Showing posts with label Calgary Cost of Living. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Calgary Cost of Living. Show all posts

Sunday, April 13, 2014

Venezuelan Capital Tops List of Most Expensive Cities in the Americas

Caracas, Venezuela is the most expensive city to live in as an expat in the Americas.

According to Xpatulator.com's cost of living data collected for the April 2014 quarter, Caracas has dropped from being the most expensive expat city in the world to the second most expensive but it still tops the Americas list for foreign workers.

The ongoing rampant inflation, shortages and tight government controls on foreign exchange have continued to ensure that this South American city remains at the top of the rankings, keeping it ahead of Manhattan.  Manhattan which is the second most expensive city in this region, in contrast has well stocked boutiques, while shops in Caracas are suffering from shortages with long lines and bare shelves.  As the world's fifth largest exporter of oil, Venezuela was once a top destination for skilled foreign oil and gas works, this is being eroded by the strict government regulations that limit hiring and compensation for foreign workers and by the high cost of living.

The government price controls and official exchange rate of 6.3 Bolivers to the US Dollar have created a black market where products from cooking oil to rice is diverted to the Colombian border, creating prices that are 10 - 12 times higher. 

Canada is seeing an influx of skilled expat workers coming from this area, with a booming oil and gas industry growing in Calgary, which moved up the list from 101st to 87th most expensive city to live in the region as an expat.

Xpatulator.com provides up-to-date cost of living data for over 700 locations worldwide.


Top Ten City Rankings for The Americas

  1. Caracas
  2. Manhattan
  3. Hamilton
  4. George Town
  5. Nassau
  6. Sao Paulo
  7. Brooklyn
  8. Rio de Janeiro
  9. New York
  10. Toronto

For the full ranking list for The Americas go here.

Thursday, July 21, 2011

Moving to Calgary

In our series of short blogs on moving between different international locations, we highlight cost of living and other major differences likely to be experienced.
Today we look at moving to Calgary in Canada from Gaborone in Botswana.
In Gaborone people speak English (official) and Setswana. In Calgary people speak English and French (both official).

Gaborone, is the capital and largest city of Botswana.
Calgary is the largest city in the Province of Alberta, Canada.
Gaborone is the center of the national economy. The Southern African Development Community (SADC) has its headquarters in Gaborone.
Calgary's economy while diverse is home to 87% of Canada's oil and natural gas producers and 66% of coal producers.

The overall cost of living rank in Gaborone is 210 out of 300 global locations, which equates it with low cost of living locations. An expatriate moving from Gaborone to Calgary which has an overall cost of living rank of 60, which equates it with high cost of living locations, will experience a change in cost of living of 33.8%.
In terms of the hardship people are likely to experience, assessed in global terms, Calgary is ranked as a minimal hardship location with a hardship index of 10% compared to Gaborone with a hardship index of 20% which is a some hardship location.

Source: http://www.xpatulator.com as at July 2011.

Sunday, July 18, 2010

Canada, Calgary - Cost of Living

The economy of Canada is one of the world's wealthiest, with a high per-capita income, and it is a member of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the G8. It is one of the world's top ten trading nations.


Calgary is the largest city in the Province of Alberta, Canada. Calgary's economy while diverse is home to 87% of Canada's oil and natural gas producers and 66% of coal producers.
Calgary has an overall cost of living index which equates it with high cost of living locations. The overall cost of living index is comprised of the prices for defined quantities of the same goods and services across all 13 Basket Groups.


The latest cost of living rank for each of the 13 Basket Groups is now available.
Read More

Saturday, February 20, 2010

Canada, Calgary Cost of Living January 2010

LOCATION: Canada is in Northern North America, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean on the east, North Pacific Ocean on the west, and the Arctic Ocean on the north, north of the USA.

CAPITAL CITY: Ottawa

LARGEST CITY: Toronto

CURRENCY: Canadian Dollar (CAD)

ECONOMY: Canada is an affluent, high-tech industrial society, with a market-oriented economic system, pattern of production, and affluent living standards. The growth of the manufacturing, mining, and service sectors has transformed it from a largely rural economy into primarily industrial and urban. Calgary's economy is still dominated by the oil and gas industry, despite recent diversification.
Calgary has an overall cost of living index which equates it with high cost of living locations. The overall cost of living index is comprised of the prices for defined quantities of the same goods and services across all 13 Basket Groups. Calgary is currently ranked 89 overall, most expensive place in the world for expatriates to live, out of 276 international locations. The cost of living overview for each of the 13 Basket Groups is as follows:

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 relatively more expensive compared to other cities with a rank of 51 out of 276.

Clothing costs for clothing and footwear products such as business suits, casual clothing, childrens clothing and footwear, coats and hats, evening wear, shoe repairs, and underwear is relatively more expensive compared to other cities with a rank of 72 out of 276.

Communication 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 equally expensive on average compared to other cities with a rank of 170 out of 276.

Education costs such as creche / pre-school fees, high school / college fees, primary school fees, and tertiary study fees is relatively less expensive compared to other cities with a rank of 208 out of 276.

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 relatively more expensive compared to other cities with a rank of 54 out of 276.

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 relatively more expensive compared to other cities with a rank of 68 out of 276.

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 equally expensive on average compared to other cities with a rank of 136 out of 276.

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 equally expensive on average compared to other cities with a rank of 127 out of 276.

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 relatively more expensive compared to other cities with a rank of 82 out of 276.

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 relatively less expensive compared to other cities with a rank of 185 out of 276.

Recreation and Culture costs such as books, camera film, cinema ticket, DVD and CDs, sports goods, and theatre tickets is relatively more expensive compared to other cities with a rank of 58 out of 276.

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 relatively more expensive compared to other cities with a rank of 56 out of 276.

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 relatively more expensive compared to other cities with a rank of 75 out of 276.

Your exact customized cost of living index for Calgary is based on which of the above basket groups as well as the comparison location you select in the Calculators.

In terms of the hardship people are likely to experience, assessed in global terms, Calgary is ranked as a minimal hardship location with a hardship index of 10%.

Your exact customized hardship index premium for Calgary is based on the comparison location that you select in the Calculators.