Bangkok breaks into the global top 10 most expensive cities for the rich in the latest Julius Baer Global Wealth & Lifestyle Report. 

If every tap of your bank card in Bangkok is starting to feel a bit painful, rest assured you aren’t imagining things. Even the ultra-wealthy are starting to wince. According to the Julius Baer Global Wealth & Lifestyle Report 2026, Bangkok has officially broken into the top ten most expensive cities in the world for high-net-worth living.

Surprising? Not if you look closely. 

The Swiss bank crunched the numbers on what it costs to live exceptionally well across 25 global cities, tracking everything from luxury real estate and supercars to business-class flights and fine dining. So don’t worry, your favourite street food stall isn’t to blame for the inflation – but the opulent lifestyle certainly is.

Out of all 25 cities surveyed, Bangkok managed to grab the crown for the absolute most expensive place on Earth to buy exactly three things: men’s suits, women’s shoes and an MBA degree. So, if you plan on looking incredibly sharp while over-analysing a corporate spreadsheet, it’s going to cost you.

As for the rest of the leaderboard, Zurich did some serious climbing by soaring from fifth to second place, while Monaco and Hong Kong swapped seats to take third and fourth respectively. Sydney decided to make a comeback after being completely absent since 2022. Meanwhile, absolutely no one was surprised to see Singapore comfortably holding onto its title as the most expensive city on Earth.

The Full List

• Singapore
• Zurich, Switzerland
• Monaco
• Hong Kong
• London, England
• Shanghai, China
• Paris, France
• Sydney, Australia
• Milan, Italy
• Bangkok, Thailand

The data was gathered between November last year and March this year, built on interviews with 360 high-net-worth individuals. These weren’t just any high-rollers either; everyone surveyed boasted bankable household assets of USD 1 or more across Europe, APAC, the Middle East, North America and Latin America.

Key factors pushing up the prices this year include the booming value of gold and shifting global currencies:

“Wealth today is inherently global, and its purchasing power is a function not only of local conditions but also of currency allocation. For internationally diversified portfolios and for globally mobile families, exchange rates are not a background variable. They are a key driver of real outcomes. This is particularly evident in 2026, where much of the apparent ‘inflation’ in the lifestyle index is, in fact, a currency story. Beyond currencies, another important driver this year is the resurgence of certain real assets – most notably gold. Rising input costs linked to precious metals are feeding through into luxury goods categories such as jewellery and watches where price increases are pronounced.”

It’s not just about buying luxury goods anymore; consumption habits are fundamentally shifting. The ultra-wealthy are now splashing out on premium experiences like travel and fine dining, particularly within the tourism sector.

To read the complete report by Julius Baer for yourself, you can find the link here.