Cost of Living July 2012 Excluding Housing, Education, Healthcare and Transport

Posted on July 2, 2012 by Xpatulator

Moscow is the most expensive place to live in July 2012 based on the cost of living excluding the housing, education, healthcare and transport baskets. Many companies cover these costs on behalf of the employee while on international assignments. The most expensive place to live based on the overall cost of living, encompassing all cost of living baskets is Hong Kong.

The latest international cost of living rankings are based on data collected for 780 international locations, covering every country world-wide.

The cost of living (COL) data collected is representative of an expatriate lifestyle. The components of the COL data are local prices for fixed quantities of the same goods and services in each location, local inflation and exchange rates. Prices in each location are affected by availability (i.e. supply & demand) as well as local pricing regulations and taxes on goods and services (e.g.premiums on luxury brands). Local inflation is usually representative of local price increases which in turn impacts an expatriates purchasing power in the host country. The exchange rate impacts both the price of imports to the host country and the expatriate assignment salary calculation between the home and host country. The cost of living has a significant impact on the purchasing power of an expatriate’s salary package.

In many international assignments, basket groups such as housing, education, healthcare and transport are provided for by the employer, either in kind or in the form of an allowance over and above the salary. The reason why we would exclude these items, is to calculate the cost of living difference only for those items an expatriate would be responsible for paying for. If we take these basket items out of the cost of living calculation, the cost of living indexes change accordingly. For an expatriate, where these benefits are provided for them, Moscow is the most expensive city to live based on what they would typically spend their salary on.

Of the top 50 most expensive places to live based on the cost of living excluding housing, education, healthcare and transport, Europe has 19 locations, the Americas 12, Asia-Pacific 12, Africa 6 and the Middle East 1. The most expensive city in South Asia is Mumbai ranked 570.

The top 50 Most expensive places to live – Excluding Housing, Education, Healthcare and Transport Baskets:

  1. Russia, Moscow
  2. Venezuela, Caracas
  3. Switzerland, Zurich
  4. Switzerland, Geneva
  5. Brazil, Sao Paulo
  6. Switzerland, All Areas
  7. Brazil, Rio de Janeiro
  8. Venezuela, All Areas
  9. Australia, Sydney
  10. USA, New York (Manhattan) NY
  11. Australia, Canberra
  12. Denmark, Copenhagen
  13. Norway, Oslo
  14. Russia, Vladivostok
  15. Brazil, Brasilia
  16. Liechtenstein, Vaduz
  17. Central African Republic, Bangui
  18. Denmark, All Areas
  19. USA, New York (Brooklyn) NY
  20. Japan, Tokyo
  21. Eritrea, Asmara
  22. Norway, All Areas
  23. Australia, Melbourne
  24. USA, Honolulu HI
  25. Liechtenstein, All Areas
  26. Australia, Perth
  27. Russia, Kaliningrad
  28. Russia, St. Petersburg
  29. Samoa, Apia
  30. Russia, All Areas
  31. Kiribati, South Tarawa
  32. Eritrea, All Areas
  33. Russia, Nizhny Novgorod
  34. Solomon Islands, Honiara
  35. Nigeria, Lagos
  36. Canada, Toronto
  37. Monaco, Monaco
  38. Australia, Brisbane
  39. New Caledonia, Noumea
  40. USA, New York (Queens) NY
  41. Nigeria, Abuja
  42. Canada, Vancouver
  43. Angola, Luanda
  44. Azerbaijan, Baku
  45. Kiribati, All Areas
  46. Russia, Novosibirsk
  47. Bahrain, Manama
  48. USA, San Francisco CA
  49. Estonia, Tallinn
  50. Vanuatu, Port Vila

The countries that dominate the rankings are mostly due to their strong currencies which have made them relatively more expensive. Local inflation is far less of an influence on cost of living compared to changes in exchange rates. The impact of a strong currency is that imports become cheaper. For locally employed people, especially when purchasing imported goods and services, the cost of living may not seem to have a major negative impact. In fact overseas holidays become relatively cheap. However, it also means that they are relatively more expensive for those paying with foreign currency which impacts exports and the overall cost to an employer sending an assignee to work in these countries.
In addition to the impact of strong currencies, much of the developed world has historically embedded high cost of living structures that keep them amongst the most expensive places to live. Europe and America have 21 locations in the top 50 based on the overall cost of living index and 31 out of 50 places based on the cost of living excluding housing, education, healthcare and transport. The major factor contributing to this is the relatively higher level of pay in the developed world, particularly amongst lower level jobs. By contrast Africa, Asia-Pacific, the Middle East and South Asia have 29 places in the top 50 based on the overall cost of living index but only 19 out of 50 places based on the cost of living excluding housing, education, healthcare and transport.

