Post: #1

A lot of people on this forum have asked, "can you live in XxxXX for XXX amount of money" or some variation of that. Before you travel, it is good to do you research about that city and find out the variables, general information, and how much you money will be worth in that country. Remember a pro international playboy always knows his surrounders and is prepared.

The Major factor to use to determine this is Cost of Living. There are certain indexes that govern and contribute to this factor. For those who don't know, Cost of living is a tool to determine how expensive it is to live in that city, from cost of groceries to renting your own place.

Find out how each city fairs right here: http://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/rankings.jsp

The Indexes are as follows:

Consumer Price Excl. Rent Index (CPI): is relative indicator of consumer goods price, including groceries, restaurants, transportation and utilities. CPI Index doesn't include accomodation expenses such as rent or mortgage. If city has CPI index of 120, it means Numbeo estimates it is 20% more expensive than New York (excluding rent).

Rent Index: is estimation of prices of renting apartments in the city compared to New York City. If Rent index is 80, Numbeo estimates that price for renting in that city is 80% of price in New York.

Groceries Index: is an estimation of grocery prices in the city compared to New York City. To calculate this section, Numbeo uses "Markets" section of each city.

Restaurants Index: is a comparison of prices of meals and drinks in restaurants and bars compared to NYC.

Consumer Price Plus Rent Index: is an estimation of consumer goods prices including rent in the city comparing to New York City.

Local Purchasing Power shows relative purchasing power in buying goods and services in a given city for the average wage in that city. If domestic purchasing power is 40, this means that inhabitans of that city with the average salary can afford to buy 60% less typical goods and services than New York City residents with an average salary.



This will save you major time and will definitely help you when making your decision to travel to any location. This will definitely help some of you guys out, especially if you travel on the regular. Besides that have fun and play hard.

Post: #2

(02-02-2013 10:14 PM)Insignia Wrote:  A lot of people on this forum have asked, "can you live in XxxXX for XXX amount of money" or some variation of that. Before you travel, it is good to do you research about that city and find out the variables, general information, and how much you money will be worth in that country. Remember a pro international playboy always knows his surrounders and is prepared.

The Major factor to use to determine this is Cost of Living. There are certain indexes that govern and contribute to this factor. For those who don't know, Cost of living is a tool to determine how expensive it is to live in that city, from cost of groceries to renting your own place.

Find out how each city fairs right here: http://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/rankings.jsp

The Indexes are as follows:

Consumer Price Excl. Rent Index (CPI): is relative indicator of consumer goods price, including groceries, restaurants, transportation and utilities. CPI Index doesn't include accomodation expenses such as rent or mortgage. If city has CPI index of 120, it means Numbeo estimates it is 20% more expensive than New York (excluding rent).

Rent Index: is estimation of prices of renting apartments in the city compared to New York City. If Rent index is 80, Numbeo estimates that price for renting in that city is 80% of price in New York.

Groceries Index: is an estimation of grocery prices in the city compared to New York City. To calculate this section, Numbeo uses "Markets" section of each city.

Restaurants Index: is a comparison of prices of meals and drinks in restaurants and bars compared to NYC.

Consumer Price Plus Rent Index: is an estimation of consumer goods prices including rent in the city comparing to New York City.

Local Purchasing Power shows relative purchasing power in buying goods and services in a given city for the average wage in that city. If domestic purchasing power is 40, this means that inhabitans of that city with the average salary can afford to buy 60% less typical goods and services than New York City residents with an average salary.



This will save you major time and will definitely help you when making your decision to travel to any location. This will definitely help some of you guys out, especially if you travel on the regular. Besides that have fun and play hard.

The problem with online indexes is that they're wrong. To give just one example, here is the info. for Rio:
Rio De Janeiro, Brazil 91.85 39.61 73.05 59.80 69.92 42.76

The problem is that there's no way rent is just 40% of what it is in NY. If you include the suburbs, sure, but there's no way a tourist or expat, let alone a player, would live there. The prices for apts. you're going for, if you're even able to find them, are much *higher* than in NY. And hotels and airbnb is also higher than in NY.

