30 Cheapest Cities in the World To Live In (2024)

Jodi Thornton-O'Connell

·3 min read

30 Cheapest Cities in the World To Live In (1)

Everyone loves a vacation to a new and exciting locale, but have you ever thought of living there? Some of the world's cheapest cities are also some of the most beautiful, serving up charming cafes, stunning scenery and top-notch technology along with budget-friendly living.

See: Most Affordable Places To Retire in the US
By Contrast: The World's Most Expensive Countries To Live In

GOBankingRates found the 30 cheapest cities in the world by sourcing the largest cities in the world by population from World Atlas. This list was then cross-referenced with Numbeo's cost-of-living index by city. They were ranked by cost of living, rent prices and grocery costs.

Check out the cheapest places in the world to live in.

Last updated: Sept. 22, 2021

30 Cheapest Cities in the World To Live In (2)

30. Buenos Aires, Argentina

  • Cost-of-Living Index: 37.1

  • Rent Index: 12.31

  • Groceries Index: 29.45

Discover: How Much You Need To Earn To Be 'Rich' in 23 Major Countries Around the World

30 Cheapest Cities in the World To Live In (3)

29. Nanjing, China

  • Cost-of-Living Index: 43.38

  • Rent Index: 17.05

  • Groceries Index: 44.53

Read: Best Cities To Retire on a Budget of $1,500 a Month

30 Cheapest Cities in the World To Live In (4)

28. Dhaka, Bangladesh

  • Cost-of-Living Index: 35.27

  • Rent Index: 6.26

  • Groceries Index: 31.87

Read: The Cost To Retire in America’s Sunniest Cities

30 Cheapest Cities in the World To Live In (5)

27. St. Petersburg, Russia

  • Cost-of-Living Index: 37.86

  • Rent Index: 17.27

  • Groceries Index: 31.49

30 Cheapest Cities in the World To Live In (6)

26. Baghdad, Iraq

  • Cost-of-Living Index: 36.99

  • Rent Index: 13.95

  • Groceries Index: 31.42

30 Cheapest Cities in the World To Live In (7)

25. Johannesburg, South Africa

30 Cheapest Cities in the World To Live In (8)

24. Guangzhou, China

  • Cost-of-Living Index:41.34

  • Rent Index: 19.92

  • Groceries Index: 45.05

30 Cheapest Cities in the World To Live In (9)

23. Brasilia, Brazil

  • Cost-of-Living Index: 39.97

  • Rent Index: 11.45

  • Groceries Index: 32.48

See: 27 Best Strategies To Get the Most Out of Your 401(k)

