The Most Expensive Cities in the World according to Nomadlist

From the economic standpoint, being a digital nomad is not easy. While more and more jobs these days are available for remote workers, a lot of them don’t offer the highest salaries you will encounter. Still, there is a positive side to this. Most of the foreign countries are very affordable to live in, and in a lot of cases, you will be able to save a few bucks even if you don’t earn that much.

However, what happens when we flip the script? As you might have guessed, not all cities are cheap to live in, and in this list, we will focus on those exact places. So, without further adieu, let’s begin our quest for the most expensive city in the world.

5. Palo Alto, United States

The first stop on our journey is Palo Alto, a small place located in California. With the population of just over 60k people, you might be wondering why is this such a popular destination. Well, although it does not have a huge population, Palo Alto is famous for being a headquarter of many high-tech companies. We are talking about the silicon valley here, at the end of the day, so that should surprise no one. Furthermore, because it’s not a huge industrial area, it is not polluted, and the air is quite fresh, while the weather is nice. What’s not so nice is the cost of living, which will set you back for about $7,704 each month. Boy, that is steep!

4. Anapolis, Brazil

You probably never expected to see a town from South America on this list, and yet, here it is. Brazil is not a rich country, so what’s the deal with this? Back in 1970, this area became an industrial center, and from that point on, it never looked back. Just look at the GDP, which is around $4.4 billion! With that in mind, it is not surprising that it’s not cheap. Still, costs of nearly $8,000 per month are a bit too much, if you ask me. At least the weather is good all year long, and the air is nice, right?

3. Bedford, United States

We have reached the midway point of our list, and already, we see the second city from USA here. Although this place is not very large, it has a rich history, as it was founded way back in 1823. While the population is not huge, just check out some of the names that call this place home. Among others, the people worth mentioning are Halle Berry, Lou Diamond, Eric Beverly, Chris Chambers and many others. As you might assume, this is not a place for the poor, and living here will be in the realm of $8,407 per month. At least you will have famous neighbors.

2. Monterey, United States

For the second city, we are heading back to Cali. Monterey is the destination. Just like the previous location from our list, it also had seen its fair share of political turmoil in the past. Another thing that’s similar? The costs of living are absolutely berserk! $8,826 per month, to be exact! Now, that number is staggering, but at least you will enjoy some fresh air and will be in a selected company. I guess sometimes, you have to pay to play.

1. Changshu, China

Yep, you’ve read that right, for the first place of the most expensive cities in the world we have to travel to China. What is there to know about it? For starters, let’s explain why is it here. While all other towns on this list were very expensive, Changshu is simply on another level. The average cost per month climbs up to $13,417! Now, I don’t know about you, but that seems crazy to me! Not to mention the fact that free wifi in nowhere to be found, and that nightlife is pretty underwhelming as well. The positive side? You will be able to earn a lot more than that around here! Would you be up for the challenge?