From New York's Billionaire's Row to Asia's dizzyingly-high skyscrapers, building big comes with huge price tags. 

We’ve rounded up the most expensive, tallest towers in the world. Read on to discover the top 35 most costly skyscrapers, with all pre-2020 figures adjusted in line with inflation – though with many major cities ringed with construction cranes, it's a fast-evolving list that's likely to change soon.

All dollar values in US dollars unless otherwise stated.

At 1,198ft (365m) tall, St. Regis Chicago is the tallest building in the world designed by a female architect: Jeanne Gang, head of architecture firm Studio Gang. Finished in 2020 for a price tag of $1 billion (£765m), the building comprises luxury penthouses, some of which offer 360-degree views of the city. Unsurprisingly, these high-end apartments don't come cheap; penthouses sold in 2021 went for $6-8 million (£4.5-£6m).

Hamburg's Elbphilharmonie concert hall opened in 2017. Despite being seven years behind schedule and nearly 10 times over budget at €789 million, which is $1.1 billion (£840m) today, the striking structure has earned an important place in the city's ever-changing waterfront area. Rising 361 feet (110m) above the harbour, this unusual building is a fusion of old and new, combining a 1960s brick lower section and a modern glass upper section. It was designed by the Swiss architects Herzog & de Meuron. 

Trump Tower in New York is arguably the most famous building emblazoned with the name of the former US president, but Trump International Hotel & Tower in Chicago is the most expensive, costing $847 million when it was built in 2009. That's the equivalent of $1.2 billion (£920m) today. It's also one of the tallest buildings in the US at 1,388 feet (423m) high. 

Situated in the heart of Singapore's business district, the 40-storey CapitaGreen building has been recognised for its eco-friendly design and earned several awards. Green in every sense of the word, vegetation covers more than half of its facade, which helps to reduce heat in the summertime, while floor-to-ceiling double glazing keeps the warmth in when the weather is cooler.

The innovative structure wasn't cheap though, coming in at a grand total of $1 billion when it was completed in 2014. That's $1.3 billion (£995m) in 2024 money.

A soaring skyscraper topped by a pointed spire, the New York Times Building is one of the tallest in the city, measuring 1,047 feet (319m). Built between 2003 and 2007, the 52-storey building serves as the newspaper's company headquarters. The tower contains retail and garden space on the ground floor, offices going up to the 50th floor and the top two floors are occupied by a mechanical space and a rooftop conference facility. It cost $850 million in 2007, the equivalent of $1.3 billion (£995m) in today's money.

In September 2012, Moscow's 1,112-foot (339m) Mercury City hit the headlines when it became the tallest skyscraper in Europe, overtaking the Shard in London. This unusual bronze-coloured tower, located in the heart of Moscow's financial district, is also one of the most expensive buildings in the world, coming in at an estimated $1 billion when it opened in 2013, which is $1.35 billion (£1bn) today.

Located in downtown Calgary, Canada, The Bow is recognisable for its unusual curved shape with triangulated sections. The convex facade faces into the direction of the prevailing wind, a decision made to reduce the load on the structure and, therefore, the amount of steel needed. Costing the equivalent of $1.37 billion (£1.05bn) to build in 2012, this skyscraper, currently the office of a major energy company among others, is the second tallest office building in Calgary at 775 feet (236m).

The Bank of America Tower in New York is one of the most sustainable skyscrapers on the planet, becoming the first commercial high-rise to receive LEED Platinum certification, the highest credential awarded by the US Green Building Council. The structure, which serves primarily as home to Bank of America but also contains the offices of other companies, was completed in 2009 at a cost of $1 billion, which is $1.47 billion (£1.13bn) in today's money.

Construction on the world's second tallest building, Merdeka 118 in Kuala Lumpur, was completed in 2023. Standing 2,233 feet (609m) tall, the mixed-use skyscraper has 118 storeys for offices, hotels and retail. Merdeka 118 cost $1.5 billion (£1.15bn) to build, less than the city's iconic Petronas Towers.

The fourth tallest building in Sydney, Chifley Tower was constructed between 1988 and 1992 at a total cost of AU$1 billion at the time. That's the equivalent of $1.56 billion (£1.19bn) in today's money. Initially owned by the international conglomerate Bond Corporation, it was transferred to Japanese construction company Kumagai Gumi in 1992 after Bond Corporation went bankrupt. It's since changed hands several times.

