Fed up with paying over the odds for your weekly shop, energy bills and more? You're not alone.

Post-pandemic inflation has thankfully cooled in many countries, but costs keep creeping up, making those pre-COVID days seem like a distant golden age of affordability. Energy bills remain high years after Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and face further pressure from the situation in the Middle East.

And in the world's priciest nations, the cost of everyday goods and services has skyrocketed.

With this in mind, read on to discover where day-to-day life is most expensive, based on Numbeo's Cost of Living Index.

All dollar amounts in US dollars

Numbeo's Cost of Living Index tracks the prices of essentials like groceries, utilities and transportation in countries and territories around the world, using crowdsourced data along with official sources. It covers almost everything except housing costs such as mortgages and rent.

Super-pricey New York City is the benchmark with a score of 100. One thing to bear in mind is that the data is compiled from reports in major cities in each country and territory, so the costs reflected will be higher than the actual nationwide average, since smaller cities, towns and rural areas tend to be cheaper. We've excluded countries or territories with populations of less than 500,000.

Now on to the countdown of the 25 most expensive locations, ranked from least to most pricey when it comes to the cost of living...

While inflation in Cyprus has fallen sharply from its pandemic highs, it's on the rise again, and the problem of high prices continues to weigh heavily on consumers, particularly more vulnerable households. A recent survey conducted by the Pancyprian Consumers and Quality of Life Association found that 66% of households are struggling to make ends meet.

The nation relies heavily on tourism, and earlier this year the government revealed plans to subsidise hotel workers' wages in anticipation of a decline in tourist numbers following the conflict in the Middle East. Other measures in the €100 million package include cutting VAT on electricity to 5% and adding meat, poultry and fish to the nation's zero-VAT list, which already includes fruit and vegetables. 

According to Numbeo data, it's now more expensive to live in Tallinn, Estonia's capital, than in cities like Rome, Montreal and Tokyo. The small European nation was particularly exposed to energy price shocks following the pandemic and the war in Ukraine. According to the IMF, energy accounted for more than half of Estonia's inflation surge in the early part of the decade.

Those elevated energy costs increased production and transportation costs. The country also imports a large proportion of its food and consumer goods, making it vulnerable to international price increases.

The cost of living in Wellington overall is only 32.6% lower than in New York City, but that figure disguises some painful consumer truths. For example, there's little difference when it comes to the price of a domestic beer. According to a recent Ipsos poll, the cost of living remains the number one concern across all sections of the population.

New Zealand's geographic isolation has left it particularly vulnerable to supply chain disruptions and energy shocks. In recent years, prices have surged across almost every category, including groceries and utilities, straining household budgets. The situation has become so acute that Kiwis are emigrating in record numbers in search of better opportunities abroad.

Numbeo includes Macao and Hong Kong in the index, though they're part of China. In contrast to the mainland, prices in the special administrative region of Macao are punishing, with grocery prices only 16% lower than New York City. In Mainland China, they're 63% lower.

Prices for transportation, dining out and other expenses have generally risen in recent years. As CNN has noted, many employees of Macao's casinos and luxury shops are increasingly likely to commute from Zhuhai, a less expensive adjacent mainland Chinese city, due to mounting living costs.

"The cost of living is rising, utility bills are going up, and essential goods are getting more expensive". So said Italian trade union Unione Sindacale di Base (USB) in a statement before an anti-war and cost of living protest attended by thousands of people in Rome. While Italy remains one of the more affordable Western European nations, consumers are definitely feeling the pinch.

The key issue in the country is wage stagnation, with earnings failing to keep pace with rising prices. While inflation has been tamed, the effects of the energy crisis persist, posing problems for Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni ahead of an impending election.

Inflation in South Korea recently hit a two-year high, with the country one of the hardest hit by the Iran conflict. Around 70% of the country's oil imports usually flow through the Strait of Hormuz, and the effects are beginning to ripple through the economy.

Prices for food and fuel remained high after the pandemic and the Ukraine war, and consumers now face further pain, with businesses likely to pass on increased costs.

Canadians have been at the mercy of an affordability crisis that has intensified in the wake of the pandemic, with the Trump administration's harsh tariffs only adding to the woe.

