30 Cheapest Cities in the World To Live In
What's the cheapest city in the world?
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. Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Cost-of-Living Index: 37.1
- Rent Index: 12.31
- Groceries Index: 29.45
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29. Nanjing, China
- Cost-of-Living Index: 43.38
- Rent Index: 17.05
- Groceries Index: 44.53

28. Dhaka, Bangladesh
- Cost-of-Living Index: 35.27
- Rent Index: 6.26
- Groceries Index: 31.87

27. St. Petersburg, Russia
- Cost-of-Living Index: 37.86
- Rent Index: 17.27
- Groceries Index: 31.49

26. Baghdad, Iraq
- Cost-of-Living Index: 36.99
- Rent Index: 13.95
- Groceries Index: 31.42

25. Johannesburg, South Africa
- Cost-of-Living Index: 47.32
- Rent Index: 18.38
- Groceries Index: 37.92

24. Guangzhou, China
- Cost-of-Living Index:41.34
- Rent Index: 19.92
- Groceries Index: 45.05

23. Brasilia, Brazil
- Cost-of-Living Index: 39.97
- Rent Index: 11.45
- Groceries Index: 32.48

22. Jiddah, Saudi Arabia
- Cost-of-Living Index: 51.07
- Rent Index: 11.62
- Groceries Index: 43.32

21. Chittagong, Bangladesh
- Cost-of-Living Index: 32.39
- Rent Index: 4.35
- Groceries Index: 30.57

20. Istanbul, Turkey
- Cost-of-Living Index: 34.03
- Rent Index: 10.06
- Groceries Index: 30.57

19. Cairo, Egypt
- Cost-of-Living Index: 31.37
- Rent Index: 8.02
- Groceries Index: 26.66
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18. Bogotá, Colombia
- Cost-of-Living Index: 30.03
- Rent Index: 12.94
- Groceries Index: 25.08

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

15. Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
- Cost-of-Living Index: 40.06
- Rent Index: 14.48
- Groceries Index: 40.79

14. Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
- Cost-of-Living Index: 52.65
- Rent Index: 15.53
- Groceries Index: 42.73

13. Cape Town, South Africa
- Cost-of-Living Index: 43.52
- Rent Index: 24.5
- Groceries Index: 37.48
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12. Ankara, Turkey
- Cost-of-Living Index: 31.85
- Rent Index: 6.31
- Groceries Index: 27.53

11. Kabul, Afghanistan
- Cost-of-Living Index: 28.78
- Rent Index: 4.36
- Groceries Index: 19.55

10. Ahmedabad, India
- Cost-of-Living Index: 26.12
- Rent Index: 6
- Groceries Index: 28.36

9. Delhi, India
- Cost-of-Living Index: 27.68
- Rent Index: 8.98
- Groceries Index: 26.61

8. Kolkata, India
- Cost-of-Living Index: 26.15
- Rent Index: 6
- Groceries Index: 28.72

7. Lahore, Pakistan
- Cost-of-Living Index: 23.42
- Rent Index: 5.07
- Groceries Index: 20.53

6. Chennai, India
- Cost-of-Living Index: 26.58
- Rent Index: 7.07
- Groceries Index: 29.25

5. Karachi, Pakistan
- Cost-of-Living Index: 22.99
- Rent Index: 5.02
- Groceries Index: 20.6

4. Surat, India
- Cost-of-Living Index: 25.35
- Rent Index: 4.74
- Groceries Index: 27.14

3. Hyderabad, India
- Cost-of-Living Index: 26.38
- Rent Index: 6.73
- Groceries Index: 28.75
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2. Pune, India
- Cost-of-Living Index: 27.16
- Rent Index: 7.89
- Groceries Index: 28.05

1. Bangalore, India
- Cost-of-Living Index: 27.37
- Rent Index: 8.61
- Groceries Index: 29.54
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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.