Most Expensive Country - States for Expatriates

Most Expensive Countries - States in 2023

What is the most expensive country - state in the world in 2023?

Monaco is the most expensive country-state for Expats in the world with an overall Cost of Living Index (COLI), for all 13 basket groups, of 137 (New York =100), mainly due to high housing costs (which counts for around 30% of the overall cost of living for most Expats), with limited space and the number of high value residents making property prices high.

Hong Kong Second Most Expensive Country - State

Hong Kong is the second most expensive country-state for Expats in the world with an overall Cost of Living Index (COLI), for all 13 basket groups, of 116 (New York =100), mainly due to high housing costs (which counts for around 30% of the overall cost of living for most Expats), with limited space available making rentals high.

Singapore Third Most Expensive Country - State

Singapore is the third most expensive country-state in the world for Expatriate’s to live, with an overall cost of living index of 112. Singapore's education system, which is widely regarded as the best in the world, is also the most expensive for expatriates when priced in US Dollars, the cost of housing is also extremely high due to the limited space and premium on high quality expatriate accommodation, while the complex Certificate of Entitlement system makes car prices excessive, resulting in Singapore’s transport costs being amongst the highest in the world.

What is Expatriate Cost of Living?

An Expatriate is defined as “a person who lives outside their native country” [Oxford Dictionary]. The word comes from the Latin terms ex ("out of") and patria ("country, fatherland"). A more modern description of an expatriate is perhaps a “professional migrant”, someone who voluntarily lives outside their country in order to take up a job opportunity and a better or at the very least a similar, quality of life. An expatriate professional migrant is different to an immigrant in that they intend returning to their home country and do not therefore consider themselves to be local in their host country.

What are the top 10 most expensive countries - states to live in?

The top 10 most expensive country/states in the world for an Expat as at October 2023 are as follows:

This quarterly survey by Xpatulator.com of cost of living world-wide is based on expatriate professional migrant spending as opposed to local people’s spending. The difference between these two groups is that an expatriate professional migrant tends to pay a premium for “international” brands ideally from their home country, and they tend to make use of premium service providers such as up-market medical practices, international schools, and most prefer to live in exclusive, secure accommodation in order to maintain the quality of life to which they are accustomed back home. The survey covers over 200 items grouped into 13 cost of living baskets.The cost of living information is used by Xpatulator.com subscribers to calculate cost of living differences between global home and host locations for expatriate professional migrants. Cost of living differences are key to calculating expatriate pay for international assignments.

Xpatulator.com has been created to calculate expatriate pay using online calculators and an extensive database of cost of living and hardship indexes, for 780 international locations. The database is updated quarterly. Subscribers use this information to ensure expatriate salary spending power is maintained when on an international assignment. Salary spending power is affected by cost of living, hardship and exchange rate differences between the home and host location.

