Top 10 · economy
Top 10 countries with the lowest cost of living
Overall price level relative to the US average (100). World Bank (price level ratio) data, each country's latest year, 2013–2025, covering 186 countries.
The top 10
1st of 186 · 2025
Nigeria13 US avg = 100
- 2ndEgypt15 US avg = 100
- 3rdAfghanistan20 US avg = 100
- 4thLaos22 US avg = 100
- 5thSierra Leone22 US avg = 100
- 6thBhutan23 US avg = 100
- 7thIndia23 US avg = 100
- 8thBulgaria23 US avg = 100
- 9thPakistan24 US avg = 100
- 10thNepal24 US avg = 100
The other end · bottom 5 of 186
- 182ndIsrael101 US avg = 100
- 183rdNauru103 US avg = 100
- 184thBarbados110 US avg = 100
- 185thSwitzerland112 US avg = 100
- 186thIceland118 US avg = 100
Where the big countries land
- 181stUnited States100 US avg = 100
- 110thChina47 US avg = 100
- 160thGermany80 US avg = 100
- 105thBrazil46 US avg = 100
Common questions
Questions people ask about cost of living
Which country has the lowest cost of living?
Nigeria ranks 1st of 186 countries at 13 US avg = 100 (2025 data). Source: World Bank (price level ratio).
Which countries are in the top 10 for cost of living?
The top 10 are Nigeria, Egypt, Afghanistan, Laos, Sierra Leone, Bhutan, India, Bulgaria, Pakistan and Nepal — computed from World Bank (price level ratio) data, each country's latest year, 2013–2025.
Where does the United States rank in cost of living?
The United States ranks 181st of 186 countries at 100 US avg = 100 (2025 data). Source: World Bank (price level ratio).
What is the median cost of living worldwide?
Across the 186 countries covered, the median is 42 US avg = 100. Values run from 13 US avg = 100 (Nigeria, ranked 1st) to 118 US avg = 100 (Iceland, ranked 186th).
Is cost of living higher in Europe or the US?
The median across 43 European countries is 63 US avg = 100, against 100 US avg = 100 in the United States — it is higher in the US. Source: World Bank (price level ratio).
Which country has the highest cost of living?
Iceland sits at the other end of the list: 118 US avg = 100 ranks 186th of 186 (2025 data). Source: World Bank (price level ratio).
Keep ranking
Keep exploring
More on economy
- Human development indexUNDP composite of health, education and income (0–1).
- GDP per capitaOutput per person, price-adjusted: states via BEA regional price parities, countries via PPP.
- Median income (after tax)Median equivalised household disposable income per person, USD PPP — what the middle household actually has to spend after taxes and transfers.
- PopulationResident population.
- Land areaLand area in square kilometres.
- Income inequalityGini index of income distribution (0 = perfect equality).
Who leads the world
- Monacotops life expectancy86.5 years
- Singaporetops homicide rate0.1 per 100k
- Bulgariatops paid maternity leave59 weeks
Nigeria leads on cost of living — see where it lands on every other measure, and which US state it most resembles.
From the blog: How reliable is World Bank data? · Census, BEA, CDC, BLS: why US state data is unusually good
All 68 measures →Every country ranked →Every US state →All the Top 10s →The overall board →How we read the data →