Singapore, London, and Hong Kong still top the charts as the world’s most expensive cities — but upstarts like Dubai, Bangkok, and Tokyo are rising fast as global wealth patterns shift.
For the third year running, Singapore ranked as the world’s most expensive city for high-net-worth individuals, according to the latest Global Wealth and Lifestyle Report from Julius Baer Group, a Swiss wealth management group.
London moved into second place, nudging Hong Kong into third — but behind these familiar frontrunners, a quiet transformation could soon redraw the global map for the super wealthy
The 2025 edition of the report, published on Monday, tracked the cost of what it called “living well” — meaning the ability to afford and regularly spend on 20 luxury goods and services that high-net-worth individuals typically enjoy.
These include private school fees, luxury property, watches, fancy dinners, and business class flights. Pricing data was collected across 25 cities between November 2024 and March 2025, and each city was ranked based on the weighted-average total cost of all 20 items, converted into US dollars.
To complement the price index, Julius Baer also conducted a separate Lifestyle Survey, polling 360 high-net-worth individuals across 15 countries in February and March 2025 to understand how the wealthy are spending and investing.
While the methodology is robust, it does not account for geopolitical shifts that followed, including the Trump administration’s April tariff announcements, and its relatively small sample size may limit broad conclusions.
Still, the findings point to a clear shift in momentum: while the podium remains stable, several key cities — especially in Asia and the Middle East — are climbing fast, suggesting a broader power shift in global luxury hubs.
The top 10 most expensive cities for the wealthy in 2025
- Singapore.
- London.
- Hong Kong.
- Monaco.
- Zurich.
- Shanghai.
- Dubai.
- New York.
- Paris.
- Milan.
The quiet rise of new luxury capitals
Several emerging cities climbed the rankings at an unexpected pace, especially in Asia and the Middle East.
Dubai jumped five spots to 7th place, edging closer to European strongholds like Monaco and Zurich.
Bangkok and Tokyo both rose six positions, landing at 11th and 17th, respectively, driven by rising costs of fashion, watches, and property.
Bangkok’s “growing upper-middle class has had a direct impact on the expansion of the local luxury market,” Rishabh Saksena, cohead of Julius Baer’s global asset class specialists, told Business Insider.
“Increased wealth has mechanically driven demand for luxury goods and services, allowing the development of luxury malls, fine dining, and experiences such as spas,” he said.
“Additionally, the city benefits from Asia’s long-standing appeal as a global tourism destination.”
Tokyo’s rise reflects a similar trend.
“Tokyo, and Japan more broadly, has long been a culturally rich and influential region, with a strong luxury market, especially in areas such as fashion, fine dining, and experiences,” Saksena added. “The recent global shift among HNWIs toward valuing experiences over goods has further enhanced Tokyo’s attractivity and appeal.”
Meanwhile, Shanghai, which topped the index in 2022, fell from 4th to 6th place — a sign that its dominance may be fading
São Paulo and Mexico City also dropped notably in the rankings.
“Dubai is nipping at the heels of the bastion cities in the region for wealth and lifestyle — London, Monaco, and Zurich — in a trend that is likely to continue as the Emirate ups the ante on offering an attractive residence proposition for HNWIs,” the report said.
Behind the movements is a growing desire among the ultrawealthy for stability, wellness, and future-focused cities.
The report also notes that Dubai’s appeal lies in tax advantages, luxury infrastructure, and a booming property market, while Bangkok and Tokyo benefit from regional economic momentum and cultural cachet.
What’s driving the change?
The global average cost of “living well” actually declined 2% in US dollar terms between 2024 and 2025 — a rare drop in a sector typically shielded from macroeconomic headwinds.
Yet, beneath that decline are sharp regional contrasts:
- Business class air fares jumped 18.2% globally, driven by a shortage of jets and booming demand for premium pleasure travel.
- Luxury goods like handbags and jewellery fell in price, reflecting shifting consumer priorities.
- Private school fees soared in cities like London, where new tax rules drove up costs by over 25%.
More broadly, high-net-worth individuals increasingly prioritize experiences over possessions and longevity over status. These include spending more on wellness, curated travel, and health services, especially in Asia-Pacific and the Middle East.
“The main shift we’ve seen recently is the growing move toward aspirational consumption among HNWIs, who increasingly value experiences over physical goods,” Mark Matthews, Head of Research Asia at Julius Baer, told BI.
“This trend varies from one location to another. Markets with a long cultural history of luxury goods (e.g., Switzerland with watches or Germany with cars) tend to show a slower transition toward ‘experience-based’ spending,” he added.
Data from the Lifestyle Survey backs this up.
While luxury spending growth has cooled in Europe — where only 36% of high-net-worth individuals reported spending more on hotels — HNWIs in Asia-Pacific, the Middle East, and Latin America continue to ramp up their spending on high-end fashion, jewellery, and watches.
In APAC, 65% reported increasing spending on both hotels and watches, and 63% on women’s fashion. In the Middle East, 52% spent more on hotels and 50% on fine jewellery.
Across the board, travel and hospitality remain top spending priorities, with fine dining and five-star hotels leading the way.
A Eurasian future?
The report also hints at a broader geopolitical rebalancing in how — and where — the world’s wealthy choose to live.
“There is already talk of many wealthy Americans decamping to Europe for the next four years — and possibly forever,” Julius Baer’s report said, citing affluent individuals looking for political stability and strong institutions.
Cities like London, despite Brexit and political change, remain magnets for global wealth thanks to world-class education, healthcare, and cultural capital.
Meanwhile, Dubai plans to double the size of its economy by 2033 and is quickly becoming a rival to Europe’s traditional elite enclaves.
Read the full article here
