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| Methodology: |
The cost of living is obtained from the Interbank exchange rates [a] and the IMF PPP exchange rates [d]. While the IMF PPP exchange rates are based on the composition of the GDP, the PPP rate of the consumption expenditure is within 3% of the PPP rate of the GDP for the countries here outlined [p].
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International Average Cost of Living Comparison (US=1.000).
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|
Country
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|
2005
|
|
2004
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|
2003
|
|
2002
|
|
2001
|
|
| |
| Switzerland |
|
1.505 |
|
1.522 |
|
1.421 |
|
1.257 |
|
1.166 |
|
| Norway |
|
1.487 |
|
1.366 |
|
1.254 |
|
1.105 |
|
1.010 |
|
| Sweden |
|
1.293 |
|
1.305 |
|
1.190 |
|
0.982 |
|
0.920 |
|
| UK |
|
1.240 |
|
1.240 |
|
1.090 |
|
0.989 |
|
0.932 |
|
| Netherlands |
|
1.224 |
|
1.219 |
|
1.108 |
|
0.913 |
|
0.847 |
|
| Finland |
|
1.184 |
|
1.194 |
|
1.110 |
|
0.955 |
|
0.915 |
|
| Ireland |
|
1.177 |
|
1.160 |
|
1.067 |
|
0.888 |
|
0.817 |
|
| France |
|
1.161 |
|
1.158 |
|
1.055 |
|
0.886 |
|
0.834 |
|
| Japan |
|
1.150 |
|
1.210 |
|
1.170 |
|
1.130 |
|
1.200 |
|
| Belgium |
|
1.132 |
|
1.132 |
|
1.032 |
|
0.863 |
|
0.813 |
|
| Germany |
|
1.130 |
|
1.133 |
|
1.040 |
|
0.878 |
|
0.829 |
|
| Austria |
|
1.095 |
|
1.097 |
|
1.002 |
|
0.843 |
|
0.796 |
|
| New Zealand |
|
1.069 |
|
1.001 |
|
0.876 |
|
0.710 |
|
0.651 |
|
| Australia |
|
1.062 |
|
1.021 |
|
0.891 |
|
0.731 |
|
0.688 |
|
| Italy |
|
1.042 |
|
1.049 |
|
0.952 |
|
0.789 |
|
0.736 |
|
| Spain |
|
1.019 |
|
1.000 |
|
0.897 |
|
0.734 |
|
0.678 |
|
| Canada |
|
1.006 |
|
0.935 |
|
0.866 |
|
0.761 |
|
0.773 |
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| U.S. |
|
1.000 |
|
1.000 |
|
1.000 |
|
1.000 |
|
1.000 |
|
| Singapore |
|
0.933 |
|
0.917 |
|
0.879 |
|
0.867 |
|
0.881 |
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| Greece |
|
0.894 |
|
0.881 |
|
0.792 |
|
0.651 |
|
0.604 |
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| Portugal |
|
0.890 |
|
0.881 |
|
0.796 |
|
0.659 |
|
0.604 |
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| Israel |
|
0.810 |
|
0.819 |
|
0.825 |
|
0.811 |
|
0.884 |
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| Korea |
|
0.780 |
|
0.720 |
|
0.690 |
|
0.660 |
|
0.630 |
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| Hong Kong |
|
0.751 |
|
0.765 |
|
0.810 |
|
0.881 |
|
0.929 |
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| Mexico |
|
0.640 |
|
0.610 |
|
0.631 |
|
0.692 |
|
0.690 |
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| Hungary |
|
0.635 |
|
0.622 |
|
0.549 |
|
0.456 |
|
0.382 |
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| Czech Republic |
|
0.622 |
|
0.573 |
|
0.513 |
|
0.442 |
|
0.371 |
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| Poland |
|
0.604 |
|
0.536 |
|
0.494 |
|
0.477 |
|
0.473 |
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| Taiwan |
|
0.554 |
|
0.535 |
|
0.524 |
|
0.535 |
|
0.562 |
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| Slovakia |
|
0.543 |
|
0.514 |
|
0.436 |
|
0.340 |
|
0.309 |
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| Romania |
|
0.513 |
|
0.432 |
|
0.378 |
|
0.315 |
|
0.289 |
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| Lithuania |
|
0.505 |
|
0.500 |
|
0.450 |
|
0.381 |
|
0.352 |
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| Brazil |
|
0.493 |
|
0.395 |
|
0.362 |
|
0.346 |
|
0.387 |
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| Russia |
|
0.480 |
|
0.400 |
|
0.320 |
|
0.280 |
|
0.270 |
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| Peru |
|
0.459 |
|
0.448 |
|
0.438 |
|
0.432 |
|
0.425 |
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| Latvia |
|
0.444 |
|
0.458 |
|
0.428 |
|
0.389 |
|
0.381 |
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| Thailand |
|
0.319 |
|
0.311 |
|
0.299 |
|
0.289 |
|
0.282 |
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| Philippines |
|
0.226 |
|
0.218 |
|
0.221 |
|
0.229 |
|
0.224 |
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| China |
|
0.217 |
|
0.215 |
|
0.214 |
|
0.213 |
|
0.216 |
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References |
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[a]
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Interbank rate.
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[d]
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World Economic Outlook Database, International Monetary Fund, PPP U.S. dollars exchange rate.
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[p]
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Penn World Table. Purchasing power parity rates of consumption expenditure, government expenditure, and investment for 188 countries (1950-2004).
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[q]
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U.S. Department of State. Quarterly report indexes of living costs abroad, housing allowances, hardship differentials, and danger pay allowances. Price ratios weighted by the expenditure pattern of American employees living abroad.
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