Monthly all in cost for a single adult on a 1 bedroom in 30 reference cities. Lisbon at 2,180 dollars, Singapore at 4,640, New York at 5,420.
The 2026 cost of living number this report tracks is the all in monthly outlay for a single adult on a 1 bedroom apartment, mid city neighborhood, no roommate, no car, eating dinner out twice a week. The table covers 30 reference cities sourced from our published methodology. The full city by city numbers update quarterly; the figures below are the May 2026 print.
The cheapest Tier 1A market on the 2026 table is Lisbon at 2,180 dollars all in. The most expensive is New York at 5,420. The median across the 30 cities is 3,310 dollars. The standard deviation is 1,070 dollars.
Bali at 1,650. Bangkok at 1,810. Medellin at 1,840. Buenos Aires at 1,920. Porto at 2,090. Budapest at 2,160. Lisbon at 2,180. Valencia at 2,240. Mexico City at 2,310. Prague at 2,580.
Middle band, 2,800 to 3,800 dollars: Madrid, Barcelona, Berlin, Vienna, Munich, Amsterdam, Copenhagen, Dublin, Melbourne, Sydney, Toronto, Tokyo, Seoul.
Top band: Paris at 4,180, Dubai at 4,290, London at 4,640, Singapore at 4,640, Zurich at 4,940, San Francisco at 5,310, New York at 5,420.
Rent on a mid city 1 bedroom is the single biggest line. Lisbon mid city is 1,180 dollars; New York mid city is 3,240. Groceries vary less than rent: 280 to 480 dollars across the 30 cities. Transport (monthly transit pass, no car) is 35 to 165 dollars. Eating out twice a week is 120 to 320. Utilities is 100 to 240. The full per city line by line breakdown lives in each city profile.