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: March 2026
Quick answer
The WhereNext Cost of Living Calculator compares monthly expenses across 95 countries and 380 cities — broken down into 14 categories (rent, groceries, transport, utilities, healthcare, dining, entertainment, etc.). Every estimate uses World Bank PPP data, OECD price level indices, and national statistical agencies. The global median is ~$2,000/mo for a single person with a moderate lifestyle; cheapest countries cluster around $700–850/mo (Bangladesh, Nepal, Vietnam); most expensive at $3,150–3,400/mo (Switzerland, Iceland, Luxembourg, Norway, Singapore). The tool supports city-pair comparison, category-level breakdown, and URL-shareable results — no signup, no rate limit.
Key facts
- 95 countries · 380 cities same dataset that powers the paid plans · public-domain institutional sources.
- 14 expense categories rent · groceries · transport · utilities · healthcare · dining · entertainment · clothing · etc.
- Global median: ~$2,000/mo single-person moderate lifestyle · cheapest $700–850 (Bangladesh, Nepal, Vietnam) · priciest $3,150–3,400 (CH, IS, LU, NO, SG).
- 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. Grey bar = US median; primary-green = destination median; amber appears only when the destination is MORE expensive than the US (rare for healthcare).
Verified · WhereNext healthcare-cost dataset
Private ins./mo
GP visit
Specialist visit
ER visit
Dental cleaning
| Line item | Country | Local range | US median | 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?
Monthly living costs for a single person with a moderate lifestyle range from $800/month in Vietnam to $3,400/month in Switzerland. The global median across WhereNext's 95-country dataset is approximately $2,000/month. The five cheapest countries are: Bangladesh ($700/month), Nepal ($750/month), Vietnam ($800/month), Myanmar ($850/month), and Laos ($850/month). The five most expensive are: Switzerland ($3,400/month), Iceland ($3,350/month), Luxembourg ($3,300/month), Norway ($3,250/month), and Singapore ($3,150/month). Each estimate covers rent, groceries, transport, utilities, healthcare, and basic entertainment. Source: WhereNext Cost of Living Index 2026, compiled from World Bank PPP data, OECD price level indices, and national statistical agencies across institutional public-domain datasets.
What is the cost of living in Portugal vs Spain in 2026?
Portugal is approximately 7% cheaper than Spain for a single person with a moderate lifestyle. Monthly costs in Lisbon average $2,500 (rent $1,000-1,200, groceries $250, dining $200, transport $45), while Madrid averages $2,650 (rent $1,100-1,300, groceries $270, dining $220, transport $55). Porto is significantly cheaper at $1,900/month, and Barcelona is more expensive at $2,800/month. Both countries offer digital nomad visas: Portugal's D8 requires EUR 3,680/month income, Spain's requires EUR 2,850/month (upper end of the 200% SMI range; verify locally). Source: WhereNext Cost of Living Index 2026 (World Bank ICP 2021).
Which countries are 50% cheaper than the US?
Fourteen countries in WhereNext's dataset have a cost of living at least 50% lower than the United States (baseline ~$3,000/month). These include: Thailand (46% cheaper), Mexico (40% cheaper), Colombia (47% cheaper), Vietnam (73% cheaper), Indonesia (60% cheaper), and the Philippines (55% cheaper). However, "50% cheaper" varies by category — rent savings are typically 40-70%, while groceries and dining may only be 20-40% lower. Healthcare costs vary widely: public healthcare in Thailand costs $20-50/visit, while US-equivalent private care in Mexico runs $150-300/month. 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.
Unlike crowdsourced indexes, every figure here names its official source and the date we verified it — not user-submitted estimates, not 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