All 182 cities ranked by the gross salary needed to live comfortably (50/30/20 rule: essentials = 50% of take-home pay).
| # | City | Comfortable Salary | 1BR Rent | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York | $175,617/yr | $3,500/mo | 🇺🇸 United States |
| 2 | Geneva | $174,664/yr | $2,600/mo | 🇨🇭 Switzerland |
| 3 | Zurich | $172,239/yr | $2,800/mo | 🇨🇭 Switzerland |
| 4 | San Francisco | $160,343/yr | $3,200/mo | 🇺🇸 United States |
| 5 | Boston | $136,806/yr | $2,800/mo | 🇺🇸 United States |
| 6 | San Diego | $127,300/yr | $2,600/mo | 🇺🇸 United States |
| 7 | London | $124,099/yr | $2,500/mo | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom |
| 8 | Copenhagen | $120,826/yr | $1,800/mo | 🇩🇰 Denmark |
| 9 | Los Angeles | $118,643/yr | $2,400/mo | 🇺🇸 United States |
| 10 | Washington DC | $118,581/yr | $2,400/mo | 🇺🇸 United States |
| 11 | Miami | $107,416/yr | $2,500/mo | 🇺🇸 United States |
| 12 | Amsterdam | $105,030/yr | $1,800/mo | 🇳🇱 Netherlands |
| 13 | Dublin | $101,109/yr | $2,000/mo | 🇮🇪 Ireland |
| 14 | Luxembourg City | $99,505/yr | $1,800/mo | 🇱🇺 Luxembourg |
| 15 | Tel Aviv | $98,162/yr | $1,800/mo | 🇮🇱 Israel |
| 16 | Singapore | $97,695/yr | $2,200/mo | 🇸🇬 Singapore |
| 17 | Seattle | $96,746/yr | $2,200/mo | 🇺🇸 United States |
| 18 | Vancouver | $96,060/yr | $2,100/mo | 🇨🇦 Canada |
| 19 | Stockholm | $94,836/yr | $1,500/mo | 🇸🇪 Sweden |
| 20 | Chicago | $94,307/yr | $2,000/mo | 🇺🇸 United States |
| 21 | Toronto | $93,286/yr | $2,000/mo | 🇨🇦 Canada |
| 22 | Sydney | $93,253/yr | $2,200/mo | 🇦🇺 Australia |
| 23 | Hong Kong | $92,213/yr | $2,500/mo | 🇭🇰 China (SAR) |
| 24 | Munich | $91,740/yr | $1,500/mo | 🇩🇪 Germany |
| 25 | Portland | $91,548/yr | $1,800/mo | 🇺🇸 United States |
| 26 | Oslo | $90,452/yr | $1,600/mo | 🇳🇴 Norway |
| 27 | Tokyo | $87,542/yr | $1,500/mo | 🇯🇵 Japan |
| 28 | Denver | $86,934/yr | $1,900/mo | 🇺🇸 United States |
| 29 | Milan | $83,535/yr | $1,400/mo | 🇮🇹 Italy |
| 30 | Paris | $78,354/yr | $1,400/mo | 🇫🇷 France |
| 31 | Atlanta | $78,219/yr | $1,650/mo | 🇺🇸 United States |
| 32 | Austin | $77,812/yr | $1,800/mo | 🇺🇸 United States |
| 33 | Melbourne | $77,241/yr | $1,800/mo | 🇦🇺 Australia |
| 34 | Minneapolis | $76,642/yr | $1,550/mo | 🇺🇸 United States |
| 35 | Montreal | $74,485/yr | $1,400/mo | 🇨🇦 Canada |
| 36 | Tampa | $74,299/yr | $1,700/mo | 🇺🇸 United States |
| 37 | Philadelphia | $73,943/yr | $1,550/mo | 🇺🇸 United States |
