Want to know which is the most expensive country in the world to live in? Below is a list of the top 10 most expensive countries in the world to live in 2025, according to the Numbeo Cost of Living Index. Switzerland leads the way with a score of 98.4, followed by the Island in second place and the Bahamas in third.
10. Guernsey – 66.1
Cost of living index score: 66.1
- GDP (nominal): $4.05 billion
- Per capita: $67,491
Guernsey is the second-largest island of the Channel Islands, located 27 miles west of Normandy’s Cotentin Peninsula. It is the largest island in the Bailiwick of Guernsey. The Bailiwick has a population of 63,950, most of whom live in Guernsey, and the island’s area is 24 square miles.
Financial services such as banking, fund management and insurance account for about 37% of GDP. Tourism, manufacturing and horticulture, mainly tomatoes and cut flowers, especially freesia, have declined. Light taxes and death duties make Guernsey a popular offshore finance center for private-equity funds.
Guernsey has no central bank and issues its own sterling coins and banknotes. U.K. coins and (English, Scottish and Northern Irish-faced) banknotes also circulate freely and interchangeably. Guernsey is the tenth most expensive country to live in 2025.
09. Denmark – 66.9
Cost of living index score: 66.9
- GDP (nominal): $412 billion
- Per capita: $69,273
Denmark is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It is one of the richest countries in the world. European Denmark is the southernmost of the Scandinavian countries. Copenhagen is the country’s capital and one of the most expensive cities in the world.
The capital of Denmark is expensive especially for those who want to do some retail therapy. In addition, Denmark has a developed mixed economy that is classified as a high-income economy by the World Bank.
With a 66.9 cost of living index score, Denmark is the ninth most expensive country to live in 2025. The overall cost of living index in Denmark is generally very high, and misses out on ranking in the top 5 most expensive countries to live in.
The economy of Denmark is a modern high-income and highly developed mixed economy. The nominal gross national income per capita is the ninth highest in the world at $69,273 in 2025.
See Also: Most Developed Countries In The World
08. Papua New Guinea – 67.4
Cost of living index score: 67.4
- GDP (nominal): $31.6 billion
- Per capita: $2,581
Papua New Guinea is a country in Oceania that comprises the eastern half of the island of New Guinea and the offshore islands of Melanesia, a region of the southwestern Pacific Ocean north of Australia. Its capital, on its southern coast, is Port Moresby. The country is the third largest island country in the world, with an area of 178,700 square miles.
Papua New Guinea is rich in natural resources, including mineral and renewable resources such as forests, marine resources (which include a large portion of the world’s major tuna stocks), and agriculture in some parts.
Papua New Guinea is one of the top 10 most expensive countries to live in 2025. Agriculture, for subsistence and cash crops, provides livelihoods to 85% of the population and provides about 30% of GDP. Mineral deposits, including gold, oil, and copper, account for 72% of export earnings.
07. Norway – 69.0
Cost of living index score: 69.0
- GDP (nominal): $503 billion
- Per capita: $90,434
Norway is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. Its mainland covers the western and northern parts of the Scandinavian Peninsula. Norway’s capital and largest city is Oslo. It is one of the top 10 most expensive countries in the world to live in 2025.
Norway ranks third on this list as the priciest of the Scandinavian countries. It has a VAT rate of 25%, one of the highest in the world, which drives up the cost of most everyday items.
Additionally, Norwegians have the second-highest GDP per capita among European countries, and enjoy the sixth-highest GDP (PPP) per capita in the world.
Norway is the second-wealthiest country in the world in monetary value, with the largest capital reserves per capita of any country. The tax rate on food is low at only 15%, but is still considered expensive. Norway is the third-most expensive place in the world to buy groceries.
06. Barbados – 70.0
Cost of living index score: 70.0
- GDP (nominal): $6.2 billion
- Per capita: $21,442
Barbados is an island country in the easternmost part of the Lesser Antilles and Caribbean Islands of the West Indies. It covers an area of 432 square km and has a population of approximately 281,998. Living in Barbados poses logistical challenges that make it one of the priciest places to live.
In addition, the government of Barbados invests a lot of money in a predominantly state-owned system, and the island has one of the highest literacy rates in the world with a literacy rate of 99.6%. Also, Barbados is the sixth most expensive country in the world to live in 2025.