When construction completed in 2015, 432 Park Avenue was briefly the tallest residential building in the world. Many of its exclusive properties sold to celebrities and other super-rich people using shell companies to hide their identities. Unfortunately, owners have since discovered many problems with the luxury high rise, from plumbing issues to structural concerns. The developer of the $1.25 billion skyscraper project, which would have cost $1.66 billion (£1.27bn) in today's money, has been entangled in a lawsuit with residents since 2021.

Clad in Alabama Silver Shadow limestone and standing 950 feet (289m) tall, 220 Central Park South has been home to some of the most exclusive apartments in New York since it opened in 2019 after costing $1.4 billion to build, the equivalent of $1.7 billion (£1.3bn) in today's money. In 2023, a condo in the building sold for $75 million (£57m). Along with 432 Park Avenue, it's one of several relatively new ultra-luxurious residential skyscrapers in New York that have earned the collective nickname 'Billionaire's Row'. 

With its distinctive bottle opener-shaped structure, the Shanghai World Financial Center (SWFC) was created to be a 'magnet' bringing together information and financial services under one roof. The 1,614-foot (492m) tall building is located in the Pudong New Area, surrounded by other tall skyscrapers. It was completed in 2008 at a cost of $1.2 billion. That's equivalent to $1.75 billion (£1.34bn) in 2024 money. 

The second tallest building in London, there were lofty plans for this 62-storey tower to be more than just a collection of offices, offering up a climbing wall and a food hall. However, construction on the skyscraper hit numerous delays, including the arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic, which delayed its completion to late 2020. The tower, which reached 95% occupancy in spring 2024, cost $1.86 billion (£1.42bn) to build.

American telecoms giant Comcast is headquartered in Philadelphia, and in 2018, it added the 1,121-foot (342m) tall Comcast Innovation and Technology Center to its cluster of HQ buildings in the heart of the city. Designed by British architecture firm Foster + Partners, with the vision of creating a 'Silicon Valley-style' workplace, the building combines a mix of workspaces and TV studios, shops, bars, restaurants, and a 12-storey Four Seasons hotel. It cost $1.4 billion to build, which is $1.88 billion (£1.44bn) in today's money. 

A mixed-use urban development that contains retail and office spaces, an InterContinental hotel, cafes, restaurants and more, the Wilshire Grand Center was built at a cost of $1.5 billion (£1.1bn), with construction starting in 2014 and finishing in 2017. That's $1.93 billion (£1.48bn) today. It also holds the title of the tallest building in Los Angeles, with a height of 1,099 feet (335m). 

Completed in 1985, when the Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation (HSBC) headquarters were still located in Hong Kong, architect Norman Foster was given the simple brief to make "the best bank headquarters in the world". His groundbreaking tower featured an exterior truss system unlike anything seen before, cementing Foster's reputation in the architecture world. The 44-storey skyscraper cost $668 million when it opened in 1985, which is $1.95 billion (£1.49bn) in 2024 money.

Plagued by a series of construction problems and delays, the new Seat of the European Central Bank in Frankfurt went massively over budget. Upon its completion in 2014, the total cost of the skyscraper complex hit €1.4 billion, the equivalent of $1.98 billion (£1.52bn) today. The building was designed to be as energy efficient as possible, using the warmth generated by its computer centre to heat its office space.

In a city as densely populated as New York, there's not much room to build unless you go up, and that's what developers have done. When construction started over a decade ago on One57, the spacious apartments were selling for as much as $95 million ($126bn/£96bn today) to ensure residents had panoramic views of the entire city. Construction was completed in 2014 at a price of $1.5 billion, which is around $2 billion (£1.53bn) today. The tower, with its iconic curved roof, is located on 57th Street in Manhattan and includes a Park Hyatt Hotel. 

Opened in 2022, the super skinny, sky-high Steinway Tower got its name from the famous piano maker that once occupied the site. The 1,428-foot (435m) tall building overlooks New York's Central Park and offers palatial-sized apartments to those with eight-figure budgets. Its total cost was $2 billion (£1.53bn). 

Standing at a stomach-churning 2,722 feet (830m) high, Dubai's Burj Khalifa is hands down the tallest structure on the planet, but it isn't even the most expensive building in Dubai. The skyscraper was completed in 2010 at a cost of $1.5 billion, the equivalent of $2.17 billion (£1.66bn) in today's money. 