This is why this kind of index is all but useless. Only word of mouth really helps. And the #1 cost for long-term expats is rent in a central location; this index totally misses that. It has Tokyo at a 95 rent rating, when in fact you can find cheaper and better housing in Tokyo right now (and last year as well) than you can in Rio. Everyone I've talked to said Rio is a lot more expensive than Tokyo. This index has it backwards, as do all of them. Paris and a number of other cities have absurd ratings as well. It also misses the short-term rent market: will you ever be able to find a centrally-located apt. *living on your own* in NY for short-term for under $1000/month? I can find several in Tokyo within a week, without speaking the language.

The threads exist on this forum because there's so little reliable info. out there on the actual cost of life in other countries, especially for people who want to live the way some posters here do.

Post: #3

(02-03-2013 12:08 AM)Bronze Age Pervert Wrote:  

(02-02-2013 10:14 PM)Insignia Wrote:  A lot of people on this forum have asked, "can you live in XxxXX for XXX amount of money" or some variation of that. Before you travel, it is good to do you research about that city and find out the variables, general information, and how much you money will be worth in that country. Remember a pro international playboy always knows his surrounders and is prepared.

The Major factor to use to determine this is Cost of Living. There are certain indexes that govern and contribute to this factor. For those who don't know, Cost of living is a tool to determine how expensive it is to live in that city, from cost of groceries to renting your own place.

Find out how each city fairs right here: http://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/rankings.jsp

The Indexes are as follows:

Consumer Price Excl. Rent Index (CPI): is relative indicator of consumer goods price, including groceries, restaurants, transportation and utilities. CPI Index doesn't include accomodation expenses such as rent or mortgage. If city has CPI index of 120, it means Numbeo estimates it is 20% more expensive than New York (excluding rent).

Rent Index: is estimation of prices of renting apartments in the city compared to New York City. If Rent index is 80, Numbeo estimates that price for renting in that city is 80% of price in New York.

Groceries Index: is an estimation of grocery prices in the city compared to New York City. To calculate this section, Numbeo uses "Markets" section of each city.

Restaurants Index: is a comparison of prices of meals and drinks in restaurants and bars compared to NYC.

Consumer Price Plus Rent Index: is an estimation of consumer goods prices including rent in the city comparing to New York City.

Local Purchasing Power shows relative purchasing power in buying goods and services in a given city for the average wage in that city. If domestic purchasing power is 40, this means that inhabitans of that city with the average salary can afford to buy 60% less typical goods and services than New York City residents with an average salary.



This will save you major time and will definitely help you when making your decision to travel to any location. This will definitely help some of you guys out, especially if you travel on the regular. Besides that have fun and play hard.

The problem with online indexes is that they're wrong. To give just one example, here is the info. for Rio:
Rio De Janeiro, Brazil 91.85 39.61 73.05 59.80 69.92 42.76

The problem is that there's no way rent is just 40% of what it is in NY. If you include the suburbs, sure, but there's no way a tourist or expat, let alone a player, would live there. The prices for apts. you're going for, if you're even able to find them, are much *higher* than in NY. And hotels and airbnb is also higher than in NY.

This is why this kind of index is all but useless. Only word of mouth really helps. And the #1 cost for long-term expats is rent in a central location; this index totally misses that. It has Tokyo at a 95 rent rating, when in fact you can find cheaper and better housing in Tokyo right now (and last year as well) than you can in Rio. Everyone I've talked to said Rio is a lot more expensive than Tokyo. This index has it backwards, as do all of them. Paris and a number of other cities have absurd ratings as well. It also misses the short-term rent market: will you ever be able to find a centrally-located apt. *living on your own* in NY for short-term for under $1000/month? I can find several in Tokyo within a week, without speaking the language.

The threads exist on this forum because there's so little reliable info. out there on the actual cost of life in other countries, especially for people who want to live the way some posters here do.

http://www.expatistan.com/ uses "monthly rent for a 85 m2 (900 Sqft) furnished apartment in expensive area of the city" to compare rent.

Post: #4

I have looked a these indices as well and have searched for cities I have lived in. They give a very rough idea about consumption items but are usually off in the housing section. Just check airbnb or Craigslist for reasonable apt cost and supply.

Post: #5

Lol Bronze, it's not wrong, it's just that you're not gonna be paying what the locals pay for rent.

Try expatistan.

Post: #6

The charts are updated yearly and it is a good compiled source for all of the essential information. I have used that site many times and although it is not exact to the 100% it is a really good estimate and quite accurate. Rent and Grocery Index is extremely important if you want to live in a foriegn place for more than 1 month.

This is like a scouting report and can definitely be used to anyones advantage.