The cost of everything from food to childcare has spiralled, and according to the Toronto Sun, a recent poll found that almost 80% of Canadians say the cost of living is outpacing their income. Prime Minister Mark Carney recently announced a new round of affordability measures in a bid to ease the pressure. Whether these policy moves will be enough to turn the tide remains to be seen.

Post-pandemic cost-of-living pressures have deepened France’s political turmoil. Inflation and rising prices have fuelled voter anger, driving support for populist parties on both the extreme left and far right that promise to fight austerity and protect household incomes.

While President Macron’s government has introduced subsidies and energy caps to soften the blow, proposed spending cuts and pension reforms have sparked fierce opposition. The result is an extremely polarised parliament and a succession of prime ministers, upending the nation's political system.

Remarkably, according to a report in British newspaper The Independent, French people are drinking more beer than wine for the first time ever, with the growing cost of living changing drinking habits in the country.

Five years into its cost-of-living crisis, the UK remains burdened by high prices for essentials. Everything from rents and energy bills to food continues to rise, eroding household spending power despite inflation softening and wages inching upwards. As highlighted by The Guardian newspaper, food prices are on track to rise by 50% since 2021, with climate and energy shocks continuing to drive inflation.

Consumer spending has understandably stagnated, with many households still struggling to recover from the biggest inflationary shock in a generation. Meanwhile, the fallout from the Middle East conflict has left UK households bracing for more belt-tightening.

Australia remains gripped by an affordability crisis. Prices for essentials, especially housing, are now far above pre-pandemic levels, with rents up 40% in major cities since 2021.

Stagnant wage growth means real incomes have yet to recover, leaving households struggling to keep pace. According to figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics, rises in annual living costs range from 2.3% to 4.2%. Unsurprisingly, supermarket chains such as Woolworths report shoppers increasingly turning to cheaper own-brand goods as budgets continue to tighten.

While Sweden ranks highly in this roundup, Swedes benefit from a more robust social safety net, meaning cost-of-living pressures are far less intense in the Nordic nation.

Nevertheless, residents have been feeling the sting of post-pandemic inflation, particularly when it comes to food prices. Last year, a mass boycott of supermarkets swept the country, as consumers protested against soaring grocery costs and alleged price gouging by major retail chains.

Living costs have risen sharply in Belgium post-pandemic, outpacing many other European countries. The increase has impacted the poorest Belgians the most.

According to a recent survey by Statbel, the Belgian statistical office, around 16.5% of the population is at risk of poverty or social exclusion.

Russia's invasion of Ukraine and general post-pandemic inflation have hit German living costs hard. Prices for groceries and energy have jumped since 2022. But perhaps the biggest strain has come from the surge in rental costs, given that Germany is largely a nation of renters.

Despite the introduction of rent controls, prices in the nation's largest cities have increased by 50% since 2015 and have risen by as much as 80% in Berlin over the same period. Earlier this year, a welfare group report revealed the poverty rate in the country had hit a record high, while real wages in Europe's largest economy continue to stagnate.

America's affordability crisis persists. The cost of housing, groceries, and other basics continues to squeeze households, with inflation proving stubbornly sticky.

President Trump was reelected in large part because voters were fed up with soaring prices. But his administration has offered little tangible relief. And economists cite its wide-ranging tariffs as an inflationary factor. A recent Politico poll found that 53% of Americans say the cost of living is the worst they can remember, with most blaming Donald Trump for their predicament.

Post-pandemic, Finns have endured the worst decline in purchasing power in a generation, as wages failed to keep pace with escalating prices and higher interest rates.

Public frustration translated to a 'red wave' during local elections last year, widely seen as a voter backlash against the government’s austerity policies. The right-wing populist Finns Party, a key member of the ruling coalition, has borne much of the blame for backing spending cuts that have squeezed public services and hit lower-income earners hardest.

Living costs have hit the roof in Ireland post-COVID. According to a recent Ipsos/IHREC survey, 84% of the population is worried about rising costs.

An analysis by newspaper The Irish Times has shown the average household is spending almost $14,000 (£10.5k) more per year compared to 2021, with the cost of housing, energy, groceries, insurance, and other staples sharply higher.

