The cost of living is the money needed to sustain a certain comfort level in a location. The cost of living covers basics like housing, groceries, taxes, and healthcare.
Some countries have a very high cost of living, particularly in areas surrounding large cities. For example, in the United States, cities like New York and San Francisco have a very high cost of living, while areas such as rural Mississippi, Kansas, or Oklahoma may be notably more affordable. Moreover, no matter where in the U.S. (or the world) one lives, costs may be lower still—or even higher—in another country. Some nations have a very low cost of living, which can make them attractive destinations for ex-pats, retirees, and others interested in reducing their expenses.
As a rule, cost of living computations start by recording the cost of various needs, from rent/mortgage and health care to a loaf of bread, in a given city. Those costs are then compared to the price of the same necessities in a baseline city, such as New York City, U.S.A. or Prague in the Czech Republic. Finally, the numbers for each region in a given country are averaged to enable nation-to-nation comparisons.
Every source adds its own spin on the math, which results in slightly different lists.
Top 10 Cheapest Countries to Live In (in monthly US$) - Living Cost
- Afghanistan - $354
- Pakistan - $370
- India - $423
- Tunisia - $424
- Sri Lanka - $428
- Kyrgyzstan - $430
- Algeria - $431
- Syria - $435
- Nepal - $439
- Turkey - $447
Top 10 Cheapest Countries to Live In (New York City, USA = 100) - Numbeo
- Pakistan - 13.87
- India - 15.84
- Afghanistan - 16.54
- Nepal - 17.01
- Algeria - 17.34
- Syria - 17.83
- Tunisia - 18.15
- Egypt - 18.43
- Kosovo (territory) - 19.00
- Uzbekistan - 19.02
Top 10 Cheapest Countries to Live In (Global average = 100) - Global Economy
- Egypt - 27.37
- Ukraine - 37.76
- Sudan - 38.29
- Kyrgyzstan - 40.38
- Azerbaijan - 40.56
- Burma - 41.08
- Sierra Leone - 41.32
- Nepal - 41.85
- India - 42.86
- Tajikistan - 43.51
For the full list of countries and their scores, see the table below. Or, to explore the opposite end of the spectrum, take a look at the most expensive countries to live in.