All 182 cities ranked by salary-to-cost ratio. A lower ratio means you need less gross salary for every dollar of living cost — better value.
| # | City | Value Ratio | COLI | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Abu Dhabi | 2.00x | 67.8 | 🇦🇪 UAE |
| 2 | Dubai | 2.00x | 72.4 | 🇦🇪 UAE |
| 3 | Phnom Penh | 2.00x | 24.8 | 🇰🇭 Cambodia |
| 4 | Doha | 2.00x | 69.5 | 🇶🇦 Qatar |
| 5 | Chiang Mai | 2.15x | 22.6 | 🇹🇭 Thailand |
| 6 | Chennai | 2.17x | 18.9 | 🇮🇳 India |
| 7 | Delhi | 2.19x | 19.5 | 🇮🇳 India |
| 8 | Phuket | 2.21x | 30.5 | 🇹🇭 Thailand |
| 9 | Riyadh | 2.22x | 42.6 | 🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia |
| 10 | Bangalore | 2.22x | 20.8 | 🇮🇳 India |
| 11 | Bangkok | 2.24x | 37.2 | 🇹🇭 Thailand |
| 12 | San José (CR) | 2.26x | 31.2 | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica |
| 13 | Medellín | 2.31x | 20.4 | 🇨🇴 Colombia |
| 14 | Taipei | 2.32x | 44.8 | 🇹🇼 Taiwan |
| 15 | Hong Kong | 2.34x | 73.6 | 🇭🇰 China (SAR) |
| 16 | Tallinn | 2.35x | 28.9 | 🇪🇪 Estonia |
| 17 | Bogotá | 2.38x | 22.9 | 🇨🇴 Colombia |
| 18 | Mumbai | 2.42x | 22.3 | 🇮🇳 India |
| 19 | Playa del Carmen | 2.49x | 30.8 | 🇲🇽 Mexico |
| 20 | Perth | 2.50x | 63.5 | 🇦🇺 Australia |
| 21 | Lima | 2.50x | 25.8 | 🇵🇪 Peru |
| 22 | Cancún | 2.52x | 35.8 | 🇲🇽 Mexico |
| 23 | Bali (Denpasar) | 2.52x | 25.3 | 🇮🇩 Indonesia |
| 24 | Panama City | 2.53x | 42.3 | 🇵🇦 Panama |
| 25 | Mexico City | 2.53x | 32.5 | 🇲🇽 Mexico |
| 26 | Jakarta | 2.54x | 24.5 | 🇮🇩 Indonesia |
| 27 | Melbourne | 2.55x | 68.2 | 🇦🇺 Australia |
| 28 | Las Vegas | 2.55x | 58.2 | 🇺🇸 United States |
| 29 | Krakow | 2.56x | 23.8 | 🇵🇱 Poland |
| 30 | Kuala Lumpur | 2.57x | 32.8 | 🇲🇾 Malaysia |
| 31 | Dallas | 2.58x | 62.5 | 🇺🇸 United States |
| 32 | Houston | 2.58x | 60.2 | 🇺🇸 United States |
| 33 | Manila | 2.59x | 26.8 | 🇵🇭 Philippines |
| 34 | Nashville | 2.60x | 62.8 | 🇺🇸 United States |
| 35 | Tampa | 2.60x | 64.5 | 🇺🇸 United States |
| 36 | Sydney | 2.60x | 74.5 | 🇦🇺 Australia |
| 37 | Singapore | 2.60x | 87.7 | 🇸🇬 Singapore |
| 38 | Warsaw | 2.60x | 28.4 | 🇵🇱 Poland |
| 39 | Santiago | 2.60x | 33.2 | 🇨🇱 Chile |
| 40 | Austin | 2.61x | 64.8 | 🇺🇸 United States |
| 41 | Seattle | 2.65x | 79.5 | 🇺🇸 United States |
| 42 | Cape Town | 2.65x | 28.4 | 🇿🇦 South Africa |
| 43 | Phoenix | 2.65x | 58.9 | 🇺🇸 United States |
| 44 | Miami | 2.67x | 80.1 | 🇺🇸 United States |
| 45 | Edinburgh | 2.70x | 62.1 | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom |
| 46 | Prague | 2.70x | 30.6 | 🇨🇿 Czech Republic |
| 47 | Philadelphia | 2.70x | 68.8 | 🇺🇸 United States |
| 48 | Seoul | 2.71x | 68.9 | 🇰🇷 South Korea |
| 49 | Raleigh | 2.73x | 58.6 | 🇺🇸 United States |
| 50 | Charlotte | 2.74x | 59.8 | 🇺🇸 United States |
| 51 | Montevideo | 2.76x | 32.5 | 🇺🇾 Uruguay |
| 52 | Auckland | 2.77x | 60.8 | 🇳🇿 New Zealand |
| 53 | Fukuoka | 2.78x | 51.4 | 🇯🇵 Japan |
| 54 | Denver | 2.79x | 65.7 | 🇺🇸 United States |
| 55 | Atlanta | 2.81x | 63.2 | 🇺🇸 United States |
| 56 | Hanoi | 2.81x | 24.1 | 🇻🇳 Vietnam |
| 57 | Chicago | 2.83x | 73.2 | 🇺🇸 United States |
| 58 | São Paulo | 2.85x | 41.8 | 🇧🇷 Brazil |
| 59 | Ho Chi Minh City | 2.86x | 26.4 | 🇻🇳 Vietnam |
| 60 | Vancouver | 2.87x | 65.4 | 🇨🇦 Canada |
| 61 | Osaka | 2.88x | 62.8 | 🇯🇵 Japan |
| 62 | Málaga | 2.89x | 31.2 | 🇪🇸 Spain |
| 63 | Riga | 2.90x | 25.3 | 🇱🇻 Latvia |
| 64 | Minneapolis | 2.90x | 61.4 | 🇺🇸 United States |
| 65 | Valencia | 2.91x | 33.5 | 🇪🇸 Spain |
| 66 | Marrakech | 2.91x | 19.2 | 🇲🇦 Morocco |
| 67 | Toronto | 2.92x | 62.3 | 🇨🇦 Canada |