To provide an assignee, sent to any of the most expensive countries, with a similar purchasing power to what they have in their home country, requires an adjustment to their assignment salary. The amount of adjustment depends on which country they come from. The larger the difference in cost of living, the larger the adjustment required to ensure a similar level of purchasing power in the host country.

About Xpatulator.com’s Cost of Living Data
Xpatulator.com’s cost of living data is based on prices for the same quantity and quality of goods and services, representative of expatriate lifestyle, in each city. The data is collected and updated on a quarterly basis. The cost of living data is used by Xpatulator.com clients to calculate salary purchasing power parity, cost of living allowances, and customized (i.e. clients can select their own base city) cost of living indexes for
expatriate assignments online, using Xpatulator.com’s 3 premium content calculators.

The 13 basket groups do not count equally and are weighted according to expatriate expenditure norms as follows (weighting percentage is in brackets):
1. Alcohol & Tobacco (2%): Alcoholic beverages and tobacco products.
2. Clothing (2.5%): Clothing and footwear products.
3. Communication (2%): Telephone, Internet, Mobile Contract and Calls.
4. Education (5%): Creche Fees, School Fees, College Fees, and Tertiary Study Fees.
5. Furniture & Appliances (5%): Furniture, household equipment and appliances.
6. Groceries (16.5%): Food, non-alcoholic beverages and cleaning materials.
7. Healthcare (5%): Doctor Consultation rates, Private Ward Rate, Prescription Medicine, and Private Medical Insurance Contributions.
8. Household (30%): Housing rental, utilities, local rates and residential taxes.
9. Miscellaneous (3%): Stationary, Linen and general goods and services.
10. Personal Care (3%): Personal Care products and services.
11. Recreation & Culture (6%): Books, Camera Film, Cinema Ticket, DVD and CD’s, Sports goods, Theatre Tickets.
12. Restaurants Meals Out and Hotels (2%): Dinner at Restaurant (non fast food), Hotel Rates, Take Away, Drinks & Snacks (fast Food).
13. Transport (18%): Public Transport, Vehicle Costs, Vehicle Fuel, Vehicle Insurance and Vehicle Maintenance.

About Xpatulator.com
Xpatulator.com is the most comprehensive source of international cost of living information. We provide free international cost of living overviews and rank information covering 13 cost of living baskets and every country around the world as well as premium content calculators.

Founded in 2007, Xpatulator.com’s mission is to organize the world’s cost of living indices, exchange rates and relative hardship indices and make it accessible and useful to all.

This article may be freely copied as long as reference is made to http://www.xpatulator.com/

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The Cost of Living Rankings — July 2012

Posted on July 1, 2012 by Xpatulator

The most expensive place to live in July 2012 is Hong Kong based on the overall cost of living, encompassing all cost of living baskets. Moscow is the most expensive based on the cost of living excluding the housing, education, healthcare and transport baskets. Many companies cover these costs on behalf of the employee while on international assignments.

The cost of housing in Hong Kong is one of the largest contributors to making Hong Kong the most expensive place to live overall. Hong Kong is approximately 5% more expensive than Tokyo based on the overall cost of living including household accommodation, however if the housing, education, healthcare and transport baskets are excluded, Tokyo is around 27% more expensive than Hong Kong. Household accommodation comprises 30% of the overall cost of living index. Hong Kong is very expensive for household accommodation. A 3-bedroom apartment in Hong Kong costs around 46,000 HKD / 6,000 USD per month to rent compared 300,000 JPY / 3,800 USD in Tokyo, 4,000 AUD/USD in Sydney and 2,700 EUR / 3,400 USD in Zurich.

