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Cheapest Countries to Live in the World (2026)

Every country in our catalog ranked by cost of living for 2026. Higher scores mean more affordable day-to-day living for relocating movers.

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A low monthly burn rate buys runway while you settle visas, find work, or test a city. This list ranks every country in our catalog by overall cost of living for someone relocating, not a backpacker week.

Pair this table with Compare on two finalists and read each country's residence pathway before you move savings abroad.

Cost of Living Score on the map

Higher score = stronger cost of living

Tap a country to see its score.

Cost of Living Score world map
8.5+
7.0–8.4
5.5–6.9
Below 5.5
RankCountryCost of Living Score
#1Nepal9.2
#2Venezuela9.0
#3Vietnam9.0
#4India9.0
#5Bangladesh9.0
#6Moldova8.9
#7Bolivia8.8
#8Indonesia8.8
#9Pakistan8.8
#10Myanmar8.8
#11Cambodia8.8
#12Laos8.8
#13Kyrgyzstan8.8
#14Tajikistan8.8
#15Ukraine8.8
#16Madagascar8.7
#17Bulgaria8.6
#18Portugal8.5
#19Hungary8.5
#20Mexico8.5
#21Peru8.5
#22Ecuador8.5
#23Paraguay8.5
#24Thailand8.5
#25Philippines8.5
#26Sri Lanka8.5
#27Mongolia8.5
#28Niger8.5
#29Georgia8.5
#30Serbia8.5
#31Poland8.2
#32South Africa8.2
#33Colombia8.2
#34Malaysia8.2
#35Ethiopia8.2
#36Chad8.2
#37Burkina Faso8.2
#38Romania8.2
#39Bosnia and Herzegovina8.2
#40Czech Republic8.0
#41Iran8.0
#42Argentina8.0
#43Uzbekistan8.0
#44Sudan8.0
#45Mali8.0
#46Spain7.8
#47Greece7.8
#48Brazil7.8
#49Uruguay7.8
#50Panama7.8
#51Turkmenistan7.8
#52Nigeria7.8
#53Tunisia7.8
#54Guinea7.8
#55Benin7.8
#56Lithuania7.8
#57Estonia7.5
#58Egypt7.5
#59Chile7.5
#60Kazakhstan7.5
#61Kenya7.5
#62Algeria7.5
#63Senegal7.5
#64Sierra Leone7.5
#65Togo7.5
#66Azerbaijan7.5
#67Latvia7.5
#68Cape Verde7.5
#69Jamaica7.2
#70Italy7.2
#71Costa Rica7.2
#72Morocco7.2
#73Libya7.2
#74Liberia7.2
#75Ghana7.2
#76Turkiye7.1
#77Taiwan7.1
#78Russia7.0
#79Ivory Coast7.0
#80Cyprus7.0
#81Croatia7.0
#82Mauritius6.9
#83Netherlands6.8
#84Japan6.8
#85Austria6.8
#86France6.8
#87Malta6.8
#88Andorra6.8
#89Curaçao6.8
#90Germany6.5
#91Canada6.5
#92Finland6.5
#93Belgium6.5
#94China6.5
#95Vanuatu6.5
#96San Marino6.5
#97Barbados6.4
#98Saudi Arabia6.3
#99Sweden6.2
#100New Zealand6.2
#101Denmark6.2
#102South Korea6.2
#103Australia6.0
#104Ireland5.8
#105United States5.8
#106Qatar5.7
#107United Kingdom5.5
#108Bahamas5.5
#109Liechtenstein5.5
#110United Arab Emirates (Dubai)5.5
#111Norway4.8
#112Seychelles4.6
#113Singapore4.5
#114Iceland4.5
#115Hong Kong4.3
#116Switzerland4.2
#117Luxembourg4.0
#118Falkland Islands4.0
#119Monaco3.0

Why the leaders rank here for cost of living

South Asian and Southeast Asian markets lead here because groceries, transport, and services still land far below Western capitals on a typical mover budget.

  1. #1
    Nepal9.2

    Kathmandu and Pokhara keep rent and dining modest for remote earners bringing in foreign currency.

  2. #2
    Venezuela9.0

    Dollarized pockets of the economy can look exceptionally cheap on paper, though stability and banking access need a separate review.

  3. #3
    Vietnam9.0

    Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi pair modern apartments with street food and transit costs well below Singapore or Tokyo.

  4. #4
    India9.0

    Tier-two cities combine low daily spend with growing coworking and clinic access for long-stay movers.

  5. #5
    Bangladesh9.0

    Dhaka and Chittagong deliver among the lowest living costs in our catalog for budget-first relocations.

Rankings are based on our scoring model. Always verify visa and cost information with official sources before making relocation decisions.

How we calculate these rankings

We sort the full country catalog by cost of living score, highest first. The table reflects our latest editorial model at build time.

What this does not measure: Visa ease, salary levels, or neighborhood safety. A cheap country can still be the wrong fit if your income stays tied elsewhere.

Updates: Rankings refresh when we redeploy after underlying country data changes.

Explore these countries

Open any country profile for full cost of living context, visas, and scores. Use compare when you are weighing a shortlist.

Showing top 8 of 119 ranked countries. Scroll the table above for the full list.

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