The most expensive cities in the world are consistently Singapore, Zurich, Geneva, New York and Hong Kong, according to the annual cost-of-living rankings. For travellers, that translates to £5 coffees, £15 cocktails and hotel rates that make London look reasonable.
But expensive does not mean off-limits. Each of these cities can be done affordably with the right tactics, and each is absolutely worth the effort. Here is what your money faces, and how to fight back.
1. Singapore — the perennial number one
Singapore tops the global cost rankings more often than any other city, driven by the world’s most expensive car ownership and eye-watering alcohol taxes. A cocktail at a rooftop bar runs £18–£25, and a pint rarely dips below £9.
The hack is hawker centres, where Michelin-recognised street food costs £3–£5 a plate. Eat like a local, ride the flawless MRT, and Singapore becomes surprisingly manageable, with the gardens, light shows and beaches largely free.
2. Zurich — where lunch costs like dinner
Zurich pairs the world’s highest salaries with prices to match: a casual lunch runs £25–£35 and a Big Mac meal is nearly double the UK price. Hotels average more per night than Paris or Rome.
The compensations are a pristine lake you can swim in for pennies, free old-town wandering and Swiss trains that turn day trips into highlights. Supermarket picnics by the lake are a Zurich tradition, not a compromise.
3. Geneva — Switzerland’s diplomatic price tag
Geneva matches Zurich franc for franc, propped up by diplomats, bankers and watchmakers on expenses. Even fondue, the national comfort food, costs £30 a head.
Visitors get one brilliant freebie: most Geneva hotels include a free public transport card for your entire stay. Add the free lake views, UN tours and old town, and a weekend needs less cash than its reputation suggests.
4. New York — the expensive city people actually visit
Unlike the bankers’ cities above, New York is expensive at tourist scale: hotels average over £250 a night, Broadway tickets sting, and added taxes plus tipping inflate every bill by 25% or more.
Fight back with the classics: free Staten Island Ferry views of the statue, dollar-slice pizza, rush tickets for shows, and museums with pay-what-you-wish hours. Manhattan prices drop sharply in January and February, the savvy visitor’s months.
5. Hong Kong — sky-high in every sense
Hong Kong’s property prices are the world’s least affordable, and hotel rates follow suit, with anything spacious commanding a premium. Western food and wine carry big import markups.
Yet street-level Hong Kong is a bargain: the Star Ferry crossing costs pennies, dim sum institutions serve feasts for £10, and the Peak tram and endless hiking trails deliver world-class sights cheaply. It is two cities in one wallet.
Honourable mentions
Copenhagen, Oslo, Tel Aviv and Paris all hover just outside the top five, and Paris in fashion-week season can out-price them all. Dubai is a special case: luxury costs a fortune, yet the everyday city is cheaper than people assume.
How to visit expensive cities on a budget
The formula is the same everywhere: eat where office workers eat at lunchtime, use public transport passes, hunt the free museum days, and treat accommodation as the one cost worth booking far ahead. Shoulder seasons cut hotel rates 30–40% in all five cities.
Above all, budget for fewer, better splurges. One unforgettable rooftop cocktail beats three forgettable ones at these prices.
Where to sleep without remortgaging
Hotel choice is where these cities punish or forgive. In Singapore, look to the boutique hotels of Chinatown and Katong rather than Marina Bay. In Zurich and Geneva, aparthotels and rooms across the French or German borders cut rates dramatically.
In New York, Long Island City and downtown Brooklyn offer new hotels ten minutes from Manhattan at two-thirds the price, while Hong Kong’s Kowloon side delivers harbour views of the expensive skyline rather than from inside it.
Are they worth the money?
Emphatically, with eyes open. Singapore and Hong Kong justify themselves through street food and free spectacle. New York remains the world’s most rewarding city break per day, however priced.
Zurich and Geneva are the honest maybes: magnificent, efficient and best enjoyed on the way to the Alps, when a night or two caps a Swiss rail adventure rather than anchoring a week.
How these rankings are decided
The benchmark is the Economist Intelligence Unit’s annual Worldwide Cost of Living survey, comparing over 400 prices across 170-plus cities, from bread to petrol to private schools. Currency strength moves the table as much as local inflation, which is why Swiss and Singaporean entries barely budge.
Traveller costs do not always track resident costs, but the top five correlate strongly: where bankers find life expensive, so will your bar bill.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the most expensive city in the world?
Singapore holds the top spot in most annual cost-of-living surveys, driven by vehicle costs and alcohol taxes, with Zurich and Geneva usually completing the podium.
What is the most expensive city for tourists?
New York typically costs visitors most in practice, because hotel rates, show tickets, taxes and tipping hit tourists harder than residents. Zurich and Geneva sting hardest for food and drink.
Is Dubai one of the most expensive cities?
For luxury experiences, yes, but everyday costs like transport and casual dining are lower than in Singapore, Zurich or New York, making Dubai cheaper to visit than its image suggests.
When are expensive cities cheapest to visit?
January and February for New York and Hong Kong, and late autumn for the European cities, when hotel rates fall 30–40% below their summer and December peaks.