In January 2008, 1 Japanese Yen bought USD 0.009, by January 2012 the Yen had strengthened by 44% to 0.013 USD. The positive impact on expatriates based in Japan is that imported goods priced in USD would have become a great deal cheaper in local currency. However, expatriates earning US Dollar salary packages will have seen a significant drop in salary when converted to local currency, unless assignment salary adjustments were made. In January 2008 an expat based in Japan, earning 100,000 USD per annum, was on the equivalent of around 11.1 million JPY using the ruling exchange rate at the time. If no adjustment was made to the 100,000 USD, the equivalent in January 2012 converted to local currency was 7.7 million JPY which represents a considerable drop in purchasing power. During this period Japan’s inflation has ranged between 0.1% and 1.3% per annum. The impact of the significant change in the exchange rate from 2008 to 2012 is that in order to maintain purchasing power in Japan at 2008 levels, the 100,000 USD expatriate salary package would have to be increased to around 144,000 USD in 2012.

To provide an assignee, sent from a low cost of living location to a more expensive country, with a similar purchasing power to what they have in their home country, requires an adjustment to their assignment salary. The amount of adjustment depends on which country they come from. The larger the difference in cost of living, the larger the adjustment required to ensure a similar level of purchasing power in the host country. For example an assignee sent from Houston with a cost of living index of 67.43 to Tokyo with a cost of living index of 142.12 would experience around 110% (i.e. more than double) increase in the cost of living. Therefore as at July 2012 an assignee earning 100,000 USD in Houston would need to earn around 210,000 USD in Tokyo to have the same purchasing power as they had in Houston.

Zurich, 3rd most expensive overall and most expensive city in Europe, is particularly expensive for groceries, restaurants, meals out, hotels and transport. For example a cappuccino costs around 4.20 EUR / 5.30 USD in Zurich compared to 4.40 USD in Moscow, 2.35 GBP / 3.70 USD in London and 3.60 USD in New York. A litre of petrol / gasoline costs around 1.60 EUR / 2.00 USD in Zurich compared to 0.95 USD in Moscow, 1.30 GBP / 2.04 USD in London and 1.02 USD in New York.

Caracas, 5th most expensive overall and most expensive city in the Americas, is particularly expensive for clothing, education and groceries. For example a litre of milk costs around 1.50 USD and a loaf of white bread 1.80 USD in Caracas compared to 0.90 GBP / 1.40 USD and 1.03 GBP / 1.62 USD respectively in London. Not everything in Caracas is expensive, for example a litre of petrol which costs around 0.13 USD in Caracas, costs around 1.02 USD in New York.

Sao Paulo, 10th most expensive overall and 2nd most expensive city in the Americas, is particularly expensive for clothing, furniture, appliances, and personal care. In addition a litre of petrol/gasoline costs around 1.45 USD in Sao Paulo compared to 0.60 in Luanda, 0.47 in Abu Dhabi and 0.27 USD in Doha.

Luanda is the most expensive place in Africa with an overall cost of living index of 116.01 which is similar to cities such as Brisbane, Copenhagen and Kobe in Japan. In comparison London is 1.5% more expensive, New York 14% cheaper and Cape Town 22% cheaper than Luanda.

Luanda,  is particularly expensive for restaurants, meals out and hotels. For example a cappuccino costs around 4.40 USD in Luanda and around 3.70 AUD/USD in Brisbane. Household accommodation is also expensive in Luanda, a 3 bedroom apartment in Luanda costs around 7,000 USD rent per month compared to Copenhagen at around 1,900 EUR / 2,400 USD per month. Not everything in Luanda is expensive, a litre of petrol which costs around 0.60 USD in Luanda costs around 190 JPY / 2.40 USD in Kobe in Japan.

Abu Dhabi is the most expensive place in the Middle East. Abu Dhabi’s overall cost of living index of 101.68 is similar to cities such as Rome, San Francisco and Montreal. On the other hand London is 18% more expensive, New York 1.7% cheaper and Cape Town 11% cheaper than Abu Dhabi.

Abu Dhabi is particularly expensive for restaurants, meals out and hotels. For example a cappuccino costs around 18 AED / 4.90 USD in Abu Dhabi and around 1.30 EUR / 1.63 USD in Rome. Household accommodation is also expensive, with a 3 bedroom apartment in Abu Dhabi costing around 14,000 AED / 3,800 USD rent per month compared to Rome at around 2,400 EUR / 3,000 USD per month. On the other hand a litre of milk which costs around 4.5 AED / 1.20 USD in Abu Dhabi costs around 1.5 EUR / 1.88 USD in Rome.

