Between the price of dining out, groceries, and other essentials, the cost of living varies widely across the world. For a look at which countries are the priciest places to call home in 2026, we turned to Numbeo, a crowdsourced and market-driven database that specializes in analyzing cost of living. The index measures the relative prices of consumer goods and services, including groceries, dining, transportation, and utilities (but excluding housing costs), using prices in New York City as a baseline to compare cost of living around the world. Here are the 10 most expensive countries, which you might find useful when planning your vacation budget, too.

10. Grenada

It may be known for its beautiful beaches and being one of the world’s smallest countries, but the Caribbean island country of Grenada also has the 10th-highest cost of living of any world nation. According to Numbeo, local purchasing power — the amount of goods and services you can buy with your money — has a value of just 34.6, meaning that locals can afford 65.4% less than people living in New York City.

9. Luxembourg

Luxembourg is the first of five European nations to crack the top 10 most expensive countries to live in. Local purchasing power is actually quite high in Luxembourg (the fourth-highest of any nation, at 160.5), but that money goes out the window quickly due to the high cost for groceries and dining out; Luxembourg ranks among the top 10 most expensive countries for those specific categories.

8. Denmark

Local purchasing power in Denmark is over 45% higher than the baseline average of New York, but the cost of goods and services in the world’s third-happiest country is quite high. That’s especially true for people who enjoy eating out at restaurants — Denmark ranks as the fourth-most-expensive in that category worldwide.

7. Israel

Israelis earn relatively strong salaries, resulting in a local purchasing power of 119.6 — nearly 20% more than that of folks who live in New York City. However, it’s quite expensive to purchase food in Israel, whether you’re buying groceries to cook at home or eating out. (The country is among the top 15 for both of those categories.) 

6. Norway

Norway joins Denmark as the second Scandinavian country to crack the top 10, with the fourth-highest cost of groceries of any nation and the fifth-highest cost for eating at restaurants. For example, according to Numbeo, the average cost of a three-course meal for two (without drinks) at a midrange restaurant is the equivalent of $107 USD, while a pint of domestic draft beer averages nearly $12 in Norway.

5. Singapore

While Singapore is one of the wealthiest countries in the world in terms of GDP per capita, it’s also the most expensive place to live in Asia. The cost to buy groceries in Singapore ranks in the top 10, though there’s some good news for travelers: It’s far cheaper to eat out at restaurants (about 45% less expensive than in New York City).

4. Iceland

Given its remote location in the northern Atlantic, it’s probably not a surprise that goods cost more in Iceland than elsewhere. For instance, Iceland has a grocery index of 104.5 and a restaurant price index of 104.9, meaning it’s nearly 5% more expensive to dine in Iceland than it is in the culinary haven that is New York City. 

3. The Bahamas

It may be paradise, but with a cost of living index of 98.8, life in the Bahamas costs roughly the same as living in the Big Apple. Local purchasing power is only 57.1, which means the value of a Bahamian dollar doesn’t go as far. Overall, the Bahamas rank as the most expensive country to live in anywhere in the Western Hemisphere.

2. Solomon Islands

The Solomon Islands are an autonomous archipelagic country located northeast of Australia. The cost of living index there sits at 102.3, meaning it’s one of only two nations where the overall financial burden is more onerous than living in New York City. In the Solomon Islands the local purchasing power sits at only 12.6 — it’s the sixth-lowest of any nation.

1. Switzerland

Switzerland is the most expensive place to live in the world, with an index rating of 110.7. The Swiss have the third-highest local purchasing power of any country, at 170.6, but locals are burdened by the highest grocery costs (109.7) and the highest prices for restaurants (111.3) of any world nation.

Interestingly, Switzerland ranks as the country with the highest cost of living, but there are three dependent territories that rank as even more expensive: the U.S. Virgin Islands (111.3), the Cayman Islands (115.6), and Bermuda, which tops the list at 135.8.

Note: Numbeo’s database is updated regularly; the figures reported above are accurate at the time of publish.