Cheapest Cities to Live In
The cheapest tracked city to live in is Narayanganj, Bangladesh, with an average monthly cost of $104 for a single person. The median in this list of 100 cities is around $205 per month. All prices are normalized to USD.
Costs include rent, groceries, utilities, transport, and dining out. Salaries vary independently — always check both before relocating.
On this page 3 sections
| Section | Description |
|---|---|
| Top 100 cheapest cities | Ranked by total monthly cost for a single person. |
| Related rankings | Flip to most expensive, or look at expat value. |
| Frequently asked questions | What's in the basket and why some countries aren't listed. |
- #1 Narayanganj Bangladesh $104 vs NYC 2.4/100
- #2 Mymensingh Bangladesh $107 vs NYC 2.4/100 · Salary $177.05
- #3 Butwal Nepal $108 vs NYC 2.5/100 · Salary $123.87
- #4 Bogra Bangladesh $115 vs NYC 2.6/100 · Salary $231.52
- #5 Biratnagar Nepal $119 vs NYC 2.7/100 · Salary $165.9
- #6 Hetauda Nepal $119 vs NYC 2.7/100 · Salary $215.68
- #7 Chandpur Bangladesh $121 vs NYC 2.7/100 · Salary $122.57
- #8 Bhaktapur Nepal $121 vs NYC 2.7/100 · Salary $175.86
- #9 Kushtia Bangladesh $124 vs NYC 2.8/100 · Salary $326.86
- #10 Moulvibazar Bangladesh $127 vs NYC 2.9/100 · Salary $175.69
- #11 Birgunj Nepal $128 vs NYC 2.9/100
- #12 Gazipur Bangladesh $129 vs NYC 2.9/100 · Salary $408.57
- #13 Dinajpur Bangladesh $130 vs NYC 3/100
- #14 Madaripur Bangladesh $137 vs NYC 3.1/100 · Salary $163.43
- #15 Kaduna Nigeria $140 vs NYC 3.2/100
- #16 Khulna Bangladesh $145 vs NYC 3.3/100 · Salary $145.04
- #17 Babol Iran $145 vs NYC 3.3/100 · Salary $128
- #18 Bharatpur Nepal $148 vs NYC 3.4/100 · Salary $199.08
- #19 Akure Nigeria $149 vs NYC 3.4/100 · Salary $36.77
- #20 Barisal Bangladesh $154 vs NYC 3.5/100 · Salary $171.6
- #21 Patna India $154 vs NYC 3.5/100 · Salary $357.87
- #22 Rajkot India $159 vs NYC 3.6/100 · Salary $253.73
- #23 Comilla Bangladesh $163 vs NYC 3.7/100
- #24 Gampaha Sri Lanka $163 vs NYC 3.7/100 · Salary $233.57
- #25 Chittagong Bangladesh $164 vs NYC 3.7/100 · Salary $263.43
- #26 Birtamod Nepal $167 vs NYC 3.8/100 · Salary $126.09
- #27 Guwahati India $168 vs NYC 3.8/100 · Salary $343.53
- #28 Alexandria Egypt $169 vs NYC 3.8/100 · Salary $125.25
- #29 Alexandria Jamaica $169 vs NYC 3.8/100 · Salary $125.25
- #30 Bandarawela Sri Lanka $169 vs NYC 3.8/100
- #31 Cox's Bazar Bangladesh $170 vs NYC 3.9/100 · Salary $286
- #32 Bhopal India $172 vs NYC 3.9/100 · Salary $371.6
- #33 Jessore Bangladesh $174 vs NYC 3.9/100 · Salary $245.14
- #34 Tacna Peru $180 vs NYC 4.1/100 · Salary $464.37
- #35 Coimbatore India $182 vs NYC 4.1/100 · Salary $387.55
- #36 Jamalpur Bangladesh $184 vs NYC 4.2/100 · Salary $163.43
- #37 Lucknow Lakhnau India $185 vs NYC 4.2/100 · Salary $364.64
- #38 Baghdadi Iraq $186 vs NYC 4.2/100 · Salary $500
- #39 Indore India $189 vs NYC 4.3/100 · Salary $358.93
- #40 Giza Egypt $192 vs NYC 4.4/100 · Salary $125.61
- #41 Homagama Sri Lanka $194 vs NYC 4.4/100 · Salary $155.72
- #42 Bhubaneswar India $197 vs NYC 4.5/100 · Salary $366.14
- #43 Kisii Kenya $198 vs NYC 4.5/100
- #44 Kathmandu Nepal $198 vs NYC 4.5/100 · Salary $285.35
- #45 Ayacucho Peru $199 vs NYC 4.5/100 · Salary $477.92
- #46 Thiruvananthapuram India $201 vs NYC 4.6/100 · Salary $244.59
- #47 Machakos Kenya $201 vs NYC 4.6/100 · Salary $387.96
- #48 Jaipur India $203 vs NYC 4.6/100 · Salary $395.66
- #49 Kolkata India $203 vs NYC 4.6/100 · Salary $446.52
- #50 Vadodara India $205 vs NYC 4.7/100 · Salary $476.06
- #51 Hargeysa Somalia $205 vs NYC 4.7/100 · Salary $266.67
- #52 Al 'amarah Iraq $207 vs NYC 4.7/100 · Salary $502.27
- #53 Kochi India $210 vs NYC 4.8/100 · Salary $470.29
