Working Abroad Index 2026

See how far your money goes in 75 cities.

* Updated 31 July 2026, based on July 2026 pricing.

Working Abroad Index 2026

See how far your money goes in 75 cities.

* Updated 31 July 2026, based on July 2026 pricing.

Working Abroad Index 2026

See how far your money goes in 75 cities.

* Updated 31 July 2026, based on July 2026 pricing.

The 2026 Working Abroad Index

Compare monthly living costs across 75 cities, from rent to coworking.

Laat leeg om alle steden te tonen. Filtert op maandtotaal zonder coworking.

Global ranking

Cities by monthly cost

New York City

€4,068

San Francisco

€3,759

Boston

€3,512

London

€3,288

Los Angeles

€3,003

Miami

€2,983

Washington DC

€2,966

Seattle

€2,893

Singapore

€2,824

Dublin

€2,805

Amsterdam

€2,775

Luxembourg

€2,632

Chicago

€2,551

Copenhagen

€2,325

Atlanta

€2,313

Dubai

€2,303

Nashville

€2,245

Utrecht

€2,234

Bristol

€2,233

Rotterdam

€2,216

Brighton

€2,211

Munich

€2,127

Vancouver

€2,114

Austin

€2,112

Stockholm

€2,070

Edinburgh

€2,016

Manchester

€2,013

Paris

€2,012

Milan

€1,970

Berlin

€1,959

Toronto

€1,951

Frankfurt

€1,893

Madrid

€1,835

Barcelona

€1,828

Brussels

€1,789

Hamburg

€1,759

Lisbon

€1,759

Vienna

€1,754

Florence

€1,708

Cologne

€1,691

Cardiff

€1,675

Valletta

€1,674

Belfast

€1,581

Prague

€1,578

Valencia

€1,548

Warsaw

€1,547

Rome

€1,527

Helsinki

€1,516

Ljubljana

€1,513

Malaga

€1,506

Tokyo

€1,500

Lyon

€1,499

Bratislava

€1,461

Marseille

€1,424

Tallinn

€1,288

Zagreb

€1,257

Las Palmas, Canary Islands

€1,251

Nicosia

€1,249

Seoul

€1,224

Mexico City

€1,214

San Miguel de Allende

€1,194

Budapest

€1,182

Vilnius

€1,159

Athens

€1,153

Riga

€1,092

Sofia

€1,078

Taipei

€1,065

Medellin

€1,041

Mérida

€953

Bucharest

€927

Oaxaca

€867

Bangkok

€813

Kuala Lumpur

€792

Ho Chi Minh City

€659

Chiang Mai

€607

How we built this index

* For this study, the monthly cost of living in 75 top destinations for expats, spread across 41 different countries, was compared. The average monthly costs for rent, groceries, and utilities (gas, water, electricity, cell phone, and internet) are based on figures from the Numbeo database.Monthly housing costs are based on the average rent for a one-bedroom apartment, both in and outside the city center. The calculation of costs for gas, water, and electricity is based on an 85 m² apartment.The monthly cost of a workspace was determined by comparing the offerings of coworking spaces and private offices on CoWorker and calculating an average for each city. For two cities, no offerings could be identified.Public transportation costs are sourced from the official websites of the respective transit agencies; discounts and special fares are not included. In Germany, a Deutschlandticket was chosen instead of a BVG monthly pass. All fare zones are located in the immediate vicinity of the city.The cost of mobile internet includes calling and 10 GB of data. For home internet, only plans with a speed of at least 60 megabits per second and unlimited data usage were considered.

The 2026 Working Abroad Index

Compare monthly living costs across 75 cities, from rent to coworking.

Laat leeg om alle steden te tonen. Filtert op maandtotaal zonder coworking.

