Mundevo

Mundevo data study

Relocation Affordability Report 2026

The headline findings from the Mundevo Cost of Living & Salary Index — 104 cities ranked by cost of living (New York = 100), effective payroll-tax burden and a 0–100 quality-of-life score. Free to cite with a link.

At a glance

The 2026 headline numbers

  • The cost-of-living spread across the catalog is 13×: Alexandria (index 8) is the most affordable, New York (index 100) the most expensive.
  • The lowest effective payroll-tax burden is in United Arab Emirates (~5% income tax + social security at the median wage).
  • Best value for money — most quality-of-life per unit of cost — is Alexandria (quality 46/100 at cost index 8).
Cite this report. Free to reference with attribution to “Mundevo Relocation Affordability Report 2026” linking to this page. Data as of 2026-07-03. Full table + CSV: /cost-of-living-index · Methodology: /methodology.

Most affordable

5 cheapest cities

Bang for your buck

5 best-value cities

How these findings are calculated

  • Cost index normalises a six-basket monthly budget so New York = 100.
  • Tax burden is effective income tax + employee social security for a single filer at the country median wage.
  • Best value divides the 0–100 quality score (safety, healthcare, air) by the cost index.
  • Some cities are AI-estimated (flagged on their detail page); treat those figures as ±15–25%.
  • See the full ranking of all 104 cities at the index.