Source: WhereNext Cost of Living Index 2026, World Bank, OECD.
▶▼Methodology & related tools
Compare monthly expenses across 95 countries and 380 cities, broken down into 14 categories — rent, groceries, transport, healthcare, dining, and more. Every estimate uses World Bank PPP data and national statistical agencies. How the calculator works.
Every figure names its source and the date we verified it — institutional statistics first, with crowd-sourced market indexes used only for city-level calibration and always named. Never an AI guess. How we know this.
When to use this tool
- You are shortlisting countries and need to compare real monthly expenses
- You want a category-level breakdown, not just a single “cost index” number
- You need to compare city-level costs (e.g., Lisbon vs Porto vs the Algarve)
- You want data you can share with a partner or financial planner