In common with many other countries, France has seen its Numbeo cost of living score come down quite a bit in recent months – and it’s making for a slightly more comfortable ranking, as the country has now fallen from 15th to 20th position in our ranking. Still, with taxes and high wages, it’s not the cheapest place to be. Cars prove particularly expensive; a Volkswagen Golf or equivalent, for example, costs over $38,000 (£28k).

Meanwhile in Paris – once rated the most expensive city in the world – the price of that car would buy you less than four square metres of an apartment. According to data from Investropa, average accommodation costs can reach over $11,000 (£8k) per square metre. One area that’s much more bon marché is public transport: a single journey in the capital will only set you back around $2.93 (£2.15) thanks to relatively high subsidies.

The world’s most expensive countries to live in 2025