These California cities rank as the most expensive cities to live in the world in 2024
LOS ANGELES - From San Diego to the Bay Area, three cities in California not only rank as some of the most expensive places to live in across the nation, but now, they also rank among the most expensive cities in the world.
Homeownership has become unattainable for many, rent continues to climb, and even dining at fast food restaurants is considered a luxury for some families.
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It’s not only impacting California families, but a new study by Numbeo found that 7 of the top 10 most expensive cities across the globe were in the U.S.
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Numbeo’s annual Cost of Living Index looked at the following factors to determine its rankings:
- Cost of living
- Rent
- The cost of groceries
- Restaurant pricing
- Local purchasing power
Dolores Park in the Mission neighborhood of San Francisco, California (Photographer: David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Based on those factors, here are the most expensive cities to live in the world:
- Geneva, Switzerland
- Zurich, Switzerland
- New York, New York
- San Francisco, California
- Boston, Massachusetts
- Reykjavík, Iceland
- Washington D.C.
- Seattle, Washington
- Los Angeles, California
- Chicago, Illinois
San Diego narrowly missed the top 10 and came in at No. 11. Some other cities on the West Coast were Portland (No. 15), Denver (No. 19), Phoenix (No. 38) and Las Vegas (No. 39).
Another study from Dec. 2023 had Los Angeles higher on the list and ranked it at No. 6.
SUGGESTED: These 2 California cities are among the top 10 most expensive in the world, data shows
Sunrise view of Coronado Bridge with San Diego Skyline in view from Coronado, California. (Photo by: Joe Sohm/Visions of America/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)