Hong Kong has slipped one place to become the world’s fourth most expensive city for luxury spending, according to Swiss wealth management group Julius Baer’s Global Wealth and Lifestyle Report 2026.
The city remains firmly in the global luxury league, but Singapore continues to set the pace, keeping its No.1 position for the fourth year in a row.
Singapore Keeps The Top Spot
Singapore ranked as the world’s most expensive city for luxury spending, followed by Zurich and Monaco, while Hong Kong placed fourth.
Julius Baer’s Lifestyle Index compares the cost of 20 luxury goods and services across 25 cities worldwide, giving a snapshot of how much it costs to live, spend and consume at the high end.
The basket includes major lifestyle expenses such as residential property, private school fees, healthcare, business class flights, watches, jewellery, cars and fine dining.
Where Hong Kong Is Still Most Expensive
While Hong Kong dropped overall, it remains the most expensive city in the world for legal services and one of the costliest places for MBA studies. The city’s residential property prices also stayed near the top, ranking second globally in this year’s report.
However, not every luxury category is more expensive here. Julius Baer found that champagne and jewellery prices in Hong Kong were among the lowest across the 25 markets surveyed, showing how the city’s luxury cost profile varies sharply depending on the category.
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