Context: In Numbeo’s 2026 Cost of Living Index, Minsk ranked among the 100 least expensive of more than 500 cities worldwide, indicating a relatively low cost of living. Numbeo is a large online database that collects user-submitted data on the cost of living, prices of goods and services, and other indicators. It then calculates indices and publishes global rankings based on this data.
In the July 12, 2026 edition of Main Broadcast on the First News Channel*, the hosts noted that Minsk has much to be proud of. The Belarusian capital’s balance between income and expenses is reportedly one of the most attractive on the continent.
“This was also demonstrated by a new global ranking from a major analytics service that highlighted Minsk as a reliable economic partner and a city with a very affordable cost of living. Experts evaluated over 500 major cities worldwide. The main criterion was the index of everyday expenses, ranging from shopping costs to utility bills. In terms of this balance between well-being and spending, our capital city looks exceptionally attractive,” the hosts said on the show.
However, when it comes to balancing expenses and income, Minsk falls far short of the most attractive cities on the continent. The First News Channel mixed up two Numbeo rankings.
Minsk placed 455th out of more than 500 cities in the Cost of Living Index, which compares only price levels of food, transportation, utilities, and other everyday expenses. It does not show how these expenses correspond to residents’ income.
Numbeo has another metric for this purpose: the Local Purchasing Power Index. It estimates the amount of goods and services that city residents can purchase with an average salary. This index reflects the affordability of living for locals, or the balance between income and expenses.
The German city of Braunschweig takes the top spot in this ranking. According to the local purchasing power index, Minsk is ranked behind nearly two-thirds of the other cities included in the ranking. Moscow, Warsaw, and many European cities, including Vilnius, Riga, and Tallinn, surpassed it. At the same time, Minsk residents have more purchasing power than those in St. Petersburg, Milan, or Astana. In other words, although Minsk boasts relatively low prices, that does not mean living there is equally affordable for local residents.
The Numbeo Cost of Living Index compares price levels in cities around the world to those in New York. New York serves as the benchmark at 100%. Minsk’s index of 34 means that the same basket of everyday expenses costs residents of Minsk roughly one-third of what it does for a resident of New York. However, New York City itself only ranks 12th on the cost-of-living index. There are 11 other cities around the world where the cost of living is higher.
According to the local purchasing power index, Minsk residents with an average salary can only afford about 70% of what New Yorkers can. That might sound good, but New York City itself ranked in the middle of the third hundred of cities in terms of its income-to-expense ratio. In other words, there are many places in the world where prices are more balanced with residents’ incomes.
* The First News Channel is another name for News.by, a news outlet owned by Belteleradiocompany.