Mumbai is the most expensive place in South Asia, but is still considered much cheaper than many western cities. Mumbai’s overall cost of living index of 81.41 is significantly lower than cities such as London (48% more expensive), Rome (25% more expensive), New York (23% more expensive) and Cape Town (11% more expensive). Although, within the context of the region, Mumbai is considered particularly expensive for household accommodation and groceries, a 3 bedroom apartment in Mumbai costs around 67,000 INR / 1,200 USD rent per month compared to Rome at around 2,400 EUR / 3,000 USD per month. Similarly a litre of milk which costs around 40 INR / 0.72 USD in Mumbai costs around 10 ZAR / 1.20 USD in Cape Town.

The latest international cost of living rankings are based on data collected for 780 international locations, covering every country world-wide.

The cost of living (COL) data collected is representative of an expatriate lifestyle. The components of the COL data are local prices for fixed quantities of the same goods and services in each location, local inflation and exchange rates. Prices in each location are affected by availability (i.e. supply & demand) as well as local pricing regulations and taxes on goods and services (e.g.premiums on luxury brands). Local inflation is usually representative of local price increases which in turn impacts an expatriates purchasing power in the host country. The exchange rate impacts both the price of imports to the host country and the expatriate assignment salary calculation between the home and host country. The cost of living has a significant impact on the purchasing power of an expatriate’s salary package.

As the overall most expensive place to live, Hong Kong has an overall cost of living index of 149.14, followed by Tokyo with 142.12, and Zurich with 137.12. The overall index is comprised of 13 different basket groups. The assumption using the overall index is that everything is paid from the salary package. In addition, the cost of living calculations are weighted according to typical monthly international expatriate spending patterns. The Household Accommodation Basket for example, has a weighting of 30%, while the Groceries Basket has a weighting of 16.5%. That means that an international expatriate who, for example, earns 10,000 would typically spend 3,000 (30% of 10,000) on housing and 1,650 on groceries.

Of the top 50 most expensive destinations to live based on the overall cost of living, Asia-Pacific has 25 locations, Europe 12, the Americas 9, and Africa 4. The most expensive city in the Middle East is Abu Dhabi ranked 77, while in South Asia it is Mumbai ranked 345.

The top 50 Most expensive locations to live – Overall Cost of Living & All Baskets:

  1. China, Hong Kong
  2. Japan, Tokyo
  3. Switzerland, Zurich
  4. Switzerland, Geneva
  5. Venezuela, Caracas
  6. Australia, Sydney
  7. Australia, Canberra
  8. Japan, Yokohama
  9. Brazil, Sao Paulo
  10. Singapore, Singapore
  11. Australia, Perth
  12. Australia, Melbourne
  13. Japan, Osaka
  14. China, Shanghai
  15. Russia, Moscow
  16. Brazil, Rio de Janeiro
  17. United Kingdom, London
  18. Liechtenstein, Vaduz
  19. Japan, Nagoya
  20. Denmark, Copenhagen
  21. Papua New Guinea, Port Moresby
  22. Angola, Luanda
  23. Japan, Kobe
  24. Australia, Brisbane
  25. USA, New York (Manhattan) NY
  26. Japan, Kyoto
  27. Japan, Kawasaki
  28. New Zealand, Wellington
  29. Brazil, Brasilia
  30. Norway, Oslo
  31. New Zealand, Auckland
  32. Korea Republic of, Seoul
  33. USA, New York (Brooklyn) NY
  34. Korea Republic of, Daegu
  35. Korea Republic of, Incheon
  36. Japan, Fukuoka
  37. Australia, Adelaide
  38. Nigeria, Abuja
  39. Canada, Toronto
  40. Korea Republic of, Busan
  41. Nigeria, Lagos
  42. USA, Honolulu HI
  43. Monaco, Monaco
  44. Taiwan, Taipei
  45. Micronesia, Palikir
  46. Japan, Sapporo
  47. Sweden, Stockholm
  48. Canada, Vancouver
  49. France, Paris
  50. Canada, Edmonton

About Xpatulator.com’s Cost of Living Data

Xpatulator.com’s cost of living data is based on prices for the same quantity and quality of goods and services, representative of expatriate lifestyle, in each city. The data is collected and updated on a quarterly basis. The cost of living data is used by Xpatulator.com clients to calculate salary purchasing power parity, cost of living allowances, and customized (i.e. clients can select their own base city) cost of living indexes for expatriate assignments online, using Xpatulator.com’s 3 premium content calculators.

