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Julien,

In order to compare, do you want us to give you prices in...USD? euro?
I live in Japan and if I give prices in yen, people may not be able to really compare..so why don't we agree on a currency first? (that's just a suggestion).

Chouchou

what happened to this thread?

If you are waiting for a currency question then I say USD... but I am biased.

OK I will do one for Singapore in SGD.

Accomodation in condo- $1500- $20,000 per month (average probably 3-5K)

Public Transport- very, very cheap cos cars as extremely pricey. A trip on the bus/train begins at 65c and max is like $2. Taxis are very cheap- starting at around $3 but $20 will get you pretty much anywhere on the island. (average trip around $8)

Food varies a lot. Groceries are comparable to western countries... red meat is expensive though. As is fresh milk, dairy and juices as these are all imported. You can eat out at a Hawker centre for as little as $3. Groceries probably cost a family of 2 $150 per week without luxuries.

Health- I cannot say cost of medical insurance as your employer should cover it. A trip to the doctor costs $20 and upward.

Education- I don't know... best to negotiate with employer to pay this for you, as it can be pricey to send kids to international schools.

Electricity- is almost solely dependant on how long you use your aircon. Lets say $200 and up per month for a 2bedroom place (2 ppl)

Internet and cable TV- can get a package deal for around $100 per month from Starhub. Phone and mobile (handphone) I cant really say- cheaper than it was in Australia anyway.

Good dinner in a western style restaurant... varies a lot with alcohol being your biggest expense. I would budget $50 per head for a main and a glass of wine/beer.

Beer and all alcohol = VERY expensive. can be more then $10 for a beer at a pub. Even buying from the supermarket costs are double what they were in Australia.

USD or Euros would be perfect to compare. Sorry I forgot to give an answer to that question

Cost of living in Tamil nadu India, will apply for 80% of the cities in India
> accommodation prices
$50 approx for a two bedroom flat

> public transportation fares (tube, bus etc ...)
$1 a day

> food prices(per month, how much does it cost you?)
$20-25

> health prices (for those who need medical insurance)
$10

> eduction prices (if you need to pay)
$100 per semester

> energy prices (oil, electricity)
$7 a month

> common bills (Internet, television, telephone, mobile phone)
$14 - 20 a month

> prices of a good menu in a traditional restaurant
$2-4

> prices of a beer and of a coffee in a regular pub
$1.5 fo a beer

$1 for a good quality coffee

Cost of living in Almaty, Kazakhstan, in USD.

Nice one bedroom appartment- $2000.00.

Dinner for two at average resturant- $35.00 to $65.00.

Beer- at pub $3.00, at store- less than a dollar.

Taxi- $5.00 to $15.00, be carefull to ask price first.

Food prices are normal to high.

Clothing is high-50 to 75% if you shop at the big department stores.Ìý Same with house wares.Ìý You can find normal clothing cost at little street shops.

Health cost for non-members of International SOS Hospital, about $400.00 a visit. You can get membership easy and save about 50% on your bill.Ìý

Our utility bills are currently being paid by employer, so I can't give that price.

All and all, living can be cheap or expensive here, it all depends on where you shop, if you eat out or stay home.Ìý Not too bad really.

Qinghai West China - I think its pretty cheap here - compared with Eastern China and back home in the UK.

Beer in a normal bar 5kuai -$0.63USD, UK £0.30p

15Kuai - £1 = expensive beer in a fancy night club. USD- I suppose thats about $1.9USD

I find food very cheap here. Normal lunch is 5-10kuai - 0.4-0.7ish euros.
The most expensive meal I've had was 50kuai a head. thats 4.9Euros - that was a BIG treat.

Food in the supermarket is crazy cheap. But with resaurants being as cheap as they are I don't bother to cook too often.

My accomodation and bills etc are paid by my org.

Some clothes are cheap - but the quality is poor. For good quality things I dont think it is that much cheaper than at home, and its difficult to find anything I like. I think the ladies here have quite a peculiar taste in fashion!

