Cost of Living Index

[wise_rita]

Did your city make the list?

www.expatistan.com/cost-of-living/index

1 London (United Kingdom) 280

2 Oslo (Norway) 267

3 Geneva (Switzerland) 259

4 Zurich (Switzerland) 256

5 New York City (United States) 237

6 Lausanne (Switzerland) 233

7 Singapore (Singapore) 228

8 Paris (France) 219

9 San Francisco (United States) 218

10 Copenhagen (Denmark) 217

11 Sydney (Australia) 215

12 Hong Kong (Hong Kong) 214

13 Brisbane (Australia) 208

14 The Hague (Netherlands) 204

15 Stockholm (Sweden) 204

16 Honolulu (United States) 199

17 Amsterdam (Netherlands) 199

18 Melbourne (Australia) 198

19 Tokyo (Japan) 198

20 Washington D.C. (United States) 197

21 Luxembourg (Luxembourg) 196

22 Helsinki (Finland) 192

23 Dublin (Ireland) 191

24 Perth (Australia) 191

25 Adelaide (Australia) 185

26 Canberra (Australia) 183

27 Rotterdam (Netherlands) 182

28 Wellington (New Zealand) 181

29 Boston (United States) 179

30 Frankfurt am Main (Germany) 177

31 Munich (Germany) 176

32 Toronto (Canada) 175

33 Manchester (United Kingdom) 175

34 Reykjavik (Iceland) 173

35 Tel Aviv (Israel) 173

36 Seoul (South Korea) 171

37 Brussels (Belgium) 171

38 Malmo (Sweden) 170

39 Rome (Italy) 169

40 Vancouver (Canada) 167

41 Calgary (Canada) 167

42 Philadelphia (United States) 166

43 Eindhoven (Netherlands) 166

44 Seattle (United States) 166

45 Auckland (New Zealand) 165

46 Hamburg (Germany) 165

47 Buffalo (United States) 164

48 Doha (Qatar) 164

49 Abu Dhabi (United Arab Emirates) 164

50 Lagos (Nigeria) 162



I call bullshit on London costing more than Oslo, personally.    

[dulcemariamar]

We are 21 on the list. I think Lux is really expensive in some areas and not so bad in others. What drives me crazy is that people are always telling me to go to Germany. I dont want to drive 45 mins to go to the supermarket.

[loira]

dulcemariamar, when I lived in Strasbourg I was always hopping the bus to Khel to get groceries... but I was an extremely poor student and also clearly had loads of time on my hands.

On London vs Oslo, I'm sure food and clothing etc is probably cheaper here. But it could have been the rent and travel expenses (not to mention cost of childcare etc.) that clinched it.

I'm surprised that Seoul is considered more expensive than Vancouver.

[wise_rita]

Jan 19, 2014 5:31:28 GMT -5 loira said:

On London vs Oslo, I'm sure food and clothing etc is probably cheaper here. But it could have been the rent and travel expenses (not to mention cost of childcare etc.) that clinched it.

That is a very good point.  It's subsidized in Norway.

I bet a lot of stuff is nearly identical (housing, transport) but the cost of alcohol is far more in Oslo.  I have my priorities, people!  

[Deleted]

We're 5th on the list... Color me surprised.

[klingklang77]

Well, Frankfurt is 30 on the list and we are moving to Munich (31) on the list, and I don't see how it is possible to say Frankfurt is higher. I've been searching for an apartment and the rent is expensive! It seems like a significant difference. I hate apartment hunting.

[mrsukyankee]

Yay! We are number 1, say, we are number 1. just kidding...BLECH!

[Brit]

My home city is on the list, but Dubai isn't. I think Dubai can be pretty pricey, but I suppose it all goes back to where you want to live and all that jazz. You could live here for super cheap, I guess we just don't choose to.

ETA: The same thing goes for Abu Dhabi though and it made the list.

[potatopie]

oh man, DH is thinking of doing a sabbatical in San Fran next year. but I wouldn't be working and he'd still be making South African salary....not sure if it would work.

[echo]

We are 39,and it doesn't surprise me at all.

Jewels,you made me do a double take when you said 'we' were 5th

[echo]

Am I the only one who is surprised to see Nigeria on this list?

