Numbeo’s latest cost of living index came out, and to no one’s surprise, San Francisco has indeed made an appearance at the top of the list. With the 4th-highest cost of living globally and the 2nd-highest cost of living in the United States, San Francisco’s reputation as one of the most expensive cities in the world is cemented in this mid-year study.
San Francisco trails behind Geneva and Zurich, both in Switzerland, which ranked at #1 and #2 respectively. New York is the only U.S. city ranking above SF.
The top ten global cities with the highest cost of living mid-year in 2024 are:
- Geneva, Switzerland
- Zurich, Switzerland
- New York, NY
- San Francisco, CA
- Boston, MA
- Reykjavik, Iceland
- Washington, DC
- Seattle, WA
- Los Angeles, CA
- Chicago, IL
The top ten American cities with the highest cost of living mid-year in 2024 are:
- New York, NY
- San Francisco, CA
- Boston, MA
- Washington, DC
- Seattle, WA
- Los Angeles, CA
- Chicago, IL
- San Diego, CA
- Portland, OR
- Tampa, FL
The Numbeo Cost of Living Index analyzes both annual and mid-year costs of living around the world using factors like the average cost of rent, groceries, and entertainment; as well as local purchasing power. The ranking indexes are published as a snapshot at a specific point in time, so they fluctuate each year.
Cities in Switzerland and the U.S. have dominated the top of cost of living index in recent years. Here in California, other cities that usually rank highly include San Jose, Los Angeles, San Diego, and Santa Barbara.
Luckily for us, San Francisco tops plenty of rankings each year, and they’re not all negative — for example, did you know that SF has ranked as one of the happiest, healthiest, and most fun cities within the last year alone?