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
- Kotor, Montenegro — cost 57/100, Montenegro
- Playa del Carmen, Mexico — cost 57/100, Mexico
- Tivat, Montenegro — cost 56/100, Montenegro
- Boquete, Panama — cost 56/100, Panama
- Puerto Vallarta, Mexico — cost 56/100, Mexico
- Atenas, Costa Rica — cost 56/100, Costa Rica
- Valletta, Malta — cost 56/100, Malta
- Quepos, Costa Rica — cost 56/100, Costa Rica
- Tamarindo, Costa Rica — cost 56/100, Costa Rica
- Punta del Este, Uruguay — cost 55/100, Uruguay
- Grand Baie, Mauritius — cost 55/100, Mauritius
- Queenstown, New Zealand — cost 55/100, New Zealand
- Las Vegas, United States — cost 55/100, United States
- Portland, United States — cost 55/100, United States
- Porto, Portugal — cost 54/100, Portugal
- Herceg Novi, Montenegro — cost 54/100, Montenegro
- Cetinje, Montenegro — cost 54/100, Montenegro
- Albufeira, Portugal — cost 54/100, Portugal
- Budva, Montenegro — cost 54/100, Montenegro
- Tavira, Portugal — cost 54/100, Portugal
- Centre de Flacq, Mauritius — cost 54/100, Mauritius
- Bar, Montenegro — cost 54/100, Montenegro
- Goodlands, Mauritius — cost 54/100, Mauritius
- Telavi, Georgia — cost 54/100, 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.