| 38 | Nashville | $73,684/yr | $1,700/mo | 🇺🇸 United States |
| 39 | Charlotte | $70,301/yr | $1,500/mo | 🇺🇸 United States |
| 40 | Houston | $69,284/yr | $1,600/mo | 🇺🇸 United States |
| 41 | Berlin | $69,190/yr | $1,200/mo | 🇩🇪 Germany |
| 42 | Rome | $68,978/yr | $1,200/mo | 🇮🇹 Italy |
| 43 | Dallas | $68,431/yr | $1,550/mo | 🇺🇸 United States |
| 44 | Raleigh | $67,932/yr | $1,450/mo | 🇺🇸 United States |
| 45 | Auckland | $67,846/yr | $1,400/mo | 🇳🇿 New Zealand |
| 46 | Brussels | $67,332/yr | $1,100/mo | 🇧🇪 Belgium |
| 47 | Nice | $66,454/yr | $1,100/mo | 🇫🇷 France |
| 48 | Helsinki | $66,436/yr | $1,200/mo | 🇫🇮 Finland |
| 49 | Phoenix | $66,106/yr | $1,450/mo | 🇺🇸 United States |
| 50 | Perth | $65,241/yr | $1,500/mo | 🇦🇺 Australia |
| 51 | Shanghai | $63,737/yr | $1,100/mo | 🇨🇳 China |
| 52 | Edinburgh | $63,430/yr | $1,300/mo | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom |
| 53 | Vienna | $63,292/yr | $1,000/mo | 🇦🇹 Austria |
| 54 | Seoul | $62,773/yr | $1,200/mo | 🇰🇷 South Korea |
| 55 | Las Vegas | $61,778/yr | $1,400/mo | 🇺🇸 United States |
| 56 | Dubai | $61,608/yr | $1,800/mo | 🇦🇪 UAE |
| 57 | Barcelona | $60,827/yr | $1,200/mo | 🇪🇸 Spain |
| 58 | Beijing | $57,757/yr | $1,000/mo | 🇨🇳 China |
| 59 | Osaka | $57,636/yr | $1,000/mo | 🇯🇵 Japan |
| 60 | Doha | $56,064/yr | $1,600/mo | 🇶🇦 Qatar |
| 61 | Lisbon | $54,945/yr | $1,000/mo | 🇵🇹 Portugal |
| 62 | Madrid | $54,684/yr | $1,100/mo | 🇪🇸 Spain |
| 63 | Abu Dhabi | $53,256/yr | $1,500/mo | 🇦🇪 UAE |
| 64 | Shenzhen | $52,363/yr | $900/mo | 🇨🇳 China |
| 65 | Guangzhou | $44,046/yr | $750/mo | 🇨🇳 China |
| 66 | Panama City | $44,021/yr | $1,000/mo | 🇵🇦 Panama |
| 67 | Porto | $42,497/yr | $800/mo | 🇵🇹 Portugal |
| 68 | Valencia | $42,101/yr | $850/mo | 🇪🇸 Spain |
| 69 | Fukuoka | $41,601/yr | $700/mo | 🇯🇵 Japan |
| 70 | Split | $39,480/yr | $650/mo | 🇭🇷 Croatia |
| 71 | Málaga | $39,247/yr | $800/mo | 🇪🇸 Spain |
| 72 | Athens | $37,496/yr | $700/mo | 🇬🇷 Greece |
| 73 | Prague | $36,454/yr | $800/mo | 🇨🇿 Czech Republic |
| 74 | São Paulo | $35,676/yr | $600/mo | 🇧🇷 Brazil |
| 75 | Taipei | $35,447/yr | $800/mo | 🇹🇼 Taiwan |
| 76 | Riyadh | $33,268/yr | $800/mo | 🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia |
| 77 | Bucharest | $32,204/yr | $500/mo | 🇷🇴 Romania |
| 78 | Buenos Aires | $31,958/yr | $400/mo | 🇦🇷 Argentina |
| 79 | Mexico City | $31,746/yr | $700/mo | 🇲🇽 Mexico |
| 80 | Budapest | $31,651/yr | $600/mo | 🇭🇺 Hungary |
