{"id":348331,"date":"2026-10-12T15:10:26","date_gmt":"2026-10-12T19:10:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.sothebysrealty.com\/?p=348331"},"modified":"2026-10-12T15:10:28","modified_gmt":"2026-10-12T19:10:28","slug":"luxury-lens-what-is-the-true-value-of-luxury-living","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/luxury-lens-what-is-the-true-value-of-luxury-living\/","title":{"rendered":"Luxury Lens: What is the true value of luxury living?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

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

\"Comparison<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Two new datasets can help with that. First up, the Julius Baer Lifestyle Index, featured in the Global Wealth and Lifestyle Report 2026<\/a> published by Julius Baer in July 2026, measures the cost of a luxury lifestyle across the world\u2019s major cities by tracking the prices of a basket of luxury goods and services.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to the index, Singapore remains the world\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sydney, Milan and Bangkok are good picks for lower-cost luxury living, according to the index.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Bar<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The second dataset is a September 2026 Sotheby\u2019s International Realty\u00ae 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).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Of course, absolute cost is just one element in determining luxury value.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIncreasingly, we see active adaptation: choosing where to live, where to spend, and even where to purchase luxury goods based on relative value across jurisdictions,\u201d says Christian Gattiker, head of research, Julius Baer. \u201cThis mobility\u2014both physical and financial\u2014is becoming a defining feature of wealth in 2026.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cover Property: Sydney Sotheby’s International Realty<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":232770370,"featured_media":348332,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_seo_schema_type":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_wpcom_ai_launchpad_first_post":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[1561,1403],"tags":[1505],"class_list":["post-348331","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-luxury-lens","category-market-insights","tag-united-kingdom"],"jetpack_likes_enabled":false,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pf4gbL-1sCf","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":346522,"url":"https:\/\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/luxury-lens-does-the-era-of-a-residence-shape-its-price\/","url_meta":{"origin":348331,"position":0},"title":"Luxury Lens: Does the Era of a Residence Shape Its Price?","author":"Kate Marburger","date":"April 13, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Luxury is in the eye\u2014and tastes\u2014of the beholder. But when a high-end home was built can offer hints about its characteristics. The \u201cJanuary 2026 Luxury Housing Report: Old Versus New,\u201d published by Realtor.com\u24c7 on February 11, 2026, compares luxury U.S. homes that have a median year of construction before 2002\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Luxury Lens"","block_context":{"text":"Luxury Lens","link":"https:\/\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/category\/market-insights\/luxury-lens\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Luxury Home in Heber City, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Heber.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Heber.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Heber.jpeg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Heber.jpeg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Heber.jpeg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Heber.jpeg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":346255,"url":"https:\/\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/luxury-lens-where-does-investable-wealth-meet-luxury-real-estate\/","url_meta":{"origin":348331,"position":1},"title":"Luxury Lens: Where Does Investable Wealth Meet Luxury Real Estate?","author":"Kate Marburger","date":"March 4, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"There\u2019s wealth, and then there\u2019s investable wealth. Liquid and transferable, investable wealth is easily deployed into new assets\u2014like luxury real estate. There are 16 million people worldwide who hold at least US$1M each in investable wealth, according to \u201cInvestable Assets of the Global Wealthy,\u201d a report published on December 9,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Luxury Lens"","block_context":{"text":"Luxury Lens","link":"https:\/\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/category\/market-insights\/luxury-lens\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Estate in San Luis Obispo, California","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/SLO-Header.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/SLO-Header.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/SLO-Header.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/SLO-Header.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/SLO-Header.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/SLO-Header.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":347187,"url":"https:\/\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/luxury-lens-where-in-the-world-are-the-ultra-wealthy-moving-to\/","url_meta":{"origin":348331,"position":2},"title":"Luxury Lens: Where in the world are the ultra-wealthy moving to?","author":"Kate Marburger","date":"June 18, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"The ultra-wealthy\u2014those with a net worth of US$30M+\u2014are highly mobile. Almost one in five live outside the country they were born in, according to \u201cGlobal Citizens: Entrepreneurship, Mobility and the Ultra Wealthy,\u201d published April 22, 2026, by Altrata. This slice of the world\u2019s ultra-wealthy population is fueling demand for luxury\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Luxury Lens"","block_context":{"text":"Luxury Lens","link":"https:\/\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/category\/market-insights\/luxury-lens\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"The facade of a three-story home in London, England","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/London.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/London.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/London.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/London.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/London.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/London.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":345929,"url":"https:\/\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/luxury-lens-who-is-buying-homes-in-the-u-s\/","url_meta":{"origin":348331,"position":3},"title":"Luxury Lens: Who is Buying Homes in the U.S.?","author":"Kate Marburger","date":"January 22, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"It\u2019s a changing picture. Take first-time purchasers. The \u201c2025 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers\u201d, published by the National Association of REALTORS\u00ae (NAR) on November 4, reveals that married couples today account for just half of first-time buyer households, down from 58% in 2016 and far below the 1985 high\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Luxury Lens"","block_context":{"text":"Luxury Lens","link":"https:\/\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/category\/market-insights\/luxury-lens\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Home in Kailua, Hawaii","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/kailua.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/kailua.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/kailua.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/kailua.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/kailua.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/kailua.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":344533,"url":"https:\/\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/luxury-lens-are-overseas-buyers-in-the-market-for-luxury-u-s-homes\/","url_meta":{"origin":348331,"position":4},"title":"Luxury Lens: Are Overseas Buyers in the Market for Luxury U.S. Homes?","author":"Kate Marburger","date":"September 4, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Are overseas buyers in the market for luxury U.S. homes? 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NAR\u2019s\u00a02025 International Transactions in U.S. Residential\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "News"","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/category\/market-insights\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/header-5.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/header-5.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/header-5.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/header-5.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/header-5.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/header-5.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":348063,"url":"https:\/\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/luxury-lens-where-are-the-luxury-hotspots-for-vacation-homes\/","url_meta":{"origin":348331,"position":5},"title":"Luxury Lens: Where are the luxury hotspots for vacation homes?","author":"Kate Marburger","date":"September 16, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"As travelers begin planning seasonal getaways, new research identifies the leading vacation home markets in the U.S. and the premium price tags these spots command. In Realtor.com\u2019s \u201cJune 2026 Luxury Housing Report,\u201d published July 15, 2026, Nantucket, Massachusetts has the nation\u2019s highest share of vacation properties. Second homes account for\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Luxury Lens"","block_context":{"text":"Luxury Lens","link":"https:\/\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/category\/market-insights\/luxury-lens\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"A large luxury log cabin surrounded by tall evergreen trees on a mountainside, viewed from above at sunset. 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