It can cost an average of $ 2,050 to live in Tokyo for a month as a single person, according to Numbeo data.
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Going to a big city often comes with great benefits and opportunities, but it is important to understand if it has financial meaning before taking the step.
It may not surprise that New York City and San Francisco lead the global list to have the highest living cost when renting. This is according to the cost index of 2025 (including rent) from the Numbeo Internet database.
In New York City, estimated monthly expenses for one person, including the price of rent in a downtown bedroom, can cost a total of $ 5,639, according to Numbeo findings, which include a combination of data created by the user and handcuffed information from reputable sources.
In Asia, Singapore tops the list as the city with the highest living cost, where a single person can wait to pay about $ 4,000 a month for living expenses and rent, according to Numbeo, which is comparable to the price it may dedicate someone to live in London for a month.
Globally, following closely after New York City and San Francisco are two cities in Switzerland – Zurich and Geneva – which rank third and fourth for the cost of living, including rent.
Below is a list of how much a person can cost a person to live in 12 major cities around the world in 2025, according to Numbeo. All the figures are in US dollars after being converted from local currency.
When reading the numbers, it may be useful to consider the 50-30-20 budget rule, which financial experts determine the following for each wage control: 20% for savings and investments, 50% for essentials and 30 % for the things you want.
New York City
Population: 8.1 million
Rated monthly living expenses (excluding rent): 1,687.10 dollars
Rent for a 1 bedroom downtown: $ 3,926.65
Total Living Cost: $ 5,613.75
San Francisco, California
Population: 788,000
Rated monthly living expenses (excluding rent): 1,556.60 dollars
Rent for a 1 bedroom downtown: $ 3,222.58 dollars
Total living cost: $ 4,779.18 dollars
London, Great Britain
Population: 9.7 million
Rated monthly living expenses (excluding rent): $ 1,311
Rent for a 1 bedroom downtown: 2,772.91 dollars
Total Living Cost: 4.083.91 Dollars
Singapore
Population: 6.1 million
Rated monthly living expenses (excluding rent): $ 1,131.30
Rent for a 1 bedroom downtown: $ 2,921.58 dollars
Total living cost: $ 4,052.88
Chicago, Illinois
Population: 2.6 million
Rated monthly living expenses (excluding rent): $ 1,287.30
Rent for a 1 bedroom downtown: 2,325.34 dollars
Total living cost: $ 3,612.64 dollars
Sydney, Australia
Population: 5.2 million
Rated monthly living expenses (excluding rent): $ 1,116.70
Rent for a 1 bedroom downtown: $ 2,159.11 dollars
Total living cost: $ 3,275.81
Lisbon, Portugal
Population: 3 million
Rated monthly living expenses (excluding rent): $ 781.70
Rent for a 1 bedroom in city center: 1,481.93 dollars
Total Living Cost: $ 2,263.63
Tokyo, Japan
Population: 37.1 million
Rated monthly living expenses (excluding rent): $ 961.80
Rent for a 1 bedroom downtown: 1,113.08 dollars
Total living cost: $ 2,074.88
Seoul, South Korea
Population: 10 million
Rated monthly living expenses (excluding rent): $ 1,073.2
Rent for a 1 bedroom downtown: 822.97 dollars
Total living cost: 1,896.17 dollars
Shanghai, China
Population: 29.9 million
Rated monthly living expenses (excluding rent): $ 616.80
Rent for a 1 bedroom downtown: $ 924.45
Total living cost: 1,541.25 dollars
Mumbai, India
Population: 21.7 million
Rated monthly living expenses (excluding rent): $ 406.70
Rent for a 1 bedroom downtown: 650.20 dollars
Total living cost: 1,056.90 dollars
Jacket, Indonesia
Population: 11.4 million
Rated monthly living expenses (excluding rent): $ 515.30
Rent for a 1 bedroom downtown: 394.60 dollars
Total Living Cost: $ 909.90
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