Expat Cost of Living Country - State Ranking

The list of all countries and states, with the cost of living rank (1 most expensive: 272 cheapest) as at October 2023:
Afghanistan (Asia-Pacific) Rank (266)
Alabama AL (USA-Americas) Rank (124)
Alaska AK (USA-Americas) Rank (28)
Albania (Europe) Rank (181)
Algeria (Africa) Rank (227)
Angola (Africa) Rank (165)
Anguilla (Americas) Rank (30)
Antigua and Barbuda (Americas) Rank (25)
Argentina (Americas) Rank (214)
Arizona AZ (USA-Americas) Rank (66)
Arkansas AR (USA-Americas) Rank (133)
Armenia (Europe) Rank (178)
Aruba (Americas) Rank (129)
Australia (Asia-Pacific) Rank (69)
Austria (Europe) Rank (63)
Azerbaijan (Europe) Rank (212)
Bahamas (Americas) Rank (7)
Bahrain (Middle East) Rank (121)
Bangladesh (Asia-Pacific) Rank (195)
Barbados (Americas) Rank (18)
Belarus (Europe) Rank (201)
Belgium (Europe) Rank (83)
Belize (Americas) Rank (187)
Benin (Africa) Rank (220)
Bermuda (Americas) Rank (16)
Bhutan (Asia-Pacific) Rank (256)
Bolivia (Americas) Rank (255)
Bosnia and Herzegovina (Europe) Rank (245)
Botswana (Africa) Rank (240)
Brazil (Americas) Rank (244)
British Virgin Islands (Americas) Rank (31)
Brunei (Asia-Pacific) Rank (169)
Bulgaria (Europe) Rank (197)
Burkina Faso (Africa) Rank (249)
Burundi (Africa) Rank (180)
California CA (USA-Americas) Rank (19)
Cambodia (Asia-Pacific) Rank (179)
Cameroon (Africa) Rank (173)
Canada (Americas) Rank (71)
Cape Verde (Africa) Rank (194)
Cayman Islands (Americas) Rank (4)
Central African Republic (Africa) Rank (196)
Chad (Africa) Rank (36)
Chile (Americas) Rank (208)
China (Asia-Pacific) Rank (101)
Colombia (Americas) Rank (259)
Comoros (Africa) Rank (206)
Congo (Africa) Rank (143)
Connecticut CT (USA-Americas) Rank (47)
Cook Islands (Asia-Pacific) Rank (138)
Costa Rica (Americas) Rank (161)
Cote D'Ivoire (Africa) Rank (111)
Croatia (Europe) Rank (198)
Cuba (Americas) Rank (106)
Cyprus (Europe) Rank (98)
Czech Republic (Europe) Rank (75)
Delaware DE (USA-Americas) Rank (61)
Democratic Republic of Korea (Asia-Pacific) Rank (74)
Democratic Republic of the Congo (Africa) Rank (84)
Denmark (Europe) Rank (12)
Djibouti (Africa) Rank (144)
Dominica (Americas) Rank (89)
Dominican Republic (Americas) Rank (191)
Ecuador (Americas) Rank (241)
Egypt (Africa) Rank (262)
El Salvador (Americas) Rank (216)
Equatorial Guinea (Africa) Rank (153)
Eritrea (Africa) Rank (146)
Estonia (Europe) Rank (154)
Ethiopia (Africa) Rank (62)
Falkland Islands (Americas) Rank (110)
Fiji (Asia-Pacific) Rank (209)
Finland (Europe) Rank (52)
Florida FL (USA-Americas) Rank (68)
France (Europe) Rank (39)
French Guiana (Americas) Rank (163)
French Polynesia (Asia-Pacific) Rank (103)
Gabon (Africa) Rank (27)
Gambia (Africa) Rank (250)
Georgia GA (USA-Americas) Rank (113)
Germany (Europe) Rank (67)
Ghana (Africa) Rank (207)
Gibraltar (Gibraltar-Europe) Rank (192)
Greece (Europe) Rank (183)
Greenland (Europe) Rank (33)
Grenada (Americas) Rank (8)
Guadeloupe (Americas) Rank (97)
Guam (Asia-Pacific) Rank (23)
Guatemala (Americas) Rank (199)
Guernsey (Europe) Rank (45)
Guinea (Africa) Rank (147)
Guinea-Bissau (Africa) Rank (213)
