10 Most Expensive Cities in the World for Luxury Living in 2026
Shuffles and surprises abounded in the 2026 edition of the Global Wealth and Lifestyle Report from private banking firm Julius Baer.
Some cities managed to climb upward through the ranking of the 10 most expensive cities in the world for luxury living thanks to the strength of their currency. Others dropped when comparing their year-over-year progress. Singapore, for the fourth year in a row, ranks number one as the most expensive city in the world for luxury living for high-net-worth individuals.
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One noticeable omission? The 2026 list did not feature any cities based in the United States. Previously, New York appeared in the 2023-2025 ranking. Miami also came in 10th place in 2023.
Let’s see which cities rank as the top global touchpoints for wealth in 2026.
1. Singapore
Singapore has ranked first as the most expensive city in the world for luxury living since 2023, and it’s highly unlikely it will experience a drop-off anytime soon. According to the report, the strength of the Singapore dollar in as well as the high price of residential property and cars are among the key reasons why Singapore remains at the top of the index.
The only time Singapore did not rank first place was in 2022 when it received fifth place honors. Quite a change from four years ago.
2. Zürich
Zürich steadily ascended into second place after occupying fifth place in 2025 and sixth in 2024. The strength of its currency buoyed its climb three places upwards in the 2026 ranking.
3. Monaco
Monaco, in third, is now at the highest place it has ever been in the index.
Previously, Monaco ranked fourth in 2025, fifth in 2024 and tied for sixth place in 2022 and 2023. Like Singapore and Zürich, currency strength has been a major contributor for entering into the top three.
4. Hong Kong
Hong Kong, which ranked third place in 2025, has dropped to fourth in 2026. As a central hub for wealth, Hong Kong has maintained a spot in the top three for the last three years and has not ranked in fourth place since 2022.
5. London
The British pound’s performance carries some of the blame for London’s significant drop into fifth place.
The European city previously ranked as the second most expensive in the world in 2025. In fifth place, this is the lowest London has been visibly seen within the index since 2022.
6. Shanghai
Shanghai maintained its sixth-place ranking in 2026, tying with the same spot in 2025. This is quite the drop-off for the Chinese financial hub which enjoyed first and second place rankings in 2022 and 2023, respectively.
7. Paris
Paris, at number seven, is at the highest it has ever been in the index. The French city previously occupied ninth place in 2025.
8. Sydney
Sydney, according to the report’s fine details, ranked 14th place in 2025 and leapt six places into the top 10 ranking for 2026.
The strength of the Australian dollar and price of importing premium goods are credited to this surprising turnaround. The last time Sydney appeared in the top 10 was in 2022 at ninth place.
9. Milan
Milan is now in ninth place, after spending 2024 and 2025 tied at number 10.
10. Bangkok
We were surprised not to see more liner notes in the report about Bangkok’s entry into this year’s ranking. The capital of Thailand secured 10th place, marking its first appearance in the top 10 index to date.
This article was provided by MoneyLion.com for informational purposes only and should not be construed as financial, legal or tax advice.
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