Initially planned for Saint Petersburg’s historic city centre, local opposition backed by Unesco campaigned to move the 1,516-foot (462m) tower elsewhere. Despite its relocation to the city's edge along the Baltic Sea, Europe's tallest tower remained contentious. Set to be the new headquarters of state-owned energy company Gazprom, which would cover half the bill while the city picked up the rest, the total construction cost has not officially been released. However, shortly before the project was completed in 2019, The Moscow Times reported it to be $1.8 billion, or $2.22 billion (£1.7bn) in today's money.

When this 50-storey tower in Canary Wharf opened in 1991, it was the tallest building in the UK, a title it held until 2012. Constructed as part of a major redevelopment of London's Docklands, the skyscraper represented the city's new role in the global finance industry. The cost of building One Canada Square is reported at £624 million or $2.23 billion (£1.71bn) today, and it's currently the third tallest building in London.

The most expensive private residence on the planet, Antilia is the Mumbai home of billionaire Mukesh Ambani. The super-ostentatious 27-storey tower was completed in 2010 and is thought to have cost its owner a massive $2 billion, the equivalent of $2.89 billion ($2.21bn) today.

Completed in July 2012, Italian architect Renzo Piano's 1,016-foot (310m) masterpiece was the EU's tallest building until the UK left the European Union on 31 January 2020. The cost of the entire development of the Shard, which included revamping areas around London Bridge railway station, totalled around £1.5 billion, which is $2.96 billion (£2.27bn) today.

When it was completed in 2004, Tapei 101 in Taiwan was the world's tallest building. Five years later it was usurped by Dubai's Burj Khalifa. The postmodern skyscraper, which blends traditional and contemporary styles, cost $1.8 billion to build at the time. That's the equivalent of $3 billion (£2.3bn) today.

The world's tallest residential building, Central Park Tower (pictured on the right) is yet another of several residential skyscrapers in New York that make up 'Billionaire's Row'. These super tall towers along the southern end of Central Park offer many of the city's most expensive homes – a five-bedroom apartment sold for more than $43 million (£33m) in summer 2024. Construction finished in 2020 at a cost of $3 billion (£2.3bn). 

The spectacular twin towers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, held the title of the world's tallest buildings from 1998 to 2004. Designed by Argentine architect Cesar Pelli, the Petronas Towers cost around $1.6 billion to construct during the late 1990s, the equivalent of $3.1 billion (£2.37bn) today.

The global headquarters of investment bank Goldman Sachs was never going to be a low-budget affair. Its luxurious $2.1 billion ($3.1bn/£2.37bn today) head office in New York opened its doors in 2009.

Previously known as the Time Warner Center, it cost $1.8 billion ($3.1bn/£2.37bn today) to build the double-tower building when it opened in 2003. It housed the media company’s headquarters and the New York studios for cable news channel CNN. Finance firm Deutsche Bank took over as the main tenant in 2021.

Standing 2,073 feet (632m) high, Shanghai's twisty tower boasts all sorts of records, from the world's fastest lifts to the highest observation deck on the planet. It opened in 2015 with a final construction bill of  $2.4 billion. That's $3.19 billion (£2.44bn) in 2024 money.

Reaching a whopping 1,820 feet (555m), the Lotte World Tower is the tallest building in South Korea. The 123-storey tower boasts office space, private residences, a hotel, sky bar, and observation deck. Construction started in 2011 and the skyscraper opened in 2017. The final bill was in the region of $2.5 billion, which is $3.21 billion (£2.46bn) today.

At 1,731 feet (523m) tall, the CITIC Tower can't be missed among Beijing's skyline – both due to its height and its unique curving form. It ranks as the tallest building in the city and the fifth tallest in China. When it opened in 2019 the total project cost came in at $3.4 billion, the equivalent of $4.2 billion (£3.22bn) today.

Initially planned in 2011 with a height of 2,086 feet (636m), the Wuhan Greeland Center was eventually scaled down and redesigned. The building is still among the top 10 tallest towers in China at 1,560 feet (475m). However, all of the redesign work and other delays have added up. When the skyscraper finally finished and opened in 2023, total project costs reached $4.5 billion (£3.45bn), according to Statista. 

One World Trade Center is the principal building in the rebuilt World Trade complex in New York. It stands 1,776 feet (541m) tall to symbolise the year the United States Declaration of Independence was signed. The skyscraper was completed in 2014 at a cost of $3.9 billion, which works out at $5.2 billion (£4bn) in 2024 money, and is now the tallest building in the US.

Now discover the troubled tale of the tallest skyscraper in the world