Belgium squeezed into the top 20 in a ranking of the most expensive countries to live in during 2020, in a list in which European countries take up half the spots.
Nabbing the 18th spot in the list, Belgium just made it into the top 20, ranking just ahead of other wealthy countries such as the United States (20th), Finland (22nd) or the United Kingdom (27th).
Among a total of 132 countries, Switzerland was crowned the pricier country to live in for the current year, with Norway, Iceland, Japan and Denmark rounding out the top five.
For the ranking, CEOWORLD pooled together different studies and datasets, such as the Numbeo cost of living index, as well as a range of living cost indicators ranging from accommodation and groceries to taxi fares and eating out costs.
With an average index score of 100, the "notoriously expensive" city of New York was used as a reference point, with countries' ranking determined by their proximity to 100.
With a total of ten countries listed, European nations are the largest group in the ranking's top 20, which also includes the small country of Luxembourg, France, the Netherlands, Ireland and Austria.
Taking up the bottom spots in the ranking, the world's most affordable countries to live in in 2020 are: India, Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Gabriela Galindo
The Brussels Times
