Family of 4 monthly all in budget across 25 cities. Lisbon at 4,820 dollars, Singapore at 9,640, Zurich at 11,200, New York at 12,800.
The Atlas family of 4 budget is built off the single adult cost of living number, multiplied by a structural family factor that varies by city. Captures larger housing, school fees, family car, more groceries. Median multiplier across 25 cities: 2.4. High multipliers (3.0 plus): Singapore, Hong Kong, Geneva, Zurich, San Francisco. Low (under 2.2): Lisbon, Porto, Valencia, Bangkok, Mexico City.
Lisbon 4,820. Porto 4,640. Valencia 5,160. Mexico City 5,400. Bangkok 4,180. Bali 4,260. Berlin 7,280. Madrid 6,820. Barcelona 7,420. Vienna 7,840. Amsterdam 8,920. Copenhagen 9,640. Dublin 8,480. Tokyo 7,940. Seoul 6,840. Singapore 9,640. London 11,200. Paris 9,840. Sydney 8,860. Melbourne 8,420. Toronto 8,640. Vancouver 9,120. Dubai 8,840. Zurich 11,200. Geneva 10,640. San Francisco 12,400. New York 12,800.
School fees dominate the family budget in most cities. International school tuition at 22,000 to 38,000 USD a year per child is the single largest non rent line in Singapore, Dubai, Bangkok, Tokyo, Shanghai. Cities with strong free or near free school options: line collapses to under 1,000 a year. Rent comes second: families typically need 3 bedrooms (or 2 plus an office), 1.8 to 2.4 times the single 1 bedroom number.