Moving abroad: what really changes about your cost of living
CityLivably Editorial Team · Built on World Bank, WorldClim, USGS and FEMA/INFORM open data · Updated 2026
The same lifestyle costs wildly different amounts by country. Here's what drives the gap — and why some places are 2–3× cheaper.
Most affordable right now
- Ðà Lạt, Vietnam — cost 62/100, Vietnam
- Zugdidi, Georgia — cost 62/100, Georgia
- La Plata, Argentina — cost 62/100, Argentina
- Buenos Aires, Argentina — cost 62/100, Argentina
- Paraná, Argentina — cost 62/100, Argentina
- Neuquén, Argentina — cost 62/100, Argentina
- Pedro Juan Caballero, Paraguay — cost 62/100, Paraguay
- Bandung, Indonesia — cost 62/100, Indonesia
- Córdoba, Argentina — cost 62/100, Argentina
- Santa Fe, Argentina — cost 62/100, Argentina
- San Luis, Argentina — cost 62/100, Argentina
- Varna, Bulgaria — cost 62/100, Bulgaria
- Burgas, Bulgaria — cost 62/100, Bulgaria
- Sliven, Bulgaria — cost 62/100, Bulgaria
- Salta, Argentina — cost 62/100, Argentina
- San Salvador de Jujuy, Argentina — cost 62/100, Argentina
- Kandy, Sri Lanka — cost 62/100, Sri Lanka
- Stara Zagora, Bulgaria — cost 62/100, Bulgaria
- Buôn Ma Thuột, Vietnam — cost 62/100, Vietnam
- Padang, Indonesia — cost 62/100, Indonesia
- Mataram, Indonesia — cost 62/100, Indonesia
- Manokwari, Indonesia — cost 62/100, Indonesia
- Gori, Georgia — cost 62/100, Georgia
- Telavi, Georgia — cost 62/100, Georgia
What actually changes
Rent and groceries track local price levels; healthcare and tax systems differ; and whether services like pet/home insurance even exist varies. We localize each city's cost to its country's World Bank price level.
Why these numbers are trustworthy
Every figure on this page is reproducible from open, citable sources rather than crowd-sourced guesses: cost from the World Bank price level (PPP ÷ exchange rate), climate from WorldClim v2.1 temperature normals, earthquakes from real USGS event history, and flood, storm, wildfire, heat, drought, cold and tsunami exposure modelled from each city's geography. We score 1,103 cities across 68 countries on the same 0–100 scales, so comparisons are like-for-like. The numbers are planning indicators, not promises — verify rent, visas, healthcare and tax for your own situation before you move, and treat the modelled hazard tiers as a relative guide between cities rather than an absolute forecast.
FAQ
How much cheaper is living abroad?
In lower-cost countries, 30–60% cheaper than top-tier cities is common.
Does climate change too?
Yes — use the climate score to avoid trading cost savings for an unbearable climate.