US Cost of Living Soars, Ranking Among World's Most Expensive Countries

The cost of living in the US has increased significantly after the COVID-19 pandemic, with 67% of employees reporting inflation rising faster than wages. Companies like Amazon and Bank of America have raised minimum wages.

The US ranks pretty high among the world's most expensive countries to live in 2024, although the exact place is not revealed. High inflation leads to higher interest rates and cost of living worldwide.

The top 20 most expensive countries are ranked based on cost of living data from Expatistan and Numbeo. Germany, France, UAE, Qatar, and Israel round out the top 15 countries.

The top 10 most expensive countries are Norway, Denmark, Ireland, the UK, Canada, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Israel, and Qatar.

The cost of living in Dublin, Ireland is 33% higher than Cork and 47% higher than Belfast, showing variation within countries.