Guyana (Americas) Rank (142)
Haiti (Americas) Rank (59)
Hawaii HI (USA-Americas) Rank (9)
Honduras (Americas) Rank (217)
Hong Kong (China-Asia-Pacific) Rank (2)
Hungary (Europe) Rank (128)
Iceland (Europe) Rank (43)
Idaho ID (USA-Americas) Rank (87)
Illinois IL (USA-Americas) Rank (105)
India (Asia-Pacific) Rank (226)
Indiana IN (USA-Americas) Rank (131)
Indonesia (Asia-Pacific) Rank (264)
Iowa IA (USA-Americas) Rank (123)
Iran (Middle East) Rank (258)
Iraq (Middle East) Rank (263)
Ireland (Europe) Rank (57)
Isle of Man (Europe) Rank (58)
Israel (Middle East) Rank (14)
Italy (Europe) Rank (136)
Jamaica (Americas) Rank (60)
Japan (Asia-Pacific) Rank (134)
Jersey (Europe) Rank (15)
Jordan (Middle East) Rank (204)
Kansas KS (USA-Americas) Rank (112)
Kazakhstan (Asia-Pacific) Rank (219)
Kentucky KY (USA-Americas) Rank (120)
Kenya (Africa) Rank (248)
Kiribati (Asia-Pacific) Rank (251)
Kosovo (Europe) Rank (215)
Kuwait (Middle East) Rank (157)
Kyrgyzstan (Asia-Pacific) Rank (235)
Laos (Asia-Pacific) Rank (203)
Latvia (Europe) Rank (160)
Lebanon (Middle East) Rank (176)
Lesotho (Africa) Rank (137)
Liberia (Africa) Rank (107)
Libya (Africa) Rank (271)
Liechtenstein (Europe) Rank (20)
Lithuania (Europe) Rank (148)
Louisiana LA (USA-Americas) Rank (125)
Luxembourg (Europe) Rank (53)
Macedonia (Europe) Rank (221)
Madagascar (Africa) Rank (243)
Maine ME (USA-Americas) Rank (48)
Malawi (Africa) Rank (167)
Malaysia (Asia-Pacific) Rank (200)
Maldives (Asia-Pacific) Rank (162)
Mali (Africa) Rank (236)
Malta (Europe) Rank (145)
Marshall Islands (Asia-Pacific) Rank (151)
Martinique (Americas) Rank (46)
Maryland MD (USA-Americas) Rank (55)
Massachusetts MA (USA-Americas) Rank (26)
Mauritania (Africa) Rank (218)
Mauritius (Africa) Rank (232)
Mexico (Americas) Rank (156)
Michigan MI (USA-Americas) Rank (122)
Micronesia (Asia-Pacific) Rank (152)
Minnesota MN (USA-Americas) Rank (77)
Mississippi MS (USA-Americas) Rank (130)
Missouri MO (USA-Americas) Rank (118)
Moldova (Europe) Rank (164)
Monaco (Monaco-Europe) Rank (1)
Mongolia (Asia-Pacific) Rank (231)
Montana MT (USA-Americas) Rank (79)
Montenegro (Europe) Rank (190)
Montserrat (Americas) Rank (21)
Morocco (Africa) Rank (252)
Mozambique (Africa) Rank (174)
Myanmar (Asia-Pacific) Rank (246)
Namibia (Africa) Rank (268)
Nauru (Asia-Pacific) Rank (70)
Nebraska NE (USA-Americas) Rank (108)
Nepal (Asia-Pacific) Rank (257)
Netherlands Antilles (Americas) Rank (93)
Netherlands (Europe) Rank (65)
Nevada NV (USA-Americas) Rank (64)
New Caledonia (Asia-Pacific) Rank (132)
New Hampshire NH (USA-Americas) Rank (56)
New Jersey NJ (USA-Americas) Rank (49)
New Mexico NM (USA-Americas) Rank (96)
New York State (USA-Americas) Rank (34)
New Zealand (Asia-Pacific) Rank (50)
Nicaragua (Americas) Rank (229)
Niger (Africa) Rank (265)
Nigeria (Africa) Rank (40)
North Carolina NC (USA-Americas) Rank (91)
North Dakota ND (USA-Americas) Rank (78)
Northern Mariana Islands (Asia-Pacific) Rank (185)
Norway (Europe) Rank (13)
Ohio OH (USA-Americas) Rank (119)
Oklahoma OK (USA-Americas) Rank (114)
Oman (Middle East) Rank (186)
Oregon OR (USA-Americas) Rank (35)
