Inside the World’s Most Expensive City to Live in 2025

As of 2025, New York City remains the most expensive major city to live in internationally. Rising housing prices, expensive food, and high costs of everyday necessities are the three main reasons that make New York City so expensive to live in. The average rent for a one bedroom in Manhattan is around $4,107 a month; an average monthly expense of over $1,700 for a single individual; rental prices and overall living costs are in constant flux across income brackets. Still, rent is the primary driver behind living in NYC where a limited housing supply and higher demand from the current population can eclipse another special unit or another global professional coming or returning to The City.

Housing and Lifestyle Pressures

One of the many contributing factors that make living in New York City unaffordable is the expensive housing market associated with the city where median home value prices often exceed median income levels. Basic household necessities like groceries or groceries met by services like DoorDash, transportation needs like taxes or Public Transit, utilities, and Health care, the overall costs of everything is extremely high when anyone considers the costs of NYC. Regardless of financial pressures, people continue to flock to enjoy the cultural opportunities and job prospects, and lifestyles in any New York neighborhood.

Comparison With Other Expensive Cities

Following New York City, several other Swiss Cities; Zurich, Geneva, Basel, and Bern represented high ranking cosmopolitan cities reflecting good economies and spending on expensive local services. The U.S. Bostons and San Francisco represent U.S. tech hubs as job markets influence local living costs. While at the other end of the world, worth mentioning, cities such as Singapore met low-density cities in very high-density settings with a premium price.

The Cost of Urban Living

The prospect of living in New York City in 2025 represents a unique urban experience with the implication of enormous costs. The costs of living in the city for both those who work and live there and for those that are members of the community for the first time mean understanding the costs involved in your financial and lifestyle calculations. 

New York City is worthy of its claim to be the most expensive city in the world. It reflects one of the best cities in the world for high levels of ambition, culture, spirit of innovation, and when you balance your costs with your experience it means the cost is worth it.

This content is based on global cost-of-living reports. Rankings may vary depending on methodology and data. Readers should consult updated surveys and sources for the latest information.