Also, Barbados is the 50th richest country in the world in terms of GDP per capita. The country has a well-developed mixed economy, and the standard of living is moderately high. According to the World Bank, Barbados is one of the 83 high-income economies in the world.
Despite this, a self-study conducted in conjunction with the Caribbean Development Bank in 2012 revealed that 20% of Barbadians live in poverty, and approximately 10% cannot meet their daily basic food requirements.
See Also: Richest Countries In The World
05. Hong Kong – 73.6
Cost of living index score: 73.6
- GDP (nominal): $401 billion
- Per capita: $53,165
Hong Kong is a special administrative region of China. With 7.4 million inhabitants, Hong Kong is the fourth most densely populated region in the world. Also, Hong Kong is one of the top 10 most expensive countries in the world to live in 2025.
One of the world’s most important financial centers and commercial ports, Hong Kong has a market economy focused on services, characterized by low taxation, minimal government market intervention, and an established international financial market.
It is the 41st largest economy in the world, with a nominal GDP of approximately US$401 billion. Hong Kong’s economy topped the Heritage Foundation’s Index of Economic Freedom between 1995 and 2021.
04. Singapore – 79.1
Cost of living index score: 79.1
- GDP (nominal): $530 billion
- Per capita: $89,370
Singapore is a sovereign island country in Maritime Southeast Asia, making it the 4th most expensive country in the world to live in 2025. It has a cost of living index score of 79.1 according to Numbeo. It is the country with the third highest population density in the world.
Childcare in Singapore is one of the most expensive services in the world, costing the average family around $18,000 annually. Singapore has a highly developed market economy, historically based on the expansion of enterprise business.
Along with Hong Kong, South Korea, and Taiwan, Singapore is one of the Four Asian Tigers, and is ahead of its peers in terms of gross domestic product (GDP) per capita.
03. Bahamas – 81.4
Cost of living index score: 81.4
- GDP (nominal): $14.3 billion
- Per capita: $35,257
The Bahamas is a sovereign country within the Lucayan Archipelago of the West Indies in the Atlantic. The archipelagic state consists of more than 700 islands, cayes, and islets in the Atlantic Ocean. Also, the Royal Bahamas Defense Force describes the area of the Bahamas as 470,000 km2 of ocean area.
Most goods in the Bahamas have to be imported, which is a contributing factor to the cost of living. While buying groceries in other tropical places like Barbados and Bermuda is more expensive. Furthermore, in terms of GDP per capita, the Bahamas is one of the richest countries in the Americas.
Its currency (the Bahamian dollar) is pegged at 1-to-1 with the US dollar. Prices in the Bahamas are still very high due to the competitive housing market and high import taxes. The Bahamas is one of the top 10 most expensive countries in the world to live in 2025.
02. Iceland – 83.4
Cost of living index score: 83.4
- GDP (nominal): $30.5 billion
- Per capita: $78,836
Iceland ranks second on the list of the top 10 most expensive countries in the world to live in 2025, with a score of 83.4. It is a Nordic island country and the least populated country in Europe. The capital and largest city of Iceland is Reykjavík, where more than 65% of the population lives.
Iceland has strict regulations when it comes to importing foreign goods, which leads to very high prices of products. Groceries in the country are among the most expensive in the world. In addition, Iceland has a market economy with relatively low taxes compared to other OECD countries.
Also, it has the most trade union members in the world. Iceland also ranks highly in terms of economic, democratic and social stability, as well as equality, ranking third in the world in terms of average wealth per adult. Iceland runs almost entirely on renewable energy.
See Also: Most Expensive Buildings In The World
01. Switzerland – 98.4
Cost of living index score: 98.4
- GDP (nominal): $942 billion
- Per capita: $106,097
Living in Switzerland is much more expensive than in any other country. Both Geneva and Zurich in Switzerland are among the 10 most expensive cities in the world. Switzerland is the most expensive country in the world to live in 2025.
Childcare, eating out, and cinema tickets are just some of the everyday things for which this country is included in the list of top 10 most expensive countries to live in. Furthermore, Switzerland’s economy is stable, prosperous, and high-tech. The country is the wealthiest country in the world per capita in many rankings.
Switzerland is considered one of the least corrupt countries in the world, while its banking sector is paradoxically considered “one of the most corrupt countries in the world”. It is the twentieth largest economy in the world by nominal GDP and the 35th largest by purchasing power parity.
Hi, here is a list of most expensive countries to live in.
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