QCI #124 - Cost of Living in 2026

Let's Talk Economics!

Courtesy of Visual Capitalist: Inflation increased by ~20% from the beginning of the government shutdown in March 2020 to December 2024, while salaries almost completely stagnated, with the annual average increasing only 2% in that same time frame.

Using New York City, one of the most expensive places to live in the world, as a baseline of 100, the cost-of-living index measures the relative price of everyday expenses plus rent across almost every country in the world.

This graphic is especially useful for digital nomads and international remote workers, meaning remote workers who are not geographically locked to their own country.

The most expensive country in the world to live in is Bermuda, and the least expensive is Libya.

A value of 120 indicates that prices are 20% higher than those in NYC; the Global Median is 30.9.

Data Source: Numbeo

Let's take a look at the Cost of Living Index:

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