Switzerland consistently ranks as the most expensive country for dining out, with high costs for both groceries and restaurant meals, followed closely by Nordic countries like Norway, Iceland, and Denmark, due to high wages, strict standards, and strong economies. While specific cities like Zurich and Oslo often top lists for city dining, Switzerland generally holds the top spot for overall country expense, even for budget options.
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Food is any substance, usually from plants, animals, or fungi, that provides essential nutrients (carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins, minerals) to organisms for energy, growth, and to maintain life, consumed orally for nourishment, pleasure, or health, with fruits like avocados (🥑) and kiwis (🥝) being excellent examples of nutrient-rich options. It's the foundation of nutrition, supporting bodily functions like breathing and immune health, and plays a big role in culture, memory, and well-being, extending beyond just physical sustenance.
Cheapest country to live in
The richest country by GDP (PPP) per capita is often cited as Singapore, followed closely by Luxembourg, depending on the specific report and year, with Singapore leading in 2025 estimates with around $156,000-$157,000 per person, while Luxembourg is a strong contender just below that, highlighting small, finance-heavy economies as wealthiest per person.
Top 10 most and least expensive cities in the world 2024
The top 10 most expensive cities are, in order from rank 1 to rank 10: Hong Kong, Singapore, Zurich, Geneva, Basel, Bern, New York City, London, Nassau and Los Angeles.
According to Eurostat, in 2024, North Macedonia was the cheapest country for food among 36 European nations. A standard food basket there cost €73 there, making it 27% cheaper than the EU average. Switzerland is the most expensive, with food prices 61.1% above the EU average.
Top 5 Most Expensive Ingredients
The number 1 restaurant in the world for 2025, according to The World's 50 Best Restaurants, is Maido in Lima, Peru, celebrated for its innovative Nikkei cuisine (Japanese-Peruvian fusion). While Maido holds the top spot for 2025, the 2024 winner was Disfrutar in Barcelona, and rankings can vary slightly between different culinary guides.
1. International Space Station: $150 Billion. The most expensive thing in the world is the International Space Station, which was designed between 1984 and 1993 in a joint collaboration of NASA (US), Roscosmos (Russia), JAXA (Japan), ESA (Europe), and CSA (Canada) with a total cost of USD 150 billion.
I ate the world's rarest foods: Here are the top 21
Australia currently stands as the second-wealthiest country in the world, with a median wealth per adult of US$268,000 (AU$413,000). In other words, half the population has more than this amount and half has less.
South Sudan ranks as the poorest country globally, grappling with prolonged civil war, oil dependency, and severe food insecurity. The ongoing conflict disrupts agricultural production, leaving over 60% of its population in need of humanitarian assistance.
The United States is richer than China when comparing total economic output (nominal GDP) and individual wealth (GDP per capita), but China leads in Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) GDP, reflecting its massive domestic market's buying power, and has a larger overall economy by some measures, though the US remains ahead. The US has significantly more millionaires and billionaires, showing greater wealth concentration.
The most affordable countries among the safest in the world are Latvia, Chile, Costa Rica, Slovakia, and Lithuania. The cost of living in these states varies from $1,000 to $1,100 per month.
Second, Socio-geography also contributes to low prices in Vietnam. Vietnam is a country located in the tropical monsoon region, which is hot and humid, creating favorable conditions for farming and animal husbandry. Therefore, Vietnam is a large producer and exporter of food, which makes these products cheap.
The ten cheapest cities in the world 2020 according to an Economist Intelligence Unit survey.
10 Best Cuisines in the World
Originating in East Asia, it should be no surprise that almost all of the largest producers of rice, and the largest consumers of rice come from the region. Due to sheer size alone China dominates both categories overall, but when it comes to per person consumption, nobody eats more rice than the people of Myanmar.
Tomatoes - the world's most popular vegetable.