- #54 Badulla Sri Lanka $211 vs NYC 4.8/100 · Salary $233.57
- #55 Faisalabad Pakistan $213 vs NYC 4.8/100 · Salary $199.88
- #56 Hamadan Iran $218 vs NYC 5/100 · Salary $225
- #57 Chennai India $224 vs NYC 5.1/100 · Salary $714.77
- #58 Peshawar Pakistan $225 vs NYC 5.1/100 · Salary $173.46
- #59 Dhaka Bangladesh $228 vs NYC 5.2/100 · Salary $301.43
- #60 Kadawatha Sri Lanka $228 vs NYC 5.2/100
- #61 Jinotega Nicaragua $229 vs NYC 5.2/100 · Salary $279.25
- #62 Chandigarh India $240 vs NYC 5.4/100 · Salary $451.7
- #63 Bushehr Iran $240 vs NYC 5.4/100 · Salary $280
- #64 Eldoret Kenya $240 vs NYC 5.5/100
- #65 Embu Kenya $240 vs NYC 5.4/100 · Salary $271.57
- #66 Hyderabad India $244 vs NYC 5.6/100 · Salary $1,228.12
- #67 Baie du Tombeau Mauritius $244 vs NYC 5.5/100 · Salary $640.75
- #68 Noida India $252 vs NYC 5.7/100 · Salary $751.14
- #69 Abadan Iran $257 vs NYC 5.8/100 · Salary $446.25
- #70 Abadan Turkmenistan $257 vs NYC 5.8/100 · Salary $446.25
- #71 Jaffna Sri Lanka $258 vs NYC 5.9/100
- #72 Ahmedabad India $259 vs NYC 5.9/100 · Salary $463.94
- #73 Karachi Pakistan $262 vs NYC 5.9/100 · Salary $178.97
- #74 Kalutara Sri Lanka $262 vs NYC 6/100
- #75 Ad Diwaniyah Iraq $267 vs NYC 6.1/100 · Salary $491.25
- #76 Maseru Lesotho $275 vs NYC 6.2/100 · Salary $637.79
- #77 Algiers Algeria $276 vs NYC 6.3/100 · Salary $344.21
- #78 Rawalpindi Pakistan $276 vs NYC 6.3/100 · Salary $171.73
- #79 Cajamarca Peru $276 vs NYC 6.3/100 · Salary $711.07
- #80 Tema Ghana $279 vs NYC 6.3/100 · Salary $460.42
- #81 Isfahan Iran $281 vs NYC 6.4/100 · Salary $207
- #82 Lilongwe Malawi $285 vs NYC 6.5/100 · Salary $275
- #83 Multan Pakistan $285 vs NYC 6.5/100 · Salary $175.24
- #84 Calama Chile $290 vs NYC 6.6/100 · Salary $1,233.24
- #85 Delhi India $291 vs NYC 6.6/100 · Salary $523.9
- #86 Cairo Egypt $293 vs NYC 6.7/100 · Salary $174.77
- #87 Amol Iran $293 vs NYC 6.7/100 · Salary $238.72
- #88 Ba'qubah Iraq $295 vs NYC 6.7/100 · Salary $726.74
- #89 Lahore Pakistan $295 vs NYC 6.7/100 · Salary $182.72
- #90 Bangalore India $302 vs NYC 6.9/100 · Salary $904.32
- #91 Kiambu Kenya $302 vs NYC 6.9/100 · Salary $124.15
- #92 Piura Peru $305 vs NYC 6.9/100
- #93 Bandung Indonesia $310 vs NYC 7/100 · Salary $292.25
- #94 Pune India $311 vs NYC 7.1/100 · Salary $1,145.27
- #95 Ahvaz Iran $317 vs NYC 7.2/100 · Salary $536.67
- #96 Zanzibar Tanzania $318 vs NYC 7.2/100 · Salary $319.42
- #97 Pisco Peru $319 vs NYC 7.3/100 · Salary $564.5
- #98 Kisumu Kenya $320 vs NYC 7.3/100 · Salary $775.92
- #99 Gurgaon India $322 vs NYC 7.3/100 · Salary $855.39
- #100 Emba Kazakhstan $324 vs NYC 7.4/100 · Salary $504.18
Frequently asked questions
- Which is the cheapest city to live in?
- Based on our basket of rent, food, utilities, and transport for a single person, the cheapest tracked cities are concentrated in Bangladesh, Nepal, and other parts of South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa — typically under $150 per month.
- What's included in the monthly cost?
- Rent for a one-bedroom apartment, basic utilities (electricity, water, heating, internet, mobile), a monthly public-transport pass, groceries for one person, and a small dining-out budget — all in USD.
- Are cheap cities good for remote workers?
- Cost is just one input. Check internet quality, visa rules, taxation, healthcare, and safety before relocating. Our city pages link broadband and transit costs so you can spot remote-work-friendly destinations quickly.
- Why isn't my country listed?
- We only show cities with complete data on rent, utilities, and at least one salary figure. Cities with sparse data are excluded from rankings so the list isn't skewed by outliers.