30 Cheapest Cities in the World To Live In (10)

22. Jiddah, Saudi Arabia

  • Cost-of-Living Index: 51.07

  • Rent Index: 11.62

  • Groceries Index: 43.32

30 Cheapest Cities in the World To Live In (11)

21. Chittagong, Bangladesh

  • Cost-of-Living Index: 32.39

  • Rent Index: 4.35

  • Groceries Index: 30.57

30 Cheapest Cities in the World To Live In (12)

20. Istanbul, Turkey

  • Cost-of-Living Index: 34.03

  • Rent Index: 10.06

  • Groceries Index: 30.57

30 Cheapest Cities in the World To Live In (13)

19. Cairo, Egypt

  • Cost-of-Living Index: 31.37

  • Rent Index: 8.02

  • Groceries Index: 26.66

Also See: These Southern Hidden Gem Cities Are Perfect for Retirees

30 Cheapest Cities in the World To Live In (14)

18. Bogotá, Colombia

  • Cost-of-Living Index: 30.03

  • Rent Index: 12.94

  • Groceries Index: 25.08

30 Cheapest Cities in the World To Live In (15)

17. Alexandria, Egypt

  • Cost-of-Living Index: 28.06

  • Rent Index: 6.65

  • Groceries Index: 26.88

16. Mumbai, India

  • Cost-of-Living Index: 30.07

  • Rent Index: 21.93

  • Groceries Index: 30.42

30 Cheapest Cities in the World To Live In (17)

15. Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

  • Cost-of-Living Index: 40.06

  • Rent Index: 14.48

  • Groceries Index: 40.79

30 Cheapest Cities in the World To Live In (18)

14. Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

  • Cost-of-Living Index: 52.65

  • Rent Index: 15.53

  • Groceries Index: 42.73

30 Cheapest Cities in the World To Live In (19)

13. Cape Town, South Africa

  • Cost-of-Living Index: 43.52

  • Rent Index: 24.5

  • Groceries Index: 37.48

Check Out: 50 Best and Worst Retirement Towns

30 Cheapest Cities in the World To Live In (20)

12. Ankara, Turkey

  • Cost-of-Living Index: 31.85

  • Rent Index: 6.31

  • Groceries Index: 27.53

30 Cheapest Cities in the World To Live In (21)

11. Kabul, Afghanistan

  • Cost-of-Living Index: 28.78

  • Rent Index: 4.36

  • Groceries Index: 19.55

30 Cheapest Cities in the World To Live In (22)

10. Ahmedabad, India

  • Cost-of-Living Index: 26.12

  • Rent Index: 6

  • Groceries Index: 28.36

30 Cheapest Cities in the World To Live In (23)

9. Delhi, India

  • Cost-of-Living Index: 27.68

  • Rent Index: 8.98

  • Groceries Index: 26.61

30 Cheapest Cities in the World To Live In (24)

8. Kolkata, India

  • Cost-of-Living Index: 26.15

  • Rent Index: 6

  • Groceries Index: 28.72

30 Cheapest Cities in the World To Live In (25)

7. Lahore, Pakistan

  • Cost-of-Living Index: 23.42

  • Rent Index: 5.07

  • Groceries Index: 20.53

Read: These 10 Countries Pay Less in Taxes Than Americans

30 Cheapest Cities in the World To Live In (26)

6. Chennai, India

  • Cost-of-Living Index: 26.58

  • Rent Index: 7.07

  • Groceries Index: 29.25

30 Cheapest Cities in the World To Live In (27)

5. Karachi, Pakistan

  • Cost-of-Living Index: 22.99

  • Rent Index: 5.02

  • Groceries Index: 20.6

30 Cheapest Cities in the World To Live In (28)

4. Surat, India

  • Cost-of-Living Index: 25.35

  • Rent Index: 4.74

  • Groceries Index: 27.14

30 Cheapest Cities in the World To Live In (29)

3. Hyderabad, India

  • Cost-of-Living Index: 26.38

  • Rent Index: 6.73

  • Groceries Index: 28.75

Check Out: 25 Countries Where Social Security Goes Far

30 Cheapest Cities in the World To Live In (30)

2. Pune, India

  • Cost-of-Living Index: 27.16

  • Rent Index: 7.89

  • Groceries Index: 28.05

30 Cheapest Cities in the World To Live In (31)

1. Bangalore, India

  • Cost-of-Living Index: 27.37

  • Rent Index: 8.61

  • Groceries Index: 29.54

[rock-component slug="more-from-gobankingrates"]

Jordan Rosenfeld contributed to the reporting for this article.

Photo Disclaimer: Please note photos are for representational purposes only and may not reflect the exact city listed.

Methodology: GOBankingRates sourced a list of the largest cities in the world by population from World Atlas. This list was then cross-referenced with Numbeo's cost-of-living index by city. The following factors from Numbeo were analyzed to give each city a score and produce a final ranking: 1) Local purchasing power index: Measures the relative purchasing power of a typical salary in the country. A lower purchasing power buys fewer goods, while a higher purchasing power buys more; 2) Rent index: Includes typical home rental prices in the country; 3) Groceries index: Includes typical grocery prices in the country; and 4) Cost-of-living index: Includes costs of local goods and services, such as restaurants, transportation and utilities. All data was collected and is up to date as of Sept. 13, 2021.

This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: 30 Cheapest Cities in the World To Live In

30 Cheapest Cities in the World To Live In (2024)
Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Greg Kuvalis

Last Updated:

Views: 6104

Rating: 4.4 / 5 (55 voted)

Reviews: 86% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Greg Kuvalis

Birthday: 1996-12-20

Address: 53157 Trantow Inlet, Townemouth, FL 92564-0267

Phone: +68218650356656

Job: IT Representative

Hobby: Knitting, Amateur radio, Skiing, Running, Mountain biking, Slacklining, Electronics

Introduction: My name is Greg Kuvalis, I am a witty, spotless, beautiful, charming, delightful, thankful, beautiful person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.