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What is the true value of luxury living?

The wealthy are increasingly seeking homes in multiple jurisdictions. Choosing the right location means understanding the cost of luxury living across leading global destinations.

What is the true value of luxury living?

The wealthy are increasingly seeking homes in multiple jurisdictions. Choosing the right location means understanding the cost of luxury living across leading global destinations.

Two new datasets can help with that. First up, the Julius Baer Lifestyle Index, featured in the Global Wealth and Lifestyle Report 2026  published by Julius Baer in July 2026, measures the cost of a luxury lifestyle across the world’s major cities by tracking the prices of a basket of luxury goods and services.

According to the index, Singapore remains the world’s most expensive city for luxury living in 2026, followed by Zurich (up from fifth place in 2025) and Monaco, which replaces Hong Kong as the third most expensive global city this year.

Sydney, Milan and Bangkok are good picks for lower-cost luxury living, according to the index.

The second dataset is a September 2026 Sotheby’s International Realty® brand analysis of US$5M+ property prices in these prime locations. This reveals that Monaco, at US$6,581 per square foot, is the most expensive global city for luxury real estate, followed by Hong Kong (US$6,500 per square foot) and Zurich (US$4,330 per square foot).

Of course, absolute cost is just one element in determining luxury value.

“Increasingly, we see active adaptation: choosing where to live, where to spend, and even where to purchase luxury goods based on relative value across jurisdictions,” says Christian Gattiker, head of research, Julius Baer. “This mobility—both physical and financial—is becoming a defining feature of wealth in 2026.”

About the Author

Beth Dickerson seated with folded arms in a black suit and pale blue blouse.

Beth Dickerson

One of Boston’s most reputable real estate brokers, Beth Dickerson has achieved more than $3 billion in sales and thousands of successful real estate transactions over her thirty-five tenure. Beth has received national acclaim from the real estate industry and represents some of the most prestigious residents and properties across Massachusetts. Her enduring record as a top producer comes from the intuitive gift of sensing her clients’ needs. She has built a business that is referral-based at its core—a testament to her relationship-driven approach and penchant for exceeding expectations. It is this nuanced expertise that Beth leverages to guide many of her clients-turned-friends through some of the greatest milestones of their lives.


Beth was the proprietor of her own real estate company before joining the residential division of R. M. Bradley in 1993, where she was a top producer for more than a decade.  In 2003, she founded her own boutique real estate firm, Dickerson Real Estate, before merging with Gibson Sotheby’s International Realty in 2007. Today, Beth attributes her success to her comprehensive marketing and advertising strategies, exclusive contact network, and unparalleled insight into neighborhoods like Back Bay, Beacon Hill, the South End and Waterfront. With an understanding that no two clients are alike, she works with clients in all phases of life—from first-time buyers to luxury developers, seasoned sellers and beyond. Beth offers clients the resources to aggressively market their property locally, nationally and globally, and her attention to detail, drive and enthusiasm are unmatched.


Beth has appeared in prestigious media outlets including The Wall Street Journal, Mansion Global, The Boston Globe, and Boston magazine, and was prominently featured as Greater Boston’s real estate expert on WCVB Chronicle in 2020. She has had the honor of serving as President of the Downtown Council of the Greater Boston Real Estate Board. For over ten years, she has been a Co-Chair and Committee Member for the Massachusetts General Pediatric Hospital for Children’s Storybook Ball. She serves as a Board Member of the Community Music Center of Boston and a member for the Perkins School for the Blind, Emerald Necklace Park Conservancy, Justine Liff Luncheon, Youth Villages and the Boys & Girls Club of Boston, among dozens of other organizations throughout the Boston area.

A long-time resident of Boston’s Back Bay, Beth was an active member of the community as she raised her two children: she served as treasurer of the Clarendon Street Playground and was an avid supporter of the Hill House Community Center.