The 13 basket groups do not count equally and are weighted according to expatriate expenditure norms as follows (weighting percentage is in brackets):

1. Alcohol & Tobacco (2%): Alcoholic beverages and tobacco products.
2. Clothing (2.5%): Clothing and footwear products.
3. Communication (2%): Telephone, Internet, Mobile Contract and Calls.
4. Education (5%): Creche Fees, School Fees, College Fees, and Tertiary Study Fees.
5. Furniture & Appliances (5%): Furniture, household equipment and appliances.
6. Groceries (16.5%): Food, non-alcoholic beverages and cleaning materials.
7. Healthcare (5%): Doctor Consultation rates, Private Ward Rate, Prescription Medicine, and Private Medical Insurance Contributions.
8. Household (30%): Housing rental, utilities, local rates and residential taxes.
9. Miscellaneous (3%): Stationary, Linen and general goods and services.
10. Personal Care (3%): Personal Care products and services.
11. Recreation & Culture (6%): Books, Camera Film, Cinema Ticket, DVD and CD’s, Sports goods, Theatre Tickets.
12. Restaurants Meals Out and Hotels (2%): Dinner at Restaurant (non fast food), Hotel Rates, Take Away, Drinks & Snacks (fast Food).
13. Transport (18%): Public Transport, Vehicle Costs, Vehicle Fuel, Vehicle Insurance and Vehicle Maintenance.

About Xpatulator.com
Xpatulator.com is the most comprehensive source of international cost of living information. We provide free international cost of living overviews and rank information covering 13 cost of living baskets and every country around the world as well as premium content calculators.

Founded in 2007, Xpatulator.com’s mission is to organize the world’s cost of living indices, exchange rates and relative hardship indices and make it accessible and useful to all.

The full July 2012 overall cost of living rank for all international locations using all 13 baskets can be found here.

This article may be freely copied as long as reference is made to http://www.xpatulator.com/

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Latest Cost of Living Rankings out tomorrow 1 July – Don’t miss out!!

Posted on June 30, 2012 by Xpatulator

Will Tokyo retain its top spot as the most expensive place to live in the world based on the overall cost of living, encompassing all cost of living baskets for the 3rd quarter of 2012. How about Zurich, is the city still the most expensive based on the cost of living excluding the housing, education, healthcare and transport baskets.

Where is the cheapest city to live in the world? Is it still Bhutan?

What are the overall Cost of living indexes and who is going to win the race?

Come back tomorrow to view the list….

brought to you by Xpatulator.com for your most comprehensive source of cost of living information .

Posted in COLA, COLI, cost of living index, cost of living ranking, cost of living rankings, Expatriate Package, International Cost of Living, International cost of living comparison, International Cost Of Living Index Calculation | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on Latest Cost of Living Rankings out tomorrow 1 July – Don’t miss out!!

Differing Levels of Expatriate Compensation

Posted on June 29, 2012 by Xpatulator

We recently received an interesting FAQ that I wanted to share with you.  

The question revolved around the Cost of Living Allowance Analysis and whether it took into account the differing levels of compensation that an expat can receive.

Essentially the 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 international assignments.
It the cost of living difference is 30% then in order to have the same purchasing power the COLA would be the amount paid to compensate for the 30% higher cost of living. The salary amount should only be the salary that is exposed to the cost of living difference (typically 40% of home net salary.) For example if 60% of the salary remains in the home country and 40% is paid in the host country, then the COLA would only apply to the 40% salary in the host country.
The formula for calculating the cost of living allowance is as follows: (Net Spendable Salary x Cost of living Index x Hardship Index x Exchange Rate) LESS (Net Spendable Salary x Exchange Rate) = NET COLA
Cost of Living Allowance Calculator (COLA):  Download Demo COLA Report
The COLA report calculates how much additional allowance (over and above your current salary) you need to earn in another location to compensate for a higher cost of living, hardship and the exchange rate, in order to have the same relative spending power and as a result have a similar standard of living as you have in your current location. Each new COLA report uses 1 credit ($99). Recommended for calculation of a cost of living allowance for short-term assignments.
1 credit costs $99. Register, then login using your email address and  password, and buy your credits online. Please note that credit card verification time is usually a few minutes, but can take a few hours. Once you have your credits you can run the premium content calculators and receive your reports online within minutes.
To get started Register Now.
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CPI and the Ultimate Effect it has on Nett Income

