It may possibly cost on average of $2,050 to live in Tokyo for a month as a single person, in line with Numbeo’s data.
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Moving to a significant city often comes with big advantages and opportunities, however it’s essential to work out if it is sensible financially before taking the leap.
It might come as no surprise that Latest York City and San Francisco top the worldwide list for having the very best cost of living when rent is included. That is in line with the 2025 Cost of Living Index (including rent) by online database Numbeo.
In Latest York City, the estimated monthly expenses for one person, including the worth of rent in a one-bedroom positioned in town center, can cost a complete of $5,639, in line with Numbeo’s findings, which involve a mixture of user-generated data and manually gathered information from reputable sources.
In Asia, Singapore tops the list because the town with the very best cost of living, where a single person can expect to pay about $4,000 a month for living expenses and rent, in line with Numbeo, which is comparable to the worth it might cost someone to live in London for a month.
Globally, following closely after Latest York City and San Francisco are two cities in Switzerland — Zurich and Geneva — which rank third and fourth for cost of living, including rent.
Below is a listing of how much it might cost one person to live in 12 major cities all over the world in 2025, in line with Numbeo. All figures are in U.S. dollars after being converted from the local currency.
When reading the numbers, it might be useful to think about the 50-30-20 budgeting rule, which financial experts define as follows for each paycheck: 20% for saving and investment, 50% for essentials and 30% for belongings you want.
Latest York City
Population: 8.1 million
Estimated monthly living expenses (excluding rent): $1,687.10
Rent for a 1-bedroom in town center: $3,926.65
Total cost of living: $5,613.75
San Francisco, California
Population: 788,000
Estimated monthly living expenses (excluding rent): $1,556.60
Rent for a 1-bedroom in town center: $3,222.58
Total cost of living: $4,779.18
London, UK
Population: 9.7 million
Estimated monthly living expenses (excluding rent): $1,311
Rent for a 1-bedroom in town center: $2,772.91
Total cost of living: $4,083.91
Singapore
Population: 6.1 million
Estimated monthly living expenses (excluding rent): $1,131.30
Rent for a 1-bedroom in town center: $2,921.58
Total cost of living: $4,052.88
Chicago, Illinois
Population: 2.6 million
Estimated monthly living expenses (excluding rent): $1,287.30
Rent for a 1-bedroom in town center: $2,325.34
Total cost of living: $3,612.64
Sydney, Australia
Population: 5.2 million
Estimated monthly living expenses (excluding rent): $1,116.70
Rent for a 1-bedroom in town center: $2,159.11
Total cost of living: $3,275.81
Lisbon, Portugal
Population: 3 million
Estimated monthly living expenses (excluding rent): $781.70
Rent for a 1-bedroom in town center: $1,481.93
Total cost of living: $2,263.63
Tokyo, Japan
Population: 37.1 million
Estimated monthly living expenses (excluding rent): $961.80
Rent for a 1-bedroom in town center: $1,113.08
Total cost of living: $2,074.88
Seoul, South Korea
Population: 10 million
Estimated monthly living expenses (excluding rent): $1,073.2
Rent for a 1-bedroom in town center: $822.97
Total cost of living: $1,896.17
Shanghai, China
Population: 29.9 million
Estimated monthly living expenses (excluding rent): $616.80
Rent for a 1-bedroom in town center: $924.45
Total cost of living: $1,541.25
Mumbai, India
Population: 21.7 million
Estimated monthly living expenses (excluding rent): $406.70
Rent for a 1-bedroom in town center: $650.20
Total cost of living: $1,056.90
Jakarta, Indonesia
Population: 11.4 million
Estimated monthly living expenses (excluding rent): $515.30
Rent for a 1-bedroom in town center: $394.60
Total cost of living: $909.90
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