International Cost of Living Ranking For October 2009
The October 2009 International Cost of Living Ranking, one of the most comprehensive in the world, covers 276 cities in 209 countries across 13 basket groups. Below we have listed the Top 10 most expensive countries to live in, the biggest movers up and down in country ranking and the 5 most expensive countries per basket item.
There is no change to the first and last places. Japan remains the most expensive place for an expatriate to live with the highest overall cost of living index and Zimbabwe with the lowest cost of living index.
The Top 10 most expensive ranked international cost of living locations as at October 2009, together with the previous year's rank as at October 2008, is as follows:
October 2009 Rank Country, City (October 2008 Rank)[Change in Rank]
1. Japan, Tokyo (1) [0]
2. China, Hong Kong (33) [-31]
3. Switzerland, Geneva (4) [-1]
4. Central African Republic, Bangui (46) [-42]
5. Switzerland, Zurich (8) [-3]
6. Denmark, Copenhagen (3) [3]
7. Venezuela, Caracas (32) [-25]
8. United Arab Emirates, Dubai (34) [-26]
9. Chad, N'Djamena (15) [-6]
10. Norway, Oslo (2) [8]
Biggest Movers Up
The biggest movers up in the rankings as a result of an increase in relative cost of living are:
1. Solomon Islands, Honiara by 152 places
2. Canada, Calgary by 134 places
3. Kiribati, South Tarawa by 109 places
4. Timor-Leste, Dili by 106 places
5. Montenegro, Podgorica by 93 places
6. Vanuatu, Port Vila by 91 places
7. Saudi Arabia, Riyadh by 83 places
8. Rwanda, Kigali by 83 places
9. Cape Verde, Praia by 75 places
10. Congo Democratic Rep, Kinshasa by 61 places
Biggest Movers Down
The biggest movers down in the rankings as a result of a decrease in relative cost of living are:
1. Tonga, Nuku'Alofa by 172 places
2. Poland, Warsaw by 158 places
3. Vietnam, Hanoi by 126 places
4. Fiji, Suva by 99 places
5. Paraguay, Asuncion by 91 places
6. Hungary, Budapest by 85 places
7. Equatorial Guinea, Malabo by 82 places
8. Albania, Tirana by 77 places
9. Kenya, Nairobi by 73 places
10. Gambia, Banjul by 66 places
Top 5 most expensive international locations for each basket group
Our 13 basket groups are the result of extensive research of actual spending habits, this allows our cost of living indices to reflect a reality-based international expenditure pattern. When comparing the cost of living between 2 locations, the difference in the aggregate cost of all the items in each of the 13 basket groups are examined in each location, this is done by using the average reported price in each location for the same quantity of each item. Cost of living is the relative differential of the local cost of the basket groups and the ruling exchange rate between the 2 selected locations. The 13 basket groups are weighted according to Expatriate expenditure norms.
Alcohol & Tobacco costs for alcoholic beverages such as alcohol at bar, beer, locally produced spirit, whiskey, and wine as well as tobacco products such as cigarettes is most expensive in:
1. Kiribati, South Tarawa
2. Qatar, Doha
3. Korea Republic of, Seoul
4. Comores, Moroni
5. Norway, Oslo
Clothing costs for clothing and footwear products such as business suits, casual clothing, children's clothing and footwear, coats and hats, evening wear, shoe repairs, and underwear is most expensive in:
1. Croatia, Zagreb
2. Russia, Moscow
3. China, Beijing
4. United Arab Emirates, Dubai
5. Qatar, Doha
Communications costs for various communication costs such as home telephone rental and call charges, internet connection and service provider fees, mobile / cellular phone contract and calls is most expensive in:
1. Guinea-Bissau, Bissau
2. New Caledonia, Noumea
3. Burkina Faso, Ouagadougou
4. Latvia, Riga
5. Cameroon, Douala
Education costs such as creche / pre-school fees, high school / college fees, primary school fees, and tertiary study fees is most expensive in:
1. Venezuela, Caracas
2. Angola, Luanda
3. Brazil, Brasilia
4. Bermuda, Hamilton
5. Central African Republic, Bangui
Furniture & Appliance costs for furniture, household equipment and household appliances such as dvd player, fridge freezer, iron, kettle, toaster, microwave, light bulbs, television, vacuum cleaner, and washing machine is most expensive in:
1. Central African Republic, Bangui
2. Mali, Bamako
3. Cameroon, Douala
4. New Caledonia, Noumea
5. Chad, N'Djamena
Grocery costs for food, non-alcoholic beverages and cleaning material items such as baby consumables, baked goods, baking, canned foods, cheese, cleaning products, dairy, fresh fruits, fresh vegetables, fruit juices, meat, oil & vinegars, pet food, pre-prepared meals, sauces, seafood, snacks, soft drinks, spices & herbs is most expensive in:
1. Central African Republic, Bangui
2. Japan, Tokyo
3. Denmark, Copenhagen
4. Solomon Islands, Honiara
5. Congo, Brazzaville
Healthcare costs for general healthcare, medical and medical insurance such as general practitioner consultation rates, hospital private ward daily rate, non-prescription medicine, and private medical insurance / medical aid contributions is most expensive in:
1. Japan, Tokyo
2. China, Hong Kong
3. Kiribati, South Tarawa
4. Angola, Luanda
5. Bermuda, Hamilton
Household costs for housing, water, electricity, household gas, household fuels, local rates and residential taxes such as house / flat mortgage, house / flat rental, household electricity consumption, household gas / fuel consumption, household water consumption, and local property rates / taxes / levies is most expensive in:
1. China, Hong Kong
2. Japan, Tokyo
3. Taiwan, Taipei
4. Venezuela, Caracas
5. United Arab Emirates, Dubai
Miscellaneous costs related to stationary, linen and general goods and services such as domestic help, dry cleaning, linen, office supplies, newspapers and magazines, and postage stamps is most expensive in:
1. Central African Republic, Bangui
2. Norway, Oslo
3. Finland, Helsinki
4. New Caledonia, Noumea
5. Qatar, Doha
Personal Care costs for personal care products and services such as cosmetics, hair care, moisturizer / sun block, nappies, pain relief tablets, toilet paper, toothpaste, and soap / shampoo / conditioner is most expensive in:
1. Kiribati, South Tarawa
2. Gambia, Banjul
3. Algeria, Algiers
4. Comores, Moroni
5. Slovakia, Bratislava
Recreation and Culture costs such as books, camera film, cinema ticket, DVD and CDs, sports goods, and theatre tickets is most expensive in:
1. Central African Republic, Bangui
2. Papua New Guinea, Port Moresby
3. Mozambique, Maputo
4. Chad, N'Djamena
5. Vanuatu, Port Vila
Restaurants, Meals Out and Hotel costs such as business dinner, dinner at a restaurant (non fast food), hotel rates, take away drinks and snacks (fast food) is most expensive in:
1. United Arab Emirates, Dubai
2. Greece, Athens
3. Qatar, Doha
4. Belgium, Brussels
5. Slovenia, Ljubljana
Transport costs for public transport, vehicle costs, vehicle fuel, vehicle insurance and vehicle maintenance such as hire purchase / lease of vehicle, petrol / diesel, public transport service maintenance, tires, vehicle Insurance, and vehicle purchase is most expensive in:
1. Timor-Leste, Dili
2. Georgia Republic of, Tbilisi
3. Cameroon, Douala
4. Solomon Islands, Honiara
5. Norway, Oslo
Questions and Answers
Article Tags:
international cost of living calculator
,cost of living allowance
,cost of living comparison
A Cost of Living Allowance (COLA) is a salary supplement paid to employees to cover differences in the cost of living, particularly as a result of an international assignment. The amount of COLA should enable an expatriate to be able to purchase the same basket of goods and services in the...
What does the Cost of living have in store for us for 2011. Which locations and which basket groups are more expensive than others? Have a look at our latest Cost of Living Rankings for January 2011.
The most expensive global location to live in, as at July 2009, is still Tokyo Japan, however there have been some significant changes in the last year mainly due to large differences in exchange rates, and more recently, a real drop in prices along with the majority of global locations...
India offers the opportunity for expatriates moving to India to experience an increase in their purchasing power. The major cities of India offer a relatively low cost of living for expatriates. In assessing how much to pay an Expatriate in India, it is important to take into account the relative difference in the cost of living as well as the relative hardship.
There are a number of different types of international calling plans available. To save money, do a price comparison based on your needs. Consider your overall international calling usage during a typical month. Look at how many minutes you use and how much you pay for them. Also factor in any additional surcharges and fees. Based on your volume of international calls, you can choose a plan that provides the most savings.
Sydney is the 23rd most expensive city in the world for expatriates to live in according to the findings of an international cost of living comparison of 228 international locations, conducted by the international relocation calculator, Xpatulator.com.
In USA, one of the leading brands that offer diverse and high quality products promoting proper hygiene is Difresh USA. If you are looking for the best opportunity to grow and have the opportunity for a new business Difresh USA can help you for they are looking for Exclusive Local Distributors
Getting clean and refresh doesn't sacrifice the place where you are for it should be a habit. Having a healthy body will allow you to do things right and good. And no matter where you are you should practice a healthy and proper hygiene even in little things you do.
Maintaining a healthy and proper hygiene badly needs products that are truly effective and could truly answer our need for this. No matter where we are and at anytime we want to get clean we basically need these products right away and only Difresh USA can supply these in a very easy way
The key reason why some firms thrive while some implode during an financial recession is still a puzzle to many people business-owning business owners. Some wrongly assume that all businesses should suffer via recessionary cycles. But the truth is that some companies are usually essentially recession-proof, and it is not necessarily because they are much larger, better known, or a lot more generously capitalized.
Companies like Arch Coal (ACI) and Massey Energy (MEE) watched his or her stock climbed.
One of the most common issues faced by expatriate couples is the impact on the career of the spouse. In many expatriate locations, specialized jobs similar to what the spouse had previously held simply do not exist. This can be a critical issue in moving to another country. The potential loss of earnings, the prospect of having outdated skills on returning home, as well as the adjustment to becoming a stay at home spouse can become issues that bring an expatriate assignment to an early end.
Have you considered how when you were born determines how you will behave? How you and your peers typically react? There are 6 generations defined in generational research. They are Traditionalists, Baby Boomers, Generation X, Generation Y, Generation Z and the Alpha Generation.
Picture this. It's 2024, and you have been retired for several years now. You are up early for a light breakfast and head out on your way to the golf course while your significant other heads for the mall. But the reality is that you work at the local pro shop, and your partner works in a bookshop in an effort to supplement your retirement funds and make the money last another 30 years.
North Africa and the Middle East have been shaken by what could be described as a youthquake this year. What is driving it? Will it end soon? Should you accept an expatriate job in this region? As an expatriate how has this affected you?
Tax rates differ throughout the world. When an individual goes on an expatriate assignment they may move to a higher or lower tax regime. If differences in tax are not taken into account by multi-national organizations, it becomes difficult to move individual expatriates. What tax formulas should you be looking at when moving countries and what is Hypothetical Tax?
Discuss this Article