Posted on June 28, 2012 by Xpatulator

I had a question today from an old friend and thought it worth sharing. Sometimes we take it for granted that everybody understand what the impact of inflation (CPI) is on your nett salary over time.The question was “I wonder if you can help – I do not have enough knowledge with regards to CPI and I would like to calculate the affect that it has combined with inflation on my monthly nett income.”My reply was:
CPI refers to Consumer Price Index which is a measure of inflation. A CPI typically measures the cost of a basket of goods over time in a geographical place.
Basically for every 1% local inflation, your purchasing power decreases by the same amount, if your net salary stays the same.
As an example lets take an annual inflation rate of 6%, a net salary of 110 (just to keep it simple) and a household budget of 100.
At the beginning of the year a net salary 110 covers the household budget of 100 with 10 spare (disposable income for holidays or savings). With an inflation rate of 6%, a year later the household budget of 100, all other things being equal, will have become 106 (100 + 6%). If the salary has not increased, the impact is that disposable income has dropped to 4 (110-106).
Another year of inflation at 6% will result in a household budget of 112.36 (106 + 6%). If the salary has still not increased then the disposable income will be zero and the household budget will have to be cut back by 2.36 to stay within the net salary of 110 or the deficit would have to be funded elsewhere (e.g. a second job, a loan, using savings.
Therefore to maintain purchasing power it is important that salary increases at least cover inflation. If inflation is higher than your salary increase then the bottom line is that you become poorer.

As an aside, on a larger scale, what happened in countries like Greece is similar to the above example. When the net income of the country dropped below its budget they effectively borrowed the difference and just kept increasing the debt each year instead of cutting back to live within their means. Eventually a point is reached when the size of the debt becomes to large and a crisis is reached.

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Cost of Living Rankings – Transport – April 2012

Posted on June 27, 2012 by Xpatulator

Cost of living rank of Transport cost of living indexes as at April 2012 for all global locations. The indexes are calculated using the prices for specific quantities of the same goods and services in each location, based on expatriate spending patterns across 13 broad categories (Basket Groups). Our calculators make use of the cost of living indexes, based on your input and Xpatulator’s data, to create reports online which you can save, e-mail or convert to a pdf file.
The top 10 Most expensive places – Transport Basket which includes Hire Purchase / Lease of Vehicle, Petrol / Diesel, Public Transport, Service Maintenance, Tyres, Vehicle Insurance and Vehicle Purchase:
  1. Norway, Oslo
  2. Malawi, Lilongwe
  3. Timor-Leste, Dili
  4. Norway, All Areas
  5. Malawi, All Areas
  6. Timor-Leste, All Areas
  7. Germany, Frankfurt
  8. Denmark, Copenhagen
  9. Austria, Vienna
  10. Denmark, All Areas
Xpatulator.com is the most comprehensive source of international cost of living index information.
Premium Content Calculators:
The SPPP report calculates how much you need to earn in another location to compensate for a higher cost of living, hardship, and the exchange rate, in order to have the same relative spending power and as a result have a similar standard of living as you have in your current location. Each new SPPP report uses 1 credit ($99). Recommended for a detailed comparison of 2 locations.
The COLA report calculates how much additional allowance (over and above your current salary) you need to earn in another location to compensate for a higher cost of living, hardship and the exchange rate, in order to have the same relative spending power and as a result have a similar standard of living as you have in your current location. Each new COLA report uses 1 credit ($99). Recommended for calculation of a cost of living allowance for short-term assignments.
The COLI report calculates cost of living indexes for the host locations you select, using the home location you specify. You can choose from any one of the 13 baskets or you can choose the overall cost of living index. Each new COLI report uses 1 credit ($99) allowing you to choose 1 home location and up to all available host locations.Recommended for the calculation of 3 or more cost of living indexes using your choice of base city.
1 credit costs $99. Register, buy credits online and you can run the premium content calculators and receive your reports online within minutes.
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Cost of Living Rankings – Restaurants, Meals Out and Hotel – April 2012

