Rankings

High Tax Cities

High tax metros — when public services offset price of living.

#	City	Country	Monthly	Score	Link
1	Paris	France	$2,900	62	View
2	London	United Kingdom	$3,500	61	View
3	Dublin	Ireland	$3,200	65	View
4	Amsterdam	Netherlands	$2,800	68	View
5	Melbourne	Australia	$2,900	64	View
6	Sydney	Australia	$3,200	63	View
7	Toronto	Canada	$2,800	66	View
8	Vancouver	Canada	$2,900	64	View
9	Auckland	New Zealand	$2,600	67	View
10	Berlin	Germany	$2,300	71	View
11	Montreal	Canada	$2,200	70	View
12	San Francisco	United States	$4,500	58	View
13	New York	United States	$4,200	59	View
14	Seoul	South Korea	$2,200	72	View
15	Austin	United States	$2,600	66	View
16	Denver	United States	$2,700	65	View
17	Miami	United States	$3,100	60	View
18	Tokyo	Japan	$2,600	70	View
19	Milan	Italy	$2,400	70	View
20	Rome	Italy	$2,100	69	View
21	Singapore	Singapore	$3,800	68	View
22	Athens	Greece	$1,550	74	View
23	Barcelona	Spain	$2,200	73	View
24	Dubrovnik	Croatia	$1,700	74	View
25	Madrid	Spain	$2,050	75	View
26	Santiago	Chile	$1,300	77	View
27	Taipei	Taiwan	$1,600	80	View
28	Valencia	Spain	$1,750	75	View
29	Buenos Aires	Argentina	$900	76	View
30	Cape Town	South Africa	$1,100	75	View
31	Prague	Czech Republic	$1,600	79	View
32	Bali (Denpasar)	Indonesia	$1,100	78	View
33	Lisbon	Portugal	$1,650	77	View
34	Porto	Portugal	$1,450	78	View
35	São Paulo	Brazil	$1,200	75	View
36	Warsaw	Poland	$1,500	79	View
37	Bogotá	Colombia	$1,100	77	View
38	Budapest	Hungary	$1,350	80	View
39	Kuala Lumpur	Malaysia	$1,050	82	View
40	Marrakech	Morocco	$850	76	View
41	Medellín	Colombia	$1,050	77	View
42	Bangkok	Thailand	$1,200	80	View
43	Bucharest	Romania	$1,200	80	View
44	Chiang Mai	Thailand	$900	80	View
45	Ho Chi Minh City	Vietnam	$950	80	View
46	Mexico City	Mexico	$1,400	77	View
47	Playa del Carmen	Mexico	$1,600	74	View
48	Istanbul	Turkey	$1,100	77	View
49	Abu Dhabi	UAE	$2,300	78	View
50	Dubai	UAE	$2,500	78	View

Paris, France

$2,900/mo · Score 62

London, United Kingdom

$3,500/mo · Score 61

Dublin, Ireland

$3,200/mo · Score 65

Amsterdam, Netherlands

$2,800/mo · Score 68

Melbourne, Australia

$2,900/mo · Score 64

Sydney, Australia

$3,200/mo · Score 63

Toronto, Canada

$2,800/mo · Score 66

Vancouver, Canada

$2,900/mo · Score 64

Auckland, New Zealand

$2,600/mo · Score 67

#10

Berlin, Germany

$2,300/mo · Score 71

#11

Montreal, Canada

$2,200/mo · Score 70

#12

San Francisco, United States

$4,500/mo · Score 58

#13

New York, United States

$4,200/mo · Score 59

#14

Seoul, South Korea

$2,200/mo · Score 72

#15

Austin, United States

$2,600/mo · Score 66

#16

Denver, United States

$2,700/mo · Score 65

#17

Miami, United States

$3,100/mo · Score 60

#18

Tokyo, Japan

$2,600/mo · Score 70

#19

Milan, Italy

$2,400/mo · Score 70

#20

Rome, Italy

$2,100/mo · Score 69

#21

Singapore, Singapore

$3,800/mo · Score 68

#22

Athens, Greece

$1,550/mo · Score 74

#23

Barcelona, Spain

$2,200/mo · Score 73

#24

Dubrovnik, Croatia

$1,700/mo · Score 74

#25

Madrid, Spain

$2,050/mo · Score 75

#26

Santiago, Chile

$1,300/mo · Score 77

#27

Taipei, Taiwan

$1,600/mo · Score 80

#28

Valencia, Spain

$1,750/mo · Score 75

#29

Buenos Aires, Argentina

$900/mo · Score 76

#30

Cape Town, South Africa

$1,100/mo · Score 75

#31

Prague, Czech Republic

$1,600/mo · Score 79

#32

Bali (Denpasar), Indonesia

$1,100/mo · Score 78

#33

Lisbon, Portugal

$1,650/mo · Score 77

#34

Porto, Portugal

$1,450/mo · Score 78

#35

São Paulo, Brazil

$1,200/mo · Score 75

#36

Warsaw, Poland

$1,500/mo · Score 79

#37

Bogotá, Colombia

$1,100/mo · Score 77

#38

Budapest, Hungary

$1,350/mo · Score 80

#39

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

$1,050/mo · Score 82

#40

Marrakech, Morocco

$850/mo · Score 76

#41

Medellín, Colombia

$1,050/mo · Score 77

#42

Bangkok, Thailand

$1,200/mo · Score 80

#43

Bucharest, Romania

$1,200/mo · Score 80

#44

Chiang Mai, Thailand

$900/mo · Score 80

#45

Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

$950/mo · Score 80

#46

Mexico City, Mexico

$1,400/mo · Score 77

#47

Playa del Carmen, Mexico

$1,600/mo · Score 74

#48

Istanbul, Turkey

$1,100/mo · Score 77

#49

Abu Dhabi, UAE

$2,300/mo · Score 78

#50

Dubai, UAE

$2,500/mo · Score 78

France · Europe

FR Paris

$2,900/mo

Overall score 62

United Kingdom · Europe

GB London

$3,500/mo

Overall score 61

Ireland · Europe

IE Dublin

$3,200/mo

Overall score 65

Netherlands · Europe

NL Amsterdam

$2,800/mo

Overall score 68

Australia · Oceania

AU Melbourne

$2,900/mo

Overall score 64

Australia · Oceania

AU Sydney

$3,200/mo

Overall score 63

Canada · North America

CA Toronto

$2,800/mo

Overall score 66

Canada · North America

CA Vancouver

$2,900/mo

Overall score 64

New Zealand · Oceania

NZ Auckland

$2,600/mo

Overall score 67

Germany · Europe

DE Berlin

$2,300/mo

Overall score 71

Canada · North America

CA Montreal

$2,200/mo

Overall score 70

United States · North America

US San Francisco

$4,500/mo

Overall score 58

High tax cities: price of living with public services

High-tax metros appear in price of living comparison debates because VAT and payroll taxes stack on already elevated rent. This ranking isolates cities where tax burden scores are lower in our model (meaning heavier taxes). Compare against cheapest cities to live lists only after valuing healthcare, education, and transport subsidies you may actually use.

Cost of living calculator for net outcomes

Gross salary comparisons mislead. Run the cost of living calculator on each city with your income band, then discuss effective rates with a tax professional. The living expenses comparison must include consumption taxes on daily living expenses, not just rent.

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