Global ranking

Cities by monthly cost

New York City

€4,068

San Francisco

€3,759

Boston

€3,512

London

€3,288

Los Angeles

€3,003

Miami

€2,983

Washington DC

€2,966

Seattle

€2,893

Singapore

€2,824

Dublin

€2,805

Amsterdam

€2,775

Luxembourg

€2,632

Chicago

€2,551

Copenhagen

€2,325

Atlanta

€2,313

Dubai

€2,303

Nashville

€2,245

Utrecht

€2,234

Bristol

€2,233

Rotterdam

€2,216

Brighton

€2,211

Munich

€2,127

Vancouver

€2,114

Austin

€2,112

Stockholm

€2,070

Edinburgh

€2,016

Manchester

€2,013

Paris

€2,012

Milan

€1,970

Berlin

€1,959

Toronto

€1,951

Frankfurt

€1,893

Madrid

€1,835

Barcelona

€1,828

Brussels

€1,789

Hamburg

€1,759

Lisbon

€1,759

Vienna

€1,754

Florence

€1,708

Cologne

€1,691

Cardiff

€1,675

Valletta

€1,674

Belfast

€1,581

Prague

€1,578

Valencia

€1,548

Warsaw

€1,547

Rome

€1,527

Helsinki

€1,516

Ljubljana

€1,513

Malaga

€1,506

Tokyo

€1,500

Lyon

€1,499

Bratislava

€1,461

Marseille

€1,424

Tallinn

€1,288

Zagreb

€1,257

Las Palmas, Canary Islands

€1,251

Nicosia

€1,249

Seoul

€1,224

Mexico City

€1,214

San Miguel de Allende

€1,194

Budapest

€1,182

Vilnius

€1,159

Athens

€1,153

Riga

€1,092

Sofia

€1,078

Taipei

€1,065

Medellin

€1,041

Mérida

€953

Bucharest

€927

Oaxaca

€867

Bangkok

€813

Kuala Lumpur

€792

Ho Chi Minh City

€659

Chiang Mai

€607

How we built this index

* For this study, the monthly cost of living in 75 top destinations for expats, spread across 41 different countries, was compared. The average monthly costs for rent, groceries, and utilities (gas, water, electricity, cell phone, and internet) are based on figures from the Numbeo database.Monthly housing costs are based on the average rent for a one-bedroom apartment, both in and outside the city center. The calculation of costs for gas, water, and electricity is based on an 85 m² apartment.The monthly cost of a workspace was determined by comparing the offerings of coworking spaces and private offices on CoWorker and calculating an average for each city. For two cities, no offerings could be identified.Public transportation costs are sourced from the official websites of the respective transit agencies; discounts and special fares are not included. In Germany, a Deutschlandticket was chosen instead of a BVG monthly pass. All fare zones are located in the immediate vicinity of the city.The cost of mobile internet includes calling and 10 GB of data. For home internet, only plans with a speed of at least 60 megabits per second and unlimited data usage were considered.

The 2026 Working Abroad Index

Compare monthly living costs across 75 cities, from rent to coworking.

Laat leeg om alle steden te tonen. Filtert op maandtotaal zonder coworking.

Global ranking

Cities by monthly cost

New York City

€4,068

San Francisco

€3,759

Boston

€3,512

London

€3,288

Los Angeles

€3,003

Miami

€2,983

Washington DC

€2,966

Seattle

€2,893

Singapore

€2,824

Dublin

€2,805

Amsterdam

€2,775

Luxembourg

€2,632

Chicago

€2,551

Copenhagen

€2,325

Atlanta

€2,313

Dubai

€2,303

Nashville

€2,245

Utrecht

€2,234

Bristol

€2,233

Rotterdam

€2,216

Brighton

€2,211

Munich

€2,127

Vancouver

€2,114

Austin

€2,112

Stockholm

€2,070

Edinburgh

€2,016

Manchester

€2,013

Paris

€2,012

Milan

€1,970

Berlin

€1,959

Toronto

€1,951

Frankfurt

€1,893

Madrid

€1,835

Barcelona

€1,828

Brussels

€1,789

Hamburg

€1,759

Lisbon

€1,759

Vienna

€1,754

Florence

€1,708

Cologne

€1,691

Cardiff

€1,675

Valletta

€1,674

Belfast

€1,581

Prague

€1,578

Valencia

€1,548

Warsaw

€1,547

Rome

€1,527

Helsinki

€1,516

Ljubljana

€1,513

Malaga

€1,506

Tokyo

€1,500

Lyon

€1,499

Bratislava

€1,461

Marseille

€1,424

Tallinn

€1,288

Zagreb

€1,257

Las Palmas, Canary Islands

€1,251

Nicosia

€1,249

Seoul

€1,224

Mexico City

€1,214

San Miguel de Allende

€1,194

Budapest

€1,182

Vilnius

€1,159

Athens

€1,153

Riga

€1,092

Sofia

€1,078

Taipei

€1,065

Medellin

€1,041

Mérida

€953

Bucharest

€927

Oaxaca

€867

Bangkok

€813

Kuala Lumpur

€792

Ho Chi Minh City

€659

Chiang Mai

€607

How we built this index

* For this study, the monthly cost of living in 75 top destinations for expats, spread across 41 different countries, was compared. The average monthly costs for rent, groceries, and utilities (gas, water, electricity, cell phone, and internet) are based on figures from the Numbeo database.Monthly housing costs are based on the average rent for a one-bedroom apartment, both in and outside the city center. The calculation of costs for gas, water, and electricity is based on an 85 m² apartment.The monthly cost of a workspace was determined by comparing the offerings of coworking spaces and private offices on CoWorker and calculating an average for each city. For two cities, no offerings could be identified.Public transportation costs are sourced from the official websites of the respective transit agencies; discounts and special fares are not included. In Germany, a Deutschlandticket was chosen instead of a BVG monthly pass. All fare zones are located in the immediate vicinity of the city.The cost of mobile internet includes calling and 10 GB of data. For home internet, only plans with a speed of at least 60 megabits per second and unlimited data usage were considered.

