New Delhi, Jan. 23 -- From Zurich to Honolulu, the definitive 2026 Cost of Living Index exposes where everyday life has become an elite expenditure and where affordability still persists.

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The 2026 Cost of Living Index by City is no longer a lifestyle curiosity or an expatriate planning tool. It has matured into a hard economic signal, one that policymakers, institutional investors, real estate strategists, and sovereign planners ignore at their own peril. At the apex of this year's ranking stands Zurich, reaffirming its position as the most expensive urban center on the planet. Yet the more consequential story lies beneath the headline. The index now functions as a proxy for capital concentration, policy rigidity, and the stru...