According to Numbeo data, living in Tokyo for a month costs an average of $2,050.
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Moving to major cities often has great benefits and opportunities, but it’s important to know if it makes sense financially before making a leap.
It may not be surprising that New York City and San Francisco are at the top of their global list for having the highest cost of living when rent is included. This follows the 2025 Cost of Living Index (including rent) by the online database Numbereo.
In New York City, a monthly fee for a person, including a one-bedroom rent price in the city centre, could cost a total of $5,639, according to a Numbeo survey that includes user-generated data combinations. . Information was collected manually from reliable sources.
In Asia, Singapore is at the top of the list as the city with the highest cost of living, and one person can expect to pay around $4,000 a month for living and rent, according to numericeo, which could cost someone Living in London for a month is comparable to the price.
Globally, two Switzerland cities (Zurich and Geneva) rank third and fourth in cost of living, including rent, following New York City and San Francisco.
According to Numbeo, the following is a list of whether it costs one person to live in 12 major cities around the world in 2025. All figures are US dollars after being converted from local currency.
When reading numbers, it may be useful to consider the budgeting rules of 50-30-20. A financial expert defines all payrolls as follows: 20% savings and investment, 50%, 30% needed.
New York City
Population: 8.1 million
Estimated monthly living expenses (excluding rent): $1,687.10
One Bedroom Rent in City Centre: $3,926.65
Total cost of living: $5,613.75
San Francisco, California
Population: 788,000
Estimated monthly living expenses (excluding rent): $1,556.60
One Bedroom Rent in City Centre: $3,222.58
Total cost of living: $4,779.18
London, UK
Population: 9.7 million
Estimated monthly living expenses (excluding rent): $1,311
One Bedroom Rent in City Center: $2,772.91
Total cost of living: $4,083.91
Singapore
Population: 6.1 million
Estimated monthly living expenses (excluding rent): $1,131.30
One Bedroom Rent in City Center: $2,921.58
Total cost of living: $4,052.88
Chicago, Illinois
Population: 2.6 million
Estimated monthly living expenses (excluding rent): $1,287.30
One Bedroom Rent in City Centre: $2,325.34
Total cost of living: $3,612.64
Sydney, Australia
Population: 5.2 million
Estimated monthly living expenses (excluding rent): $1,116.70
One Bedroom Rent in City Centre: $2,159.11
Total cost of living: $3,275.81
Lisbon, Portugal
Population: 3 million
Estimated monthly living expenses (excluding rent): $781.70
One Bedroom Rent in City Center: $1,481.93
Total cost of living: $2,263.63
Tokyo, Japan
Population: 37.1 million
Estimated monthly living expenses (excluding rent): $961.80
One Bedroom Rent in City Centre: $1,113.08
Total cost of living: $2,074.88
Seoul, Korea
Population: 10 million
Estimated monthly living expenses (excluding rent): $1,073.2
One Bedroom Rent in City Center: $822.97
Total cost of living: $1,896.17
Shanghai, China
Population: 29.9 million
Estimated monthly living expenses (excluding rent): $616.80
One Bedroom Rent in City Center: $924.45
Total cost of living: $1,541.25
Mumbai, India
Population: 21.7 million
Estimated monthly living expenses (excluding rent): $406.70
One Bedroom Rent in City Center: $650.20
Total cost of living: $1,056.90
Jakarta, Indonesia
Population: 11.4 million
Estimated monthly living expenses (excluding rent): $515.30
One Bedroom Rent in City Centre: $394.60
Total cost of living: $909.90
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