Posted on June 26, 2012 by Xpatulator

Cost of Living Rankings – Restaurants, Meals Out & Hotel – April 2012

Cost of living rank of Restaurants, Meals Out and Hotels cost of living indexes as at April 2012 for all global locations. The indexes are calculated using the prices for specific quantities of the same goods and services in each location, based on expatriate spending patterns across 13 broad categories (Basket Groups). The calculators make use of the cost of living indexes, based on your input and Xpatulator’s data, to create reports online which you can save, e-mail or convert to a pdf file.
The top 10 Most expensive places – Restaurants Meals Out and Hotels Basket which includes Business Dinner, Dinner at Restaurant (non fast food), Hotel Rates and Take Away Drinks & Snacks (fast Food):
  1. Angola, Luanda
  2. Angola, All Areas
  3. Switzerland, Zurich
  4. Switzerland, Geneva
  5. Switzerland, All Areas
  6. Brazil, Sao Paulo
  7. USA, New York (Manhattan) NY
  8. Australia, Sydney
  9. Greece, Athens
  10. Norway, Oslo
Xpatulator.com is the most comprehensive source of international cost of living index information.
Premium Content Calculators:
The SPPP report calculates how much you need to earn in another location to compensate for a higher cost of living, hardship, and the exchange rate, in order to have the same relative spending power and as a result have a similar standard of living as you have in your current location. Each new SPPP report uses 1 credit ($99). Recommended for a detailed comparison of 2 locations.
The COLA report calculates how much additional allowance (over and above your current salary) you need to earn in another location to compensate for a higher cost of living, hardship and the exchange rate, in order to have the same relative spending power and as a result have a similar standard of living as you have in your current location. Each new COLA report uses 1 credit ($99). Recommended for calculation of a cost of living allowance for short-term assignments.
The COLI report calculates cost of living indexes for the host locations you select, using the home location you specify. You can choose from any one of the 13 baskets or you can choose the overall cost of living index. Each new COLI report uses 1 credit ($99) allowing you to choose 1 home location and up to all available host locations.Recommended for the calculation of 3 or more cost of living indexes using your choice of base city.
1 credit costs $99. Register, buy credits online and you can run the premium content calculators and receive your reports online within minutes.
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Cost of Living Rankings – Recreation and Culture – April 2012

Posted on June 25, 2012 by Xpatulator

 

Cost of living rank of Recreation and Culture cost of living indexes as at April 2012 for all global locations. The indexes are calculated using the prices for specific quantities of the same goods and services in each location, based on expatriate spending patterns across 13 broad categories (Basket Groups). The calculators make use of the cost of living indexes, based on your input and Xpatulator’s data, to create reports online which you can save, e-mail or convert to a pdf file.

The top 10 Most expensive places – Recreation & Culture Basket which includes Books, Cinema Ticket, DVD and CD’s, Gym/Fitness Club Membership, Sports goods and Theatre Ticket:
  1. Niger, Niamey
  2. Niger, All Areas
  3. Central African Republic, Bangui
  4. Australia, Sydney
  5. Australia, Canberra
  6. Guinea-Bissau, Bissau
  7. Australia, Melbourne
  8. Australia, Perth
  9. Norway, Oslo
  10. Tajikistan, Dushanbe
Xpatulator.com is the most comprehensive source of international cost of living index information.
Premium Content Calculators:
The SPPP report calculates how much you need to earn in another location to compensate for a higher cost of living, hardship, and the exchange rate, in order to have the same relative spending power and as a result have a similar standard of living as you have in your current location. Each new SPPP report uses 1 credit ($99). Recommended for a detailed comparison of 2 locations.
The COLA report calculates how much additional allowance (over and above your current salary) you need to earn in another location to compensate for a higher cost of living, hardship and the exchange rate, in order to have the same relative spending power and as a result have a similar standard of living as you have in your current location. Each new COLA report uses 1 credit ($99). Recommended for calculation of a cost of living allowance for short-term assignments.
The COLI report calculates cost of living indexes for the host locations you select, using the home location you specify. You can choose from any one of the 13 baskets or you can choose the overall cost of living index. Each new COLI report uses 1 credit ($99) allowing you to choose 1 home location and up to all available host locations.Recommended for the calculation of 3 or more cost of living indexes using your choice of base city.
1 credit costs $99. Register, buy credits online and you can run the premium content calculators and receive your reports online within minutes.
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Cost of Living Rankings – Miscellaneous – April 2012

Posted on June 24, 2012 by Xpatulator

Cost of living rank of Miscellaneous cost of living indexes as at April 2012 for all global locations. The indexes are calculated using the prices for specific quantities of the same goods and services in each location, based on expatriate spending patterns across 13 broad categories (Basket Groups). The calculators make use of the cost of living indexes, based on your input and Xpatulator’s data, to create reports online which you can save, e-mail or convert to a pdf file.

