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Costs of living abroad
10-28-2009, 10:10 PM
Are you currently living abroad, or have you in the last 5yrs?
I'm curious to hear how much people's actual living expenses were living in various places around the world, and what kind of lifestyle you got for your $$.
Or-- if you dont track your monthlies, how much does stuff cost (meals, apartment, beer, taxis).
I'm particularly interested in South America, East Asia, Eastern Europe.
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10-28-2009, 10:20 PM
it all depends on location. you have picked 3 inexpensive areas but it depends more on where then anything else.
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10-28-2009, 10:28 PM
I lived in Yokosuka over in Japan for 13 months. I left at the end of 2006.
Even with full access to the military px's I saved no money at all that year.
When I got back I specifically remember going to a bar in Honolulu and ordering four drinks. The bartender told me $16. I handed him $80 and told him to keep the change. When a waitress brought more drinks to the table someone else paid. For some reason, after being in Japan so long, I thought the dude meant $16 a piece.
The 12x15 apartment I rented over there was $2000 a month.
None the less I still had a blast.
Aloha!
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10-28-2009, 10:35 PM
Scratch Japan off my list. Damn.
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10-28-2009, 10:43 PM
One interesting thing I've noticed in my travels is how in the US labor is very expensive in comparison to things, and in poor countries its the opposite.
Some