Thailand :

                                                                 THB     |       Euro     |     Dollar
Accomodation studio                                        5000   |    114,58    |     152,65
service appartment 70 m2 with swimming pool   13000 |      297,91  |     396,89
Transport taxi 2 km                                         35      |     0,80      |      1,07
Transport taxi 10 km                                            70  |       1,6         |     1,07
Transport bus air con 5 km                                  16 |    0,37     |     0,49
Miam food court                                                     60   |         1,37     |     1,83
Health dental crown                                         6000  |    137,50      |      183,18
Litre essence                                                      33    |     0,76    |      1,01
Mobile per minute prepaid                                4     |    0,09       |    0,12
Good menu in good restaurant                           500   |       11,46     |    15,27
Beer in Supermarket                                          33   |    0,76       |     1,01
Bangkok Post                                                       25  |    0,57       |    0,76

Bupyeong - South Korea (40 Mins from Seoul)

Accommodation - 500,000 Korean Won (approx $480 - $500)per month (this is with a sizeable deposit at first depending on where you are situated). This is for a loft or studio style apartment.

Transport - Taxis are cheap - about $4 (4000 won) for a 15 - 20 minute ride. Subway is cheap also about $1 (1000won) for a forty minute trip, plus the signs are in english and Korean.

Food is cheap - depending on what you want to eat, you can get a meal of kimbap, soup and gimchi for $1 (1000won). Or if you eat at a better restaurant $10 - $12 for Korean BBQ.

Beer in a bar $4 - $6. In the store $1 - $3.

Hi,
I am Anshuman, from Delhi, India. All prices in USD Conversion 1 USD = Rs 41

> accommodation prices
195$ for Decent locality, 290$ for prime locality for a 2 bedroom house

> public transportation fares (tube, bus etc ...)
.80 $ for a return trip in Delhi (Delhi is pretty big)

> food prices(per month, how much does it cost you?)
pretty decent.Ìý $ 150 for the whole month including going to Mcdonalds once a week.
> health prices (for those who need medical insurance)
100$ per annum
> eduction prices (if you need to pay)
Expensive, 50-100$ a month for schools.
> energy prices (oil, electricity)
1.1$ per litre of fuel, 50$ for electricity
> common bills (Internet, television, telephone, mobile phone)
70$ for all
> prices of a good menu in a traditional restaurant
10-15$ per person. can go upto 25$
> prices of a beer and of a coffee in a regular pub
2$ for beer 1 $ for coffee

Hi all, I'm living in Hanoi, Vietnam.Ìý

Here's my run down as of Summer 2007:

> accommodation prices: Housing prices are going up quickly.Ìý You can still share a house with people and pay between $100~$200 per person, but finding your own apartment often runs $300+.Ìý If you want to stay in a mini-hotel, you can negotiate long term deals as low as $150, but that won't be a great room by any stretch of the imagination.

> public transportation fares (tube, bus etc ...): Buses are super cheap, but not a great experience.Ìý You'll use them rarely.Ìý Xe Oms (motorbike taxis) are the most common form of public transportation, and $1 will get you most places in the city center.Ìý $2 will take you any where you could reasonably still call Hanoi.Ìý  Regular taxis are metered and will cost several times more than that.Ìý If you're staying long, rent a motorbike ($50 a month).Ìý It's the only effective way to really get around Hanoi...

> food prices(per month, how much does it cost you?): Food is very cheap.Ìý You could eat out everyday for $5  in Vietnamese places, and a really nice foreign meal only costs $5-$7.Ìý One of the best parts of living in Hanoi.Ìý If you learn some Vietnamese and hit the local markets, food costs shrink to a couple dollars a day.

