The latest study by Deutsche Bank shows: Swiss metropolises lead the world rankings for the highest prices in almost all areas of life.
From a cappuccino to a trip to the cinema – nowhere is life more expensive than in Switzerland, as a study by Deutsche Bank shows. While Hong Kong continues to offer the most expensive real estate, New York and other US cities are increasingly competing with the Swiss. The ranking reveals extreme price differences between continents.
The ranking is based on the comprehensive study “Mapping the World’s Prices 2025” by the Deutsche Bank Research Institute. The study analyzed 69 internationally relevant cities with regard to the cost of living – including prices for consumer goods, services, housing as well as leisure and mobility. The underlying data comes from 2025 and enables a direct comparison of price levels worldwide. The analysis presented here follows the summary of the study and illustrates the categories in which individual cities are particularly expensive.
D. Maier / editorial team finanzen.net
17th place: The ranking
This ranking is based on the comprehensive study “Mapping the World’s Prices 2025” by the Deutsche Bank Research Institute, which examines 69 globally relevant cities in various categories of daily life. The data is from 2025 and includes, among other things, prices for consumer goods, services, real estate and leisure activities. The ranking is based on the study’s summary bullets and shows in which areas certain cities are particularly expensive.
Source: Deutsche Bank Research Institute, Image:
16th place: buying a car
Singapore and Copenhagen lead the way in car prices by deliberately limiting traffic. Tel Aviv, Istanbul and Abu Dhabi also regulate car ownership through high costs.
Source: Deutsche Bank Research Institute, Image: Dieter Schütz / pixelio.de
15th place: gym
New York, Singapore, Doha, Riyadh and San Francisco make fitness an expensive pleasure. Health is becoming a luxury good in these metropolises.
Source: Deutsche Bank Research Institute, Image: Sven Hansche / Shutterstock.com
14th place: cinema
Zurich, Geneva, London, Copenhagen and New York bring Hollywood prizes for going to the cinema. A simple visit to a film becomes a conscious budget decision.
Source: Deutsche Bank Research Institute, Image: tostbrotkiller / pixelio.de
Place 13: Restaurants
Zurich, Geneva, New York, San Francisco and Boston set the price standards for fine dining. These cities charge premium prices for three-course meals at mid-range restaurants.
Source: Deutsche Bank Research Institute, Image: Reetom Hazarika/Getty Images
12th place: jeans
Zurich, Geneva, Copenhagen, London and Edinburgh lead the way in jeans prices. In these cities, the classic piece of clothing becomes a luxury item.
Source: Deutsche Bank Research Institute, Image: Alexandra Rump / pixelio.de
11th place: summer clothing
Buenos Aires, Geneva, Oslo, Riyadh and Dubai dominate when it comes to summer dress prices. The geographical diversity shows that high fashion prices are not regionally limited.
Source: Deutsche Bank Research Institute, Image: Diego Grandi / Shutterstock.com
10th place: cigarettes
Melbourne, Sydney, Wellington, Auckland and London lead cigarette prices with high sin taxes. This policy aims to reduce consumption and generate government revenue.
Source: Deutsche Bank Research Institute, Image: Dieter Schütz / pixelio.de
9th place: Imported beer
Dubai, New York, Oslo, Abu Dhabi and Los Angeles are the most expensive places for imported beer in restaurants. These prices reflect high import tariffs and high restaurant standards.
Source: Deutsche Bank Research Institute, Image: M. Hermsdorf / pixelio.de
8th place: Cappuccino
Zurich, Copenhagen, New York, San Francisco and Geneva charge the highest prices for cappuccinos. Italian cities remain very affordable alternatives for coffee lovers.
Source: Deutsche Bank Research Institute, Image: Isabella Pechlivanis / pixelio.de
7th place: wine
Singapore, Jakarta, Seoul, New York and Oslo lead in wine prices. Rome, Johannesburg, Cape Town, Budapest and Lisbon, however, offer the cheapest wine prices.
Source: Deutsche Bank Research Institute, Image: PrasitRodphan / Shutterstock.com
6th place: Romantic dates
Geneva, Zurich, Copenhagen, Oslo, London and New York are the most expensive cities for dates. Bangalore, on the other hand, offers the cheapest options for romantic evenings in the world.
Source: Deutsche Bank Research Institute, Image: Katharina Wieland Müller / pixelio.de
5th place: food
Geneva leads in food prices, followed by San Francisco, Zurich, New York and Boston. All five US cities surveyed made it into the top 10 most expensive grocery markets.
Source: Deutsche Bank Research Institute, Image: Helmut Wegmann / pixelio.de
4th place: Public transport
London tops the list for the cost of monthly passes after prices rose 30 percent in the last five years. Sydney, New York, Auckland and Melbourne make up the remaining top group of the most expensive transport systems.
Source: Deutsche Bank Research Institute, Image: C. Meisinger / pixelio.de
3rd place: additional costs
Munich surprisingly leads the ranking for the highest energy costs, followed by Frankfurt and Berlin. Warsaw, Vienna and Prague also occupy high places.
Source: Deutsche Bank Research Institute, Image: Gordon Gross / pixelio.de
2nd place: Rent
New York dominates rental prices for three-bedroom apartments, followed by Singapore, Boston, London and San Francisco. These metropolises force residents to spend a large portion of their income on housing.
Source: Deutsche Bank Research Institute, Image: Sylvia Krahl / pixelio.de
1st place: buying real estate
Hong Kong continues to top the list of most expensive real estate markets per square meter despite a 20 percent fall in prices. Zurich, Singapore, Seoul and Geneva follow in the top group of the most unaffordable housing markets worldwide.
Source: Deutsche Bank Research Institute, Image: Michael Lemke / pixelio.de