The general cost of living varies dramatically across countries and regions, with some major Western cities ranking among the most expensive globally while many developing and emerging nations offer significantly lower day-to-day expenses for rent, food, and transport combined. According to international cost-of-living databases that track hundreds of cities worldwide, housing typically represents the largest single expense, with one-bedroom apartments in city centers ranging from a few hundred dollars per month in Southeast Asian or Latin American cities to several thousand in places like New York, London, Singapore, or Zurich. Groceries show similarly wide variation: research indicates that U.S. grocery prices run approximately 74% higher than in Mexico, and UK groceries are roughly 34% pricier than Portugal's, with staple items like rice, bread, vegetables, and meat often selling for 30–60% less in countries such as Thailand, Mexico, or Spain compared to Northern Europe or North America. Transportation costs also differ greatly depending on infrastructure and local wages, with monthly public transit passes costing under €50 in cities like Lisbon but exceeding £150 in London, and gasoline in Mexico or Thailand often priced at only 50–70% of U.S. rates. On average, total living costs including rent are roughly 30–40% lower in many expat-friendly countries than in the UK or USA, meaning that someone moving from a high-cost Western city to a mid-range destination abroad could see their monthly expenses drop substantially even while maintaining a comfortable lifestyle. However, these savings are not universal: wealthy financial centers, tourist-heavy island nations, and Scandinavian countries tend to have higher costs across all categories, so travelers and expats should research specific destinations using tools like Numbeo, Expatistan, or official cost-of-living calculators to understand realistic budgets before committing to long stays.