| 81 | Warsaw | $31,268/yr | $700/mo | 🇵🇱 Poland |
| 82 | Lagos | $31,183/yr | $600/mo | 🇳🇬 Nigeria |
| 83 | Cape Town | $30,264/yr | $650/mo | 🇿🇦 South Africa |
| 84 | Cancún | $29,662/yr | $600/mo | 🇲🇽 Mexico |
| 85 | Istanbul | $29,110/yr | $450/mo | 🇹🇷 Turkey |
| 86 | Riga | $28,494/yr | $550/mo | 🇱🇻 Latvia |
| 87 | Santiago | $28,195/yr | $550/mo | 🇨🇱 Chile |
| 88 | Montevideo | $27,961/yr | $500/mo | 🇺🇾 Uruguay |
| 89 | Nairobi | $27,780/yr | $500/mo | 🇰🇪 Kenya |
| 90 | Kuala Lumpur | $27,681/yr | $550/mo | 🇲🇾 Malaysia |
| 91 | Mumbai | $27,174/yr | $700/mo | 🇮🇳 India |
| 92 | Tallinn | $26,935/yr | $650/mo | 🇪🇪 Estonia |
| 93 | Bangkok | $26,755/yr | $600/mo | 🇹🇭 Thailand |
| 94 | Ho Chi Minh City | $26,743/yr | $500/mo | 🇻🇳 Vietnam |
| 95 | Krakow | $24,704/yr | $550/mo | 🇵🇱 Poland |
| 96 | Playa del Carmen | $24,647/yr | $500/mo | 🇲🇽 Mexico |
| 97 | Manila | $24,397/yr | $500/mo | 🇵🇭 Philippines |
| 98 | San José (CR) | $23,873/yr | $550/mo | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica |
| 99 | Hanoi | $23,814/yr | $450/mo | 🇻🇳 Vietnam |
| 100 | Jakarta | $23,188/yr | $500/mo | 🇮🇩 Indonesia |
| 101 | Casablanca | $22,847/yr | $400/mo | 🇲🇦 Morocco |
| 102 | Phuket | $21,804/yr | $500/mo | 🇹🇭 Thailand |
| 103 | Bali (Denpasar) | $21,783/yr | $450/mo | 🇮🇩 Indonesia |
| 104 | Lima | $21,740/yr | $450/mo | 🇵🇪 Peru |
| 105 | Marrakech | $19,358/yr | $350/mo | 🇲🇦 Morocco |
| 106 | Bogotá | $18,373/yr | $400/mo | 🇨🇴 Colombia |
| 107 | Cairo | $17,116/yr | $300/mo | 🇪🇬 Egypt |
| 108 | Phnom Penh | $17,112/yr | $450/mo | 🇰🇭 Cambodia |
| 109 | Bangalore | $16,521/yr | $400/mo | 🇮🇳 India |
| 110 | Medellín | $15,746/yr | $350/mo | 🇨🇴 Colombia |
| 111 | Chiang Mai | $15,223/yr | $350/mo | 🇹🇭 Thailand |
| 112 | Delhi | $14,601/yr | $350/mo | 🇮🇳 India |
| 113 | Chennai | $13,037/yr | $300/mo | 🇮🇳 India |
Data covers 182 cities worldwide. COLI baseline: New York = 100. Updated 2026.
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Try Wise for Free →According to our 2026 data, New York ranks #1. See the full table above for all 182 cities.
Cities are ranked by the gross annual salary needed to live comfortably, calculated using the 50/30/20 budgeting rule. Essentials (rent, groceries, utilities, transport, healthcare) should equal 50% of take-home pay, then grossed up for local taxes.
Salary and cost 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.