[Deleted]

Jan 19, 2014 13:56:03 GMT -5 echo said:

We are 39,and it doesn't surprise me at all.

Jewels,you made me do a double take when you said 'we' were 5th

LOL I know you're JEALOUS!

[potatopie]

Jan 19, 2014 13:58:14 GMT -5 echo said:

Am I the only one who is surprised to see Nigeria on this list?

Apparently Lagos is supposed to become one of the most populated cities in the world soon enough (if it isn't already). I'm still surprised it's so expensive as well though.

[wise_rita]

Jan 19, 2014 13:58:14 GMT -5 echo said:

Am I the only one who is surprised to see Nigeria on this list?

I was only because I have heard Angola (can't name a single city, oops) was at the very top of the list.  Because of exapts and oil and who knows what else it's beyond expensive, like London/Oslo/Geneva level.

[wise_rita]

Angola did make this list, which is COL for expats: www.mercer.com/press-releases/cost-of-living-rankings

(I got that link from this thread on MM, where I also stole the link in the OP: pandce.proboards.com/thread/279033/col-on-news?page=1&scrollTo=5206974)

[GilliC]

Jan 19, 2014 8:09:07 GMT -5 wise_rita said:

Jan 19, 2014 5:31:28 GMT -5 loira said:

On London vs Oslo, I'm sure food and clothing etc is probably cheaper here. But it could have been the rent and travel expenses (not to mention cost of childcare etc.) that clinched it.

That is a very good point.  It's subsidized in Norway.

I bet a lot of stuff is nearly identical (housing, transport) but the cost of alcohol is far more in Oslo.  I have my priorities, people!  

I really want to know what kind of pint/week rate they used in this number. If you consumed beer here at the same rate that most of my UK colleagues do, Oslo would definitely knock London down a notch.

:beer: :beer: :beer: :beer: :beer: :beer:

[potatopie]

yeah, wise_rita, I was looking for Angola on the list. haven't been, but heard it's super expensive.

[wise_rita]

Jan 20, 2014 9:34:12 GMT -5 GilliC said:

Jan 19, 2014 8:09:07 GMT -5 wise_rita said:

That is a very good point.  It's subsidized in Norway.

I bet a lot of stuff is nearly identical (housing, transport) but the cost of alcohol is far more in Oslo.  I have my priorities, people!  

I really want to know what kind of pint/week rate they used in this number. If you consumed beer here at the same rate that most of my UK colleagues do, Oslo would definitely knock London down a notch.

[GilliC]

Jan 20, 2014 18:11:42 GMT -5 wise_rita said:

Jan 20, 2014 9:34:12 GMT -5 GilliC said:

I really want to know what kind of pint/week rate they used in this number. If you consumed beer here at the same rate that most of my UK colleagues do, Oslo would definitely knock London down a notch.

If I had a frivolous time machine, I think I would go back and change my Nest name to KarenWalker.

[wise_rita]

Jan 20, 2014 19:02:28 GMT -5 GilliC said:

Jan 20, 2014 18:11:42 GMT -5 wise_rita said:

If I had a frivolous time machine, I think I would go back and change my Nest name to KarenWalker.

Or Anastasia Beaverhausen.

Does Norwegian TV still show W&G on the daily?  I've never once seen it in Australia, and that's a big, big tick in Norway's favor.

[GilliC]

Jan 20, 2014 19:24:18 GMT -5 wise_rita said:

Jan 20, 2014 19:02:28 GMT -5 GilliC said:

If I had a frivolous time machine, I think I would go back and change my Nest name to KarenWalker.

Or Anastasia Beaverhausen.

Does Norwegian TV still show W&G on the daily?  I've never once seen it in Australia, and that's a big, big tick in Norway's favor.

I haven't seen it on the guide, but I don't watch a lot of TV. And am easily distracted by Masterchef.

[Waffles]

Not sure booze was included in the calculations or there's no way Sydney & Brisbane would be lower than London!

Still bitter about paying 12€ for a 7€ (here) bottle of Australian wine!