Disclaimer

Belangrijke informatie, methodologie en geschiktheid kunnen veranderen. Bekijk de laatste brondetails en voorwaarden voordat je op dit rapport vertrouwt.

Disclaimer

Belangrijke informatie, methodologie en geschiktheid kunnen veranderen. Bekijk de laatste brondetails en voorwaarden voordat je op dit rapport vertrouwt.

Disclaimer

Belangrijke informatie, methodologie en geschiktheid kunnen veranderen. Bekijk de laatste brondetails en voorwaarden voordat je op dit rapport vertrouwt.

Open je rekening voordat het leven druk wordt

Stel alles in vanaf je telefoon, zodat dagelijkse betalingen klaar zijn wanneer je aankomt.

phone signup flow opening a bunq account before a move abroad

Open je rekening voordat het leven druk wordt

Stel alles in vanaf je telefoon, zodat dagelijkse betalingen klaar zijn wanneer je aankomt.

phone signup flow opening a bunq account before a move abroad

Open je rekening voordat het leven druk wordt

Stel alles in vanaf je telefoon, zodat dagelijkse betalingen klaar zijn wanneer je aankomt.

phone signup flow opening a bunq account before a move abroad

Hou je uitgaven duidelijk in een nieuw land

Volg kaartbetalingen, abonnementen en dagelijkse kosten vanuit één app.

bunq app spending insights while settling into a new country

Hou je uitgaven duidelijk in een nieuw land

Volg kaartbetalingen, abonnementen en dagelijkse kosten vanuit één app.

bunq app spending insights while settling into a new country

Hou je uitgaven duidelijk in een nieuw land

Volg kaartbetalingen, abonnementen en dagelijkse kosten vanuit één app.

bunq app spending insights while settling into a new country

Geld apart voor elk doel

Gebruik aparte rekeningen om je huur, spaargeld, reizen en noodgevallen te organiseren.

bunq app Pockets separating rent, travel, and savings goals

Geld apart voor elk doel

Gebruik aparte rekeningen om je huur, spaargeld, reizen en noodgevallen te organiseren.

bunq app Pockets separating rent, travel, and savings goals

Geld apart voor elk doel

Gebruik aparte rekeningen om je huur, spaargeld, reizen en noodgevallen te organiseren.

bunq app Pockets separating rent, travel, and savings goals

Betalen en betaald worden met minder administratie

Beheer overschrijvingen, kaarten en accountgegevens op dezelfde plek.

bunq app payment screen for salary and transfers with less paperwork

Betalen en betaald worden met minder administratie

Beheer overschrijvingen, kaarten en accountgegevens op dezelfde plek.

bunq app payment screen for salary and transfers with less paperwork

Betalen en betaald worden met minder administratie

Beheer overschrijvingen, kaarten en accountgegevens op dezelfde plek.

bunq app payment screen for salary and transfers with less paperwork

Blijf veilig, waar je ook bent

Gebruik directe meldingen en kaartinstellingen om je geld in het oog te houden.

bunq app security controls for banking safely while abroad

Blijf veilig, waar je ook bent

Gebruik directe meldingen en kaartinstellingen om je geld in het oog te houden.

bunq app security controls for banking safely while abroad

Blijf veilig, waar je ook bent

Gebruik directe meldingen en kaartinstellingen om je geld in het oog te houden.

bunq app security controls for banking safely while abroad

Vind het juiste bunq-plan voor jou

Vergelijk persoonlijke en zakelijke opties voor hoe je in het buitenland woont en werkt.

plan comparison cards helping choose a bunq plan for living abroad

Vind het juiste bunq-plan voor jou

Vergelijk persoonlijke en zakelijke opties voor hoe je in het buitenland woont en werkt.

plan comparison cards helping choose a bunq plan for living abroad

Vind het juiste bunq-plan voor jou

Vergelijk persoonlijke en zakelijke opties voor hoe je in het buitenland woont en werkt.

plan comparison cards helping choose a bunq plan for living abroad

Sluit je aan bij 22 miljoen mensen die bankieren met bunq

Meld je aan via je telefoon

Download de bunq app

Download de app voor iOS of Android.

Vul je gegevens in

Vul je naam, adres, e-mail en telefoonnummer in.

Verifieer je ID

Bevestig je identiteit met een snelle video-selfie en begin meteen met bankieren.

Join 22 million people banking with bunq

Meld je aan via je telefoon

Download de bunq app

Download de app voor iOS of Android.

Vul je gegevens in

Vul je naam, adres, e-mail en telefoonnummer in.

Verifieer je ID

Bevestig je identiteit met een snelle video-selfie en begin meteen met bankieren.

Join 22 million people banking with bunq

Meld je aan via je telefoon

Download de bunq app

Download de app voor iOS of Android.

Vul je gegevens in

Vul je naam, adres, e-mail en telefoonnummer in.

Verifieer je ID

Bevestig je identiteit met een snelle video-selfie en begin meteen met bankieren.