| Tokyo's cost of living index only increased by 1.4% | | | | education is Paramaribo in Suriname. |
| from July 2008 to July 2009, but is 16 index points | | | | Top 5 Furniture & Appliances |
| clear of 2nd placed Hong Kong (11th in July 2008). | | | | Costs for furniture, household equipment and |
| Hotel Rwanda Movie Questions Last year Oslo, | | | | household appliances such as DVD player, fridge |
| Norway, was the 2nd most expensive global location | | | | freezer, iron, kettle, toaster, microwave, light bulbs, |
| to live, however Oslo's cost of living relative to the | | | | television, vacuum cleaner, and washing machine are |
| rest of the world has decreased by 27 index points | | | | most expensive in Douala, followed by Bamako in |
| over the past year. | | | | Mali, Bangui, Lagos, and Freetown in Sierra Leone. |
| The cost of living indexes are based on pricing the | | | | The least expensive place for furniture & |
| same basket of goods in local currency and | | | | appliances is Harare. |
| comparing them in US Dollars using exchange rates | | | | Top 5 Groceries |
| with New York as the base (New York = 100). In | | | | Costs for food, non-alcoholic beverages and cleaning |
| most cases the major factor driving the changes has | | | | material items such as baby consumables, baked |
| been the weakening of other currencies against the | | | | goods, baking, canned foods, cheese, cleaning |
| US Dollar. This is the main factor behind Oslo's drop | | | | products, dairy, fresh fruits, fresh vegetables, fruit |
| from 2nd to 13th most expensive global location to | | | | juices, meat, oil & vinegars, pet food, |
| live. The Norwegian Kroner has decreased 19% | | | | pre-prepared meals, sauces, seafood, snacks, soft |
| against the US Dollar over the past year. In contrast | | | | drinks, spices & herbs are most expensive in |
| the Japanese Yen has increased 12.7% against the | | | | Tokyo followed by Bangui, Honiara, Copenhagen in |
| US Dollar over the past year. | | | | Denmark, and Lagos. The least expensive place for |
| The 5 Most Expensive Global Locations Overall | | | | groceries is again Harare. |
| Joining Tokyo and Hong Kong in the top 5 most | | | | Top 5 Healthcare |
| expensive global locations are Caracas in Venezuela | | | | Costs for general healthcare, medical and medical |
| (up 62 places in the rankings) to 3rd most expensive, | | | | insurance such as general practitioner consultation |
| followed by Bangui in the Central African Republic, | | | | rates, hospital private ward daily rate, |
| and in 5th place is Geneva in Switzerland, down 2 | | | | non-prescription medicine, and private medical |
| places from July 2008. | | | | insurance / medical aid contributions are most |
| The 5 Biggest jumps | | | | expensive in Tokyo followed by Hong Kong, Caracas, |
| The largest increase in relative cost of living is Harare | | | | Luanda and Hamilton in Bermuda. The least expensive |
| in Zimbabwe, albeit off a very low base. Harare has | | | | place for healthcare is Tianjin. |
| been ranked the least expensive global location for | | | | Top 5 Household |
| several years, mainly due to hyperinflation and a | | | | Costs for housing, water, electricity, household gas, |
| constantly weakening currency. This year Zimbabwe's | | | | household fuels, local rates and residential taxes such |
| cost of living index has jumped 118% and is now | | | | as house / flat mortgage, house / flat rental, |
| ranked 275th most expensive out of 276 global | | | | household electricity consumption, household gas / |
| locations. Other large increases in relative cost of | | | | fuel consumption, household water consumption, and |
| living in the past year are Honiara in the Solomon | | | | local property rates / taxes / levies are most |
| Islands up 37% compared to July 2008, Caracas up | | | | expensive in Hong Kong followed by Tokyo, Taipei in |
| 22%, Kigali in Rwanda up 19% while the 5th largest | | | | Taiwan, Dubai, and Luanda. The least expensive place |
| jump belongs to Manama in Bahrain, up 17%. | | | | for household costs is Asmara in Eritrea. |
| The 5 Least Expensive Global Locations Overall | | | | Top 5 Personal Care |
| The least expensive global location to live in this year | | | | Costs for personal care products and services such |
| is Tianjin in China with a cost of living index of just 30 | | | | as cosmetics, hair care, moisturizer / sun block, |
| compared to New York's index of 100. Harare in | | | | nappies, pain relief tablets, toilet paper, toothpaste, |
| Zimbabwe, last years least expensive global location | | | | and soap / shampoo / conditioner are most |
| is now 2nd least expensive, followed by Durban in | | | | expensive in Banjul in Gambia followed by, Algiers in |
