International workers considering re-locating to other global capitals can now compare the cost of living (and playing) at various destinations, with a London property firm creating an interactive chart for would-be travellers.
International workers considering re-locating to other global capitals can now compare the cost of living (and playing) at various destinations, with a London property firm creating an interactive chart for would-be travellers.
Residential Land, a prime London property consultant established in 1991, offers the facility through its interactive chart presently the range of costs in each centre.
Among the cities studied are the European destinations of London, Berlin, Paris, Prague, Madrid, Barcelona, Rome and Dublin, as well as Dubai, Beijing, Delhi, New York City and Sydney. The chart compares key purchases in 15 categories. Among the findings:
– Delhi is the cheapest place to get 10 items on the list, including a meal for two, an internet connection, property to rent or buy, jeans, and cigarettes.
– The most expensive places vary greatly from category to category, with nine cities finishing ahead of competitors at least once: London, Sydney, Tokyo, Madrid, Beijing, Dublin, Dubai, Rome and New York City.
– Three of these nine were also the cheapest in other categories: technology leader Tokyo (the iPad); automotive manufacturer Berlin (car ownership, as well as bottles of wine) and the oil-rich Dubai (petrol).
– It is over 11 times cheaper to rent a one-bed apartment in Delhi than it is in New York City, and ten times cheaper than it is in London.
– In Europe, Prague is the cheapest place to get a meal for two, and by quite a way, second place goes to Berlin. Top-of-the-table is Dublin.
– Wine fans may think Paris will be the cheapest place for le vin, but Berlin’s average price is the cheapest in Europe; Prague, Barcelona, Madrid and Rome were still cheaper.
– Berlin, with all its breweries, should be the cheapest for imported beer – however, Prague is cheaper for both domestic and imported brands.
– Meanwhile, true to form, cappuccinos are cheapest in Europe in Rome; Delhi is still marginally cheaper, with Prague third.
– To travel one kilometre in a taxi in London is eight times more expensive than in Dubai. Beijing and Delhi were cheapest.
Louise Savage, head of sales and marketing at Residential Land, said: “Some of the findings are quite extraordinary, while others will not be too shocking. Nonetheless, we designed this simple and attractive interactive resource as a truly clear way to understand just how different these places are in terms of quality of life when measured against overall cost."
