Costs of Living for the Most Popular International Cities for U.S. Expats
More Americans are moving overseas to immerse themselves in new and different cultures. Breaking down cost of living into a range for commodities, such as food, transportation, housing, and health care, we can compare our United States cost-of-living average with these popular cities for U.S. expatriates. Here are our top 10 most popular international cities ranked by cost of living based on standardized use of goods and services using ERI’s cost-of-living calculator.
Hong Kong SAR, China, is a commercial and cultural center with an estimated population of over one million people. It has a cost of living that is 93.7% higher than our U.S. average. Real estate here is at an all-time high. Rent in Hong Kong would be $4,708 a month for a 900 sq. ft home. The same size home would be $1,122 monthly in the U.S.
London, U.K., home to 4 World Heritage Sites, has a cost of living that is 58.4% more expensive than our U.S. average. Rent in London for a 900 sq. ft home is almost 4 times higher than the U.S. average, coming in at $4,215.
Zürich, Switzerland, the proud owner of the largest church clock face in Europe, has a cost of living that is 49.1% above our U.S. national average. Rent is still higher than the U.S. average, but the largest difference is in transportation. Gas in the U.S. has an average cost of $2.54 per gallon. This same family would spend $5.95 per gallon for gas in Zürich.
Cost of living in Toronto, Ontario, where around 25% of Hollywood movies are filmed, is 47.3% more expensive than our United States average. Rent in this Canadian city is almost double, but the largest difference is in consumables. Coming in with a yearly cost of $36,624, consumables are significantly higher than the U.S. average of $23,828.
Home to the world’s largest tin soldier, Vancouver, British Columbia’s cost of living is 45.3% higher than our United States average. Rent is more than double our U.S. average, coming in at $2,295 for a 900 sq. ft home in this popular Canadian city.
The happiest city in the world, Copenhagen, Denmark has a cost of living that is 44.9% above our U.S. average. Gas in Copenhagen averages $6.26 per gallon. A 12-gallon tank would cost $75.12 to fill up in Copenhagen. Fuel for that same car would cost only $30.48 in the United States.
The only island city-state in the world, Singapore’s cost of living is 42.3% higher than our U.S. average. Rent in Singapore averages at $3,317 per month for a 900 sq. ft home, much higher than our U.S. average monthly rent of $1,122 for a home the same size.
Home of the Nobel Peace Prize, Oslo, Norway, has a cost of living that is 41.9% over our United States average. Transportation in Oslo is expensive compared to the U.S. Coming in at an average of $7.20 per gallon, a 12-gallon tank would cost $86.40 to fill in Oslo. That is significantly higher than our U.S. annual average of $30.48.
The capital of Qatar and the most populous city of the country, Doha’s cost of living is 34.2% more expensive than our United States average. Here, transportation is actually slightly less expensive than in the U.S., but rent is almost triple, averaging at $3,024 a month for a 900 sq. ft home.
Home to the “Sydneysiders,” Sydney, Australia’s cost of living is 32.9% higher than our U.S. average cost of living. Consumables in Sydney average a yearly total of $33,892, whereas the U.S. yearly average for consumables is considerably less at $23,828.
How does your hometown compare to the most expensive cities?