| South Africa. Phnom Penh in Cambodia is ranked 4th | | | | Algeria, South Tarawa in Kiribati, Moroni in the |
| least expensive followed by Mbabane in Swaziland. | | | | Comores, and Bratislava in Slovakia. The least |
| The 5 Biggest drops | | | | expensive place for personal care is Ulaanbaatar in |
| The largest decrease in relative cost of living is | | | | Mongolia. |
| Nuku'Alofa in Tonga with a decrease of 45%, | | | | Top 5 Recreation & Culture |
| followed by Brazzaville in the Congo with a decrease | | | | Costs such as books, camera film, cinema ticket, |
| of 31%. The Congolese Franc has lost 44% against | | | | DVD and CD's, sports goods, sports clubs and |
| the US Dollar compared to July 2008. Mbabane in | | | | theatre tickets are most expensive in Maputo in |
| Swaziland had a decrease in relative cost of living of | | | | Mozambique followed by Bangui, Doha, N'Djamena in |
| 30%, while Budapest in Hungary decreased 28%. The | | | | Chad, and Cotonou in Benin. The least expensive |
| 5th largest decrease between July 2008 and July | | | | place for recreation & culture is Harare. |
| 2009 was Guangzhou in China with a decrease of | | | | Top 5 Restaurants, Meals Out and Hotel |
| 27% despite the Yuan strengthening slightly against | | | | Costs such as business dinner, dinner at a restaurant |
| the US Dollar by 1%. | | | | (non fast food), hotel rates, take away drinks and |
| The Details: What Costs the Most Where? | | | | snacks (fast Food) are most expensive in Dubai |
| Top 5 Alcohol & Tobacco | | | | followed by Doha, Athens in Greece, Brussels in |
| Alcoholic beverages such as beer, locally produced | | | | Belgium and Ljubljana in Slovenia. The least expensive |
| spirit, whiskey, and wine as well as tobacco products | | | | place for restaurants, meals out and hotel is Tianjin. |
| such as cigarettes are most expensive in Doha in | | | | Top 5 Transport |
| Qatar, followed by Oslo, Manama, Moroni in Comores | | | | Costs for public transport, vehicle costs, vehicle fuel, |
| and South Tarawa in Kiribati. The least expensive | | | | vehicle insurance and vehicle maintenance such as hire |
| place for alcohol & tobacco is Kuwait. | | | | purchase / lease of vehicle, petrol / diesel, public |
| Top 5 Clothing | | | | transport service maintenance, tires, vehicle |
| Clothing and footwear products such as business | | | | Insurance, and vehicle purchase are most expensive |
| suits, casual clothing, children's clothing and footwear, | | | | in Tbilisi in the Republic of Georgia, followed by |
| coats and hats, evening wear, shoe repairs, and | | | | Honiara, Dili in Timor-Leste, Douala, and Oslo. The |
| underwear are most expensive also in Doha, followed | | | | least expensive place for transport is Tianjin. |
| by Zagreb in Croatia, Dubai, Beijing and Manama. The | | | | Best Places to Live |
| least expensive place for clothing is Dhaka in | | | | So if you were to relocate anywhere in the world |
| Bangladesh. | | | | right now, where would you experience the lowest |
| Best Hotel Finder Click here | | | | cost of living with the least amount of hardship? |
| Top 5 Communication | | | | Hardship is used as the measure of discomfort a |
| Communication costs such as home telephone rental | | | | person and their family are likely to experience. Each |
| and call charges, internet connection and service | | | | global location is ranked between 1 which is minimal |
| provider fees, mobile / cellular phone contract and | | | | hardship and 4 which is extreme hardship. Assuming |
| calls are most expensive in Bissau in Guinea-Bissau, | | | | therefore that you would want to live in a minimal |
| followed by Noumea in New Caledonia, Riga in Latvia, | | | | hardship location, the location with the lowest cost of |
| Ouagadougou in Burkina Faso, and Douala in | | | | living index is Adelaide in Australia. Adelaide is a |
| Cameroon. The least expensive place for | | | | minimal hardship location and has a cost of living index |
| communication is Conakry in Guinea. | | | | of 60 compared to New York's index of 100. The |
| Top 5 Education | | | | next 6 best places to live on this basis are all in the |
| Costs such as creche / pre-school fees, high school / | | | | USA. Memphis Tennessee is 2nd followed by El Paso |
| college fees, primary school fees, and tertiary study | | | | Texas 3rd, St Louis Missouri 4th, and in 5th is |
| fees are most expensive in Caracas followed by | | | | Indianapolis Indiana. The next best non-USA location |
| Luanda in Angola, Brasilia in Brazil, Hamilton in Bermuda | | | | is Auckland in New Zealand in 8th place. |
| and Lagos in Nigeria. The least expensive place for | | | | |