The top 10 Most expensive places – Miscellaneous Items Basket which includes Domestic Help, Dry Cleaning, Linen, Office Supplies, Newspapers and Magazines and Postage Stamps:
  1. Russia, Moscow
  2. Russia, Vladivostok
  3. Eritrea, Asmara
  4. Russia, Kaliningrad
  5. Eritrea, All Areas
  6. Russia, All Areas
  7. Russia, Nizhny Novgorod
  8. Russia, St. Petersburg
  9. Russia, Novosibirsk
  10. Central African Republic, Bangui
Xpatulator.com is the most comprehensive source of international cost of living index information.
Premium Content Calculators:
The SPPP report calculates how much you need to earn in another location to compensate for a higher cost of living, hardship, and the exchange rate, in order to have the same relative spending power and as a result have a similar standard of living as you have in your current location. Each new SPPP report uses 1 credit ($99). Recommended for a detailed comparison of 2 locations.
The COLA report calculates how much additional allowance (over and above your current salary) you need to earn in another location to compensate for a higher cost of living, hardship and the exchange rate, in order to have the same relative spending power and as a result have a similar standard of living as you have in your current location. Each new COLA report uses 1 credit ($99). Recommended for calculation of a cost of living allowance for short-term assignments.
The COLI report calculates cost of living indexes for the host locations you select, using the home location you specify. You can choose from any one of the 13 baskets or you can choose the overall cost of living index. Each new COLI report uses 1 credit ($99) allowing you to choose 1 home location and up to all available host locations.Recommended for the calculation of 3 or more cost of living indexes using your choice of base city.
1 credit costs $99. Register, buy credits online and you can run the premium content calculators and receive your reports online within minutes.
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Cost of Living Rankings – Personal Care – April 2012

Posted on June 21, 2012 by Xpatulator

 Cost of living rank of Personal Care cost of living indexes as at April 2012 for all global locations. The indexes are calculated using the prices for specific quantities of the same goods and services in each location, based on expatriate spending patterns across 13 broad categories (Basket Groups). The calculators make use of the cost of living indexes, based on your input and Xpatulator’s data, to create reports online which you can save, e-mail or convert to a pdf file.

 
The top 10 Most expensive places – Personal Care Basket which includes Cosmetics, Haircare, Moisturiser / Sun Block, Nappies, Pain Relief Tablets, Toilet Paper, Toothpaste and Soap / Shampoo / Conditioner:
  1. Kyrgyzstan, Bishkek
  2. Iran, Tehran
  3. Kyrgyzstan, All Areas
  4. Iran, All Areas
  5. Brazil, Sao Paulo
  6. Congo Democratic Rep, Kinshasa
  7. Slovakia, Bratislava
  8. Brazil, Rio de Janeiro
  9. Australia, Sydney
  10. Slovakia, All Areas
Xpatulator.com is the most comprehensive source of international cost of living index information.
 
Premium Content Calculators:
 
The SPPP report calculates how much you need to earn in another location to compensate for a higher cost of living, hardship, and the exchange rate, in order to have the same relative spending power and as a result have a similar standard of living as you have in your current location. Each new SPPP report uses 1 credit ($99). Recommended for a detailed comparison of 2 locations.
 
The COLA report calculates how much additional allowance (over and above your current salary) you need to earn in another location to compensate for a higher cost of living, hardship and the exchange rate, in order to have the same relative spending power and as a result have a similar standard of living as you have in your current location. Each new COLA report uses 1 credit ($99). Recommended for calculation of a cost of living allowance for short-term assignments.
 
The COLI report calculates cost of living indexes for the host locations you select, using the home location you specify. You can choose from any one of the 13 baskets or you can choose the overall cost of living index. Each new COLI report uses 1 credit ($99) allowing you to choose 1 home location and up to all available host locations.Recommended for the calculation of 3 or more cost of living indexes using your choice of base city.
 
1 credit costs $99. Register, buy credits online and you can run the premium content calculators and receive your reports online within minutes.
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