Singapore for the third year in a row is recognized as the most expensive city in the world for living people. This is evidenced by the Julius Baer Swiss Banking Group report, published in 2025. The top three also found London and Hong Kong, who together with Singapour form a list of the most demanding metropolitan areas for the rich.
According to the study, Monaco and Zurich were also included in the top five of the most expensive cities. There are large cities such as Shanghai, Dubai, New York, Paris and Milan near them. When drawing up the rating, prices for the 20 types of goods and services most commonly consumed by wealthy citizens, including expensive cars, jewelry, legal services and training in private schools, were taken into account. In addition, researchers interviewed 360 dollar millionaires.
The peculiarity of this year was that prices for luxury goods and services grow twice as much as a total inflation. In particular, business class flights went up by 18.2% in the last year, which significantly affected the cost of living in cities such as Singapore.
Thus, Singapore has retained its championship for the third year in a row, demonstrating the stability and high cost of living for rich residents. London and Hong Kong remain important world financial centers, where accommodation is also very expensive.
Experts emphasize that rising luxury prices and premium services reflects the overall trend in the world where rich people are ready to pay more and more exclusivity. This rating is an important benchmark for those who plan to move or invest in housing in prestigious cities in the world.