| 68 | Lagos | 2.92x | 27.3 | 🇳🇬 Nigeria |
| 69 | Cairo | 2.98x | 16.8 | 🇪🇬 Egypt |
| 70 | Casablanca | 3.00x | 22.1 | 🇲🇦 Morocco |
| 71 | Budapest | 3.01x | 26.1 | 🇭🇺 Hungary |
| 72 | London | 3.02x | 87.5 | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom |
| 73 | Madrid | 3.03x | 38.0 | 🇪🇸 Spain |
| 74 | Portland | 3.04x | 67.2 | 🇺🇸 United States |
| 75 | Dublin | 3.04x | 72.8 | 🇮🇪 Ireland |
| 76 | Nairobi | 3.04x | 24.7 | 🇰🇪 Kenya |
| 77 | Washington DC | 3.04x | 79.8 | 🇺🇸 United States |
| 78 | Helsinki | 3.05x | 58.2 | 🇫🇮 Finland |
| 79 | Athens | 3.05x | 30.6 | 🇬🇷 Greece |
| 80 | Tel Aviv | 3.07x | 81.3 | 🇮🇱 Israel |
| 81 | Barcelona | 3.08x | 42.1 | 🇪🇸 Spain |
| 82 | Los Angeles | 3.08x | 76.3 | 🇺🇸 United States |
| 83 | Oslo | 3.10x | 78.5 | 🇳🇴 Norway |
| 84 | San Diego | 3.10x | 77.5 | 🇺🇸 United States |
| 85 | Boston | 3.10x | 82.4 | 🇺🇸 United States |
| 86 | Tokyo | 3.15x | 77.3 | 🇯🇵 Japan |
| 87 | San Francisco | 3.16x | 97.6 | 🇺🇸 United States |
| 88 | Guangzhou | 3.16x | 38.7 | 🇨🇳 China |
| 89 | Porto | 3.16x | 30.1 | 🇵🇹 Portugal |
| 90 | Montreal | 3.18x | 52.1 | 🇨🇦 Canada |
| 91 | New York | 3.21x | 100.0 | 🇺🇸 United States |
| 92 | Shenzhen | 3.25x | 41.9 | 🇨🇳 China |
| 93 | Amsterdam | 3.27x | 82.6 | 🇳🇱 Netherlands |
| 94 | Luxembourg City | 3.28x | 68.4 | 🇱🇺 Luxembourg |
| 95 | Beijing | 3.29x | 43.5 | 🇨🇳 China |
| 96 | Berlin | 3.31x | 51.2 | 🇩🇪 Germany |
| 97 | Split | 3.33x | 31.8 | 🇭🇷 Croatia |
| 98 | Rome | 3.34x | 49.3 | 🇮🇹 Italy |
| 99 | Nice | 3.34x | 52.7 | 🇫🇷 France |
| 100 | Shanghai | 3.34x | 46.2 | 🇨🇳 China |
| 101 | Lisbon | 3.35x | 34.7 | 🇵🇹 Portugal |
| 102 | Brussels | 3.43x | 50.3 | 🇧🇪 Belgium |
| 103 | Paris | 3.44x | 46.9 | 🇫🇷 France |
| 104 | Milan | 3.46x | 57.8 | 🇮🇹 Italy |
| 105 | Istanbul | 3.49x | 23.1 | 🇹🇷 Turkey |
| 106 | Vienna | 3.49x | 48.2 | 🇦🇹 Austria |
| 107 | Zurich | 3.50x | 122.4 | 🇨🇭 Switzerland |
| 108 | Munich | 3.55x | 61.5 | 🇩🇪 Germany |
| 109 | Stockholm | 3.62x | 64.3 | 🇸🇪 Sweden |
| 110 | Bucharest | 3.64x | 22.5 | 🇷🇴 Romania |
| 111 | Copenhagen | 3.72x | 85.7 | 🇩🇰 Denmark |
| 112 | Geneva | 3.77x | 118.6 | 🇨🇭 Switzerland |
| 113 | Buenos Aires | 3.97x | 25.6 | 🇦🇷 Argentina |
Data covers 182 cities worldwide. COLI baseline: New York = 100. Updated 2026.
Sponsored
Send money internationally at the real exchange rate. Save up to 6x vs traditional banks.
Try Wise for Free →According to our 2026 data, Abu Dhabi ranks #1. See the full table above for all 182 cities.
Cities are ranked by salary-to-cost ratio: the gross comfortable salary divided by annual living costs. A lower ratio means better value — you need less income per dollar of expenses, typically because taxes are low.
Our cost-of-living and tax data are reviewed and updated quarterly. This page reflects 2026 data.
Cost of living indices (COLI) are benchmarked to New York City = 100 and derived from Numbeo and Expatistan crowd-sourced price surveys, cross-referenced with national statistics agencies.
Salary ranges are compiled from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OES), Glassdoor, PayScale, and the Robert Half Salary Guide. Tax rates use 2026 published brackets from OECD Taxing Wages and national tax authorities. Exchange rates from the European Central Bank. Rent data from Numbeo Property Prices.
Last updated: 2026-02-28. Data is refreshed periodically. All figures are estimates for informational purposes only and should not be used as the sole basis for financial decisions.