Pakistan (Asia-Pacific) Rank (269)
Palau (Asia-Pacific) Rank (127)
Palestinian Territories (Middle East) Rank (166)
Panama (Americas) Rank (170)
Papua New Guinea (Asia-Pacific) Rank (24)
Paraguay (Americas) Rank (230)
Pennsylvania PA (USA-Americas) Rank (72)
Peru (Americas) Rank (182)
Philippines (Asia-Pacific) Rank (223)
Poland (Europe) Rank (175)
Portugal (Europe) Rank (171)
Puerto Rico (Americas) Rank (80)
Qatar (Middle East) Rank (88)
Republic of Georgia (Europe) Rank (238)
Republic of Korea (Asia-Pacific) Rank (37)
Reunion (Africa) Rank (100)
Rhode Island RI (USA-Americas) Rank (42)
Romania (Europe) Rank (234)
Russia (Europe) Rank (239)
Rwanda (Africa) Rank (210)
Saint Helena (Africa) Rank (135)
Saint Kitts and Nevis (Americas) Rank (22)
Saint Lucia (Americas) Rank (32)
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (Americas) Rank (11)
Samoa (Asia-Pacific) Rank (159)
San Marino (San Marino-Europe) Rank (86)
Sao Tome and Principe (Americas) Rank (44)
Saudi Arabia (Middle East) Rank (193)
Senegal (Africa) Rank (205)
Serbia (Europe) Rank (224)
Seychelles (Africa) Rank (149)
Sierra Leone (Africa) Rank (184)
Singapore (Singapore-Asia-Pacific) Rank (3)
Slovakia (Europe) Rank (158)
Slovenia (Europe) Rank (177)
Solomon Islands (Asia-Pacific) Rank (29)
Somalia (Africa) Rank (85)
South Africa (Africa) Rank (254)
South Carolina SC (USA-Americas) Rank (104)
South Dakota SD (USA-Americas) Rank (95)
South Sudan (Africa) Rank (155)
Spain (Europe) Rank (172)
Sri Lanka (Asia-Pacific) Rank (228)
Sudan (Africa) Rank (141)
Suriname (Americas) Rank (189)
Swaziland (Africa) Rank (267)
Sweden (Europe) Rank (117)
Switzerland (Europe) Rank (5)
Syria (Middle East) Rank (272)
Taiwan (Asia-Pacific) Rank (38)
Tajikistan (Asia-Pacific) Rank (247)
Tanzania (Africa) Rank (222)
Tennessee TN (USA-Americas) Rank (115)
Texas TX (USA-Americas) Rank (116)
Thailand (Asia-Pacific) Rank (202)
The Vatican City (The Vatican-Europe) Rank (150)
Timor-Leste (Asia-Pacific) Rank (188)
Togo (Africa) Rank (211)
Tonga (Asia-Pacific) Rank (260)
Trinidad and Tobago (Americas) Rank (126)
Tunisia (Africa) Rank (261)
Turkey (Europe) Rank (253)
Turkmenistan (Asia-Pacific) Rank (10)
Turks and Caicos Islands (Americas) Rank (6)
Tuvalu (Asia-Pacific) Rank (102)
Uganda (Africa) Rank (225)
Ukraine (Europe) Rank (242)
United Arab Emirates (Middle East) Rank (54)
United Kingdom (Europe) Rank (76)
Uruguay (Americas) Rank (94)
US Virgin Islands (Americas) Rank (17)
USA (Americas) Rank (73)
Utah UT (USA-Americas) Rank (81)
Uzbekistan (Asia-Pacific) Rank (237)
Vanuatu (Asia-Pacific) Rank (109)
Venezuela (Americas) Rank (270)
Vermont VT (USA-Americas) Rank (51)
Vietnam (Asia-Pacific) Rank (233)
Virginia VA (USA-Americas) Rank (82)
Washington WA (USA-Americas) Rank (41)
West Virginia WV (USA-Americas) Rank (90)
Wisconsin WI (USA-Americas) Rank (99)
Wyoming WY (USA-Americas) Rank (92)
Yemen (Middle East) Rank (139)
Zambia (Africa) Rank (168)
Zimbabwe (Africa) Rank (140)

For more information visit Cost of living reviews by city and country for 780 international locations

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