Last October’s Budget 2026 offered limited comfort, with only modest welfare hikes, and rent and energy tax breaks.

Austria has faced rising prices like much of the world, with rents climbing by up to 25% between 2021 and 2023. Yet cost-of-living pressures remain relatively contained thanks to strong tenant protections and extensive social support. The coalition government has introduced a rent freeze, caps on future increases, and tighter limits on short-term leases, measures vital in a country where many rely on rented housing.

Affordable public transport, generous childcare subsidies, and public healthcare further cushion households, and indicators show deprivation levels have stabilised, underscoring how Austria’s welfare model continues to protect most citizens.

The Netherlands is battling an entrenched cost-of-living and housing crisis. Home prices are more than 10 times the median salary, while private rents in major cities have soared. Energy bills have nearly doubled since 2020, pushing over half a million households into energy poverty.

Last October, a landmark collective lawsuit was filed against 10 major energy suppliers accused of unfair price hikes, reflecting public anger over out-of-control utility costs. Amid political deadlock, rival parties have called for rent freezes, tax cuts, and wage hikes to ease the pressure on Dutch households. Meanwhile, food bank usage in the country jumped 7.5% in a year.

Hong Kong remains one of the world’s priciest places to live, with housing the primary driver of its sky-high living costs. Decades of limited land supply, inequality, and speculative investment have pushed home prices and rents to extremes, forcing over 220,000 households into tiny subdivided 'shoebox', aka 'cage', apartments.

Now, the government is taking action. New rules have outlawed these minuscule units and require minimum safety and hygiene standards.

Even the well-heeled denizens of affluent Luxembourg haven't escaped the ravages of the post-pandemic cost of living crisis.

Escalating housing, energy, and food costs have steadily eroded household budgets in the wake of COVID-19. According to the latest research, they drove the national savings rate down to just 12.4% in 2024, its lowest in over a decade, and less than half the level seen during the pandemic.

Living costs in Denmark are high, but wages are far more generous than in many other countries.

The Nordic nation has seen costs jump post-pandemic, eating into household spending power. Yet Denmark's strong welfare system has proven to be a solid buffer. Recently reelected PM Mette Frederiksen has vowed to tackle the cost of living crisis, with measures including halving VAT on food and offering free public transport to young people.

The cost of living in Israel has ballooned and now surpasses that of the wealthiest European economies. A recent survey found that one-third of Israeli households are unable to make ends meet, while 30% are stuck in chronic overdraft.

A major driver has been Israel's costly military incursions, which have harmed the nation's economy and strained government budgets, forcing significant tax hikes and other austerity measures. Poverty rates in the country now rival those in Costa Rica, and citizens are emigrating in record numbers, with over 150,000 having reportedly left the country in the past few years.

Norway's affordability crisis has exposed profound cracks in its famed welfare model. Between 2021 and 2023, every single Norwegian household suffered a loss in economic security, according to OsloMet research.

Prices for energy, housing, and food have surged in recent years, despite the nation's robust social safety net. This crisis was the key factor in the collapse of the coalition government last year, triggered by disputes over soaring electricity prices and Norway’s contentious energy ties with the EU.

Singapore is exceedingly expensive, with housing, transport, and healthcare among the steepest anywhere. Cost-of-living pressures dominated last year's general election. In response, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong’s government promised to roll out grocery vouchers, utility rebates, and childcare subsidies, which were no doubt instrumental in the ruling party retaining its supermajority.

Yet many residents say prices still outpace pay. Rents can gobble up over half of household income, prompting a growing number of Singaporeans and expats to relocate to neighbouring Malaysia, where living costs are up to 80% lower. The state continues to expand aid schemes, but daily expenses remain a defining political flashpoint.

The most expensive country in the world also boasts the highest wages, according to Numbeo. Even so, lower and middle-income Swiss households are increasingly squeezed. Health insurance premiums have more than doubled in 20 years, while rents have climbed about 20% in 15 years, and home ownership remains out of reach for many. And childcare costs can easily wipe out extra earnings.

Despite low inflation, prices in Switzerland are around 7% higher than five years ago, putting pressure on household budgets.

Now discover the countries where debt interest payments outstrip key government budgets