[Wanderista]

My city made the list and I'm glad that it did. This area is booming and costs have definitely shot up in recent years. I remember the "old days" when this place was kind of a backwater. It has changed considerably so I am glad to see that acknowledged. This area has some problems related to poorly managed recent growth. Namely there are areas in which the infrastructure hasn't really kept pace. Sometimes people in the area don't really realize how much it has changed. Don't get me wrong, sometimes it has changed in very good ways. Sometimes not. It's a great city but there are a lot of areas of improvement. Every city has its issues though.

I've also spent time in some of the other cities on this list. I haven't been to Oslo but I understand why London is listed the way in which it is. Sure, there are ways to live more inexpensively there. It's possible.  But yeah, man, in general it can be pretty expensive. When I've visited recently it actually didn't seem as expensive as I remembered when I was younger but I wasn't living there at the time. Also, I guess when factoring in the cost of living in these places, they might take into account the typical per capita income in a city? They also probably account for the value of certain public goods. 

I don't know, it'd be interesting to know how they reached their conclusions about these lists and to know what statistics they used.

[GilliC]

Jan 21, 2014 8:25:43 GMT -5 Waffles said:

Not sure booze was included in the calculations or there's no way Sydney & Brisbane would be lower than London!

Still bitter about paying 12€ for a 7€ (here) bottle of Australian wine!

...Wait... 12€ for a bottle of wine? You mean like one of those little 375 ml bottles, right?

[wise_rita]

Jan 21, 2014 13:33:32 GMT -5 GilliC said:

Jan 21, 2014 8:25:43 GMT -5 Waffles said:

Not sure booze was included in the calculations or there's no way Sydney & Brisbane would be lower than London!

Still bitter about paying 12€ for a 7€ (here) bottle of Australian wine!

...Wait... 12€ for a bottle of wine? You mean like one of those little 375 ml bottles, right?

I think she means she's bitter about paying more or Australian wine in Australia than Europe.  Because it does, and it blows.  

Is that right Waffles?

[GilliC]

I assumed as much wise_rita but you know that

[Deleted]

Shanghai was in the top 100, but not the top 50. I don't think it belongs in the top 50, but I'm a little confused about cities including Detroit, Nashville, Tampa, Minneapolis, etc. being listed as more expensive.

Some things definitely justify it being lower - transportation is generally inexpensive (Metro, buses, even taxis).

But I don't think an expat would have an easy time finding adequate housing for the price they have listed, especially not in an expensive area of the city.

Like Wanderista said: there are ways to live pretty inexpensively in Shanghai, but that lifestyle wouldn't be very comfortable and would not be sustainable for the expats I know. Food quality and product quality is a big thing. You might be able to eat street food or at a noodle shop for $1.50 or less but there is a high likelihood you'll end up sick that day or the next because there are few or no sanitation standards or standards for the quality of food that is being served. And what good does eating cheaply do if it makes you sick in the long run (or the short term). And if you despise the housing you are in because you decided to spend as little as possible on it and forego things that would have upped the price, how likely are you to want to continue living in that place?

[Waffles]

Jan 21, 2014 20:18:12 GMT -5 wise_rita said:

Jan 21, 2014 13:33:32 GMT -5 GilliC said:

...Wait... 12€ for a bottle of wine? You mean like one of those little 375 ml bottles, right?

I think she means she's bitter about paying more or Australian wine in Australia than Europe.  Because it does, and it blows.  

Is that right Waffles?

Exactly right wise_rita! I had been looking forward to all the yummy wines and ended up mostly buying one I can get here for cheaper

[elenetxu]

I was surprised to see Bilbao and San Sebastian were not on the lists, especially since I'm used to hearing the locals complain (brag!?!) that these cities are the most expensive in Spain. However, food and wine remains cheap.

Mom got worried her first night in Spain when I ordered a glass of red wine and the waitress said... "Should I give her a good wine?" Mom thought the good wine was going to be +/- 10 € a glass. It's more like 1.10€

[Deleted]

Jan 22, 2014 4:39:43 GMT -5 elenetxu said:

Mom got worried her first night in Spain when I ordered a glass of red wine and the waitress said... "Should I give her a good wine?" Mom thought the good wine was going to be +/- 10 € a glass. It's more like 1.10€

Um, I'm moving to Spain, now.