> health prices (for those who need medical insurance): Don't even consider the public hospitals.Ìý They are very crowded and unpredictable.Ìý The small private hospitals will only run you $20~$30 a visit, and medicine is cheap.Ìý Even things like MRIs are only $100~$150 in the nicer hospitals.Ìý For really serious illnesses, you need to get out of Vietnam.Ìý Bangkok and Singapore are the most common destinations.Ìý

> eduction prices (if you need to pay): Studying Vietnamese in Hanoi will run you about $5 an hour.Ìý I found less expensive places in HCM, however.Ìý There are a couple international school taught in English for those with families, but they are NOT cheap.Ìý $15,000+ a year.

> energy prices (oil, electricity): In the summer, I usually spend about $50 a month in my flat for electricity, and less than half that in winter.Ìý

> common bills (Internet, television, telephone, mobile phone):  Internet/Phone usually runs me a total of $40 a month.Ìý The water bill is very minor.Ìý I spend less than $10 a month on my cell phone, and that's using it for business purposes as well.Ìý I have no TV (and like it that way), so I can't help you much there.

> prices of a good menu in a traditional restaurant

> prices of a beer and of a coffee in a regular pub

A good place to get the lay of the land would be .Ìý There are tons of user reviewed spots on there.Ìý I couldn't possibly get into all of them here.

What you're going to pay for food and drink when going out is always going to vary based on where you want to go.Ìý You can get $1 meals in Hanoi and find a $100 one just around the corner.Ìý Eating and Drinking is my favorite part of life in Hanoi (other than riding my Minsk out of Hanoi in the countryside), and the users of that site can cover far more ground than I can here.

Good luck, and see you in Hanoi!

www.monbangkok.com wrote:

Thailand :

                                                                 THB     |       Euro     |     Dollar
Accomodation studio                                        5000   |    114,58    |     152,65
service appartment 70 m2 with swimming pool   13000 |      297,91  |     396,89
Transport taxi 2 km                                         35      |     0,80      |      1,07
Transport taxi 10 km                                            70  |       1,6         |     1,07
Transport bus air con 5 km                                  16 |    0,37     |     0,49
Miam food court                                                     60   |         1,37     |     1,83
Health dental crown                                         6000  |    137,50      |      183,18
Litre essence                                                      33    |     0,76    |      1,01
Mobile per minute prepaid                                4     |    0,09       |    0,12
Good menu in good restaurant                           500   |       11,46     |    15,27
Beer in Supermarket                                          33   |    0,76       |     1,01
Bangkok Post                                                       25  |    0,57       |    0,76

The above figures are only one possibility for 'Thailand', most likely in Bangkok, I live comfortably in a town 75 kilometers west of the capital and here's my current monthly expenses

Accommodations studio:

   2000 THB / 60 USD per month

Utilities (electricity and water)

less than 500 baht / 15 USD


Motorbike fuel consumption / transport costs :

Petrol is about 25 baht per litre now which means I can go nearly 2 kilometers per every baht/ or about 37 miles for each dollar

With my current commute, I fill my tank once every 5 days at 80 baht a go (2 and half dollars), so roughly 500 baht a month going roughly 700-1000 kilometers of commuting through the month


Monthly Motorbike (new) payments (12 month payment plan)

3700 baht / 112 USD

Monthly mobile phone charges including GPRS internet

aprox. 1000 baht / 30 USD

Monthly Food and drink for family of three (local food and fast food i.e. pizza kfc, etc. as well as 2 liters of beer on average every week)

aprox. 10,000 - 15,000 baht / 300 - 450 USD

Monthly Child and Family Support (diapers, milk, and other related costs)

aprox. 3000 - 4000 baht / 90 - 120 USD

Tokyo !

> accommodation prices : 280,000 Yens (1800 euros) for unfurnished 63sq.m in a nice area

> public transportation fares (tube, bus etc ...) : 7,600 Yens (50 euros) per month (paid by my company

> food prices(per month, how much does it cost you?) : I would say 70,000-80,000 Yens (450 euros) per month

> health prices (for those who need medical insurance) : I think it's like 1.5% of my income but not sure.

