Here Are The World’s Most Expensive Countries To Call Home

New York may be the benchmark for CEOWORLD, but it doesn’t speak for the entire United States. By the magazine’s estimations, the U.S. gets a score of 71.05 on the 100-point cost-of-living scale. This means that the country averages a much cheaper lifestyle than one that would be found in the Big Apple.

Take rent, for example. The U.S. as a whole has a rent index of 40.32. On average, then, it’s 60 percent cheaper to lease a property outside of New York City. And in terms of purchasing power, the average American has about 10 percent more than someone living in the four boroughs. In other words, they can get more with their salaries.

Travel roughly 10,000 miles away from the U.S. and you’ll find yourself in the Seychelles. The stunning island nation actually had zero human inhabitants until the 16th century, but Europeans eventually anchored there and found themselves in paradise. Nowadays, the once-untouched country made of 115 different isles is among the world’s most expensive places to live.

The overall cost of living in the Seychelles is roughly 30 percent less than the benchmark city of New York. The island nation has much lower rent, but it’s only 15 percent cheaper to buy groceries there than in the Big Apple. Interestingly, Seychelles residents have very weak local purchasing power – they can only buy 22 percent of what the average New Yorker gets with their salary.

When you think of Belgium, one of the first things to come to mind is probably beer. But there’s more than beverage-based reasons to move to this European nation. As the headquarters of the European Union, the capital city of Brussels, in particular, has a huge international presence. Plenty of global companies have set up shop there, too.

As such, there’s a great quality of life to be had in Belgium. Rent prices are only about a quarter of what you’d pay in New York City, and groceries cost approximately 60 percent of a Big Apple food run. Where Belgium gets pricey is in its restaurants and in its overall purchasing power. You see, an average salary affords you only 86 percent of what an NYC paycheck would bring home.

A 2020 Gallup poll revealed New Zealand as the nation to which more individuals desired a move to than any other. Having said that, if everyone who dreamed of putting down roots there actually did so, the island nation would likely see its population of nearly 5 million people more than double to 11 million. That would be quite the rise!

Yet perhaps the expenses involved would give wannabe migrants pause for thought. You see, if you add up the cost of living and rent, it’s only 35 percent cheaper than it would be in New York. And your purchasing power on the islands would be 7 percent less than in the city, too.

Life in Australia will come as a breath of fresh air – quite literally. The country has a low population level compared to its massive size, which is comparable to that of the continental U.S. Meanwhile, the North American nation has roughly 280 million more inhabitants than the Land Down Under. So, you’d ultimately find yourself with a lot of space.

Not so fast, though – Australia ranks four spots higher on the list than the U.S. The country has a low rent index at about 35 percent of New York’s prices. Groceries and fine dining are only 30 points lower than what you’d find in the Big Apple. Still, your Australian dollar will go a long way, with a local purchasing power that’s seven points stronger than NYC.

A 2013 study conducted by UNICEF found that Dutch children ranked number one on the list of happiest kids on Earth. Their parents aren’t doing so bad, either, considering those in the Netherlands tend to put a bit less focus on their careers. If a work-life balance would do you good, then, you might be able to overlook the country’s relatively high costs.

The Netherlands’ overall cost of living index is 73.75, which means it’s just over 26 percent cheaper than New York. Where the country tends to be most expensive is in its restaurants, which are less than 20 percent cheaper than the City That Never Sleeps. On top of that, your euro will only go 90 or so percent as far as the U.S. dollar would in NYC.

French wine, French cheese, French pastries… do you need any further explanation as to why life is good in France? Much like the Netherlands, this country has a more even work-life balance than would be found elsewhere. Most shops and services shut down at 7 p.m. so that staffers can go home and enjoy time with their families.

You’ll just have to make sure you can afford life in France before you make the leap overseas. As the 14th most expensive country on the list, you might be surprised to find out that rent’s only a quarter of what you’d pay in New York. The problem is that purchasing power in France is 20 percent less, which means you’d have to stretch your euros for pricey dinners out or high-priced groceries.

In the wake of the U.K.’s decision to depart from the European Union, more than 100 companies set their sights on a particular place to headquarter their overseas outpost. This was the Irish capital of Dublin. It seems that Ireland’s E.U. membership and English-speaking population make it a promising proposition for businesses.

However, it’d be wise not to expect your money to go very far if you moved to the Emerald Isle. Much like in France, your euros will get you roughly 80 percent of what you could buy in New York with a dollar. Luckily, though, rent’s relatively low – outside of Dublin, at least. The capital, though, is reportedly among the priciest places for rent in Europe.

If you move to Barbados, you’re probably doing so for a life on the beautiful beaches amid perfect weather. In addition to that, though, the island country also boasts a stable economy and intends to become the smallest developed nation on Earth by the year 2025. And at first glance, the cost of living in Barbados seems low.

In many ways, this assessment would be accurate. Rent is 80 percent cheaper here than in New York, while groceries are just 65 percent of what you’d pay there. The problem is that your cash only goes half as far as it would in the Big Apple. Overall, the cost of living index is 76.02, putting Barbados in 12th on the list.

There are plenty of pros to a life in Hong Kong. In 2018 the city’s population was recorded as nearly 7.5 million, meaning you’d be surrounded by a diverse and cultured crowd if you moved there. However, relocation websites warn that without a high-paying job, you could be chipping away at your savings for your initial months spent there.

Hong Kong ranks 11th because of its overall cost of living index, which is 77.22 percent of New York’s. The indexes for rent and groceries hover around this number, too. But while a restaurant visit would cost approximately half of an NYC meal, your Hong Kong dollar goes only 65 percent as far as the American dollar in New York.