> common bills (Internet, television, telephone, mobile phone) : Internet is provided with the flat, I don't watch television, mobile phone provided by my company

> prices of a good menu in a traditional restaurant : You can have a very nice lunch in a very nice restaurant for 1000 Yens (6 euros) but dinner is more expensive, maybe 3000-4000 Yens (20-30 euros), doubled if you want to have french food with nice wine.

> prices of a beer and of a coffee in a regular pub : 4 euros for a beer, and perhaps 2 euros for a medium size starbucks cappucino. I will check that next time


> Entrance in a nightclub : 1500 yens (10 euros) sometimes more expensive, free for girls...
> Cinema : 1500 yens, cheaper for girls on wednesday, ladies night
> Taxi : 660 (4 euros) Yens to start but compare to Paris, very easy to find one.
> Haagen dasz with 4 layers of flavours : 400 Yens ;-)

I hope it helps !


Thailand must be nice ;-)

Hi all

Cost of leaving in Kuala lumpur  and mostly in Malaysia

RM = Malaysian Ringgit  100 RM = 21 Euros (4,6 to 4.7 it depends)

                                                                 RM    |       Euro     |   
service apartment 80 m2 with swimming pool   5000 |      1000   |     
Transport taxi 2 km                                         5    |     1,20     |
Nursery for Kids for one month (Saturday incl)  350  |    76       |
Transport taxi 10 km                                       15  |       3.6     |     
Transport bus  WITHOUT air con 5 km                  5 |      0,37     |
food court 1 meal for 1 person                         30  |     6        |
Health dental (cleaning for example)                80   |      17      |
Gas - for car                                                  1,90 |     0,41    |   
Mobile per minute prepaid (Nationwide)            0,35 |    0,07  |
Good menu in good restaurant                           150  |   30     |   
Beer in a pub                                                   15  |    3       | 
Trip from Kuala Lumpur to Phuket (Thailand)  with Air Asia                                                  100   |  21

This is the an average estimation for Kuala Lumpur If you are leaving in Kota Kinabalu Sabah it is cheaper for example i have friend here who rent a house, 5 bedroom 2 storeys (empty) the cost is 1200 RM = 260 Euros

Basically here for example the car are not so cheat (regarding the currency) and you can find a second hand car in a very good shape for 20000 RM = 4300 Euros

Didier

hi my name is michael forex that is my blog name ,i plan relocating to malaysia on studies i have actually seen some schools and that have prices i can afford but how about getting a job .I can trade forex and basically what i do is train people in nigeria to trade forex.I WAS WONDERING IF I CAN get the opportunity  to set up a small forex trading outfit in malaysia while also studying could also enlighten me on how readily i can get people to subscribe to my service and how much people are willing to pay for it

lol! sounds like this won't work out!

As we can see, cost of living in Asia can be very very low, or very very high depending on not only the location, economy, etc., but more importantly, the lifestyle of the individual. Some people here in Thailand will spend more than I could even dream of spending even if I was still living in the USA, while others are able to spend in a year what some spend in a day...

What do you think about the rental prices during the Olympic Games?

I agree

Hi Julien,

I am also curious about the costs in Asia (particularly India). Unfortunately the India section of this forum is not very active. So I shall add my two-pence here.

In (for example) you have a vast range of prices. If you stay at local restaurants and eat food that the local residents eat and do not mind that you don't have the great comforts of higher level restaurants you can eat for up to € 3.- (that includes beverages). If your standards are higher (e.g. ) you will have to count with approx € 20.- - 30.- per person (including beverages). That is quite a difference!!!

As far as housing is concerned I can only tell you the indian prices: the rates are anything from 1500INR permonth - 1.5lakh INR per month. If you are married to an Indian citizen you may think of acquiring - otherwise you cannot buy real estate as a foreigner. But who knows perhaps they will change it, after all you can invest in property developement as a foreign company.

Hope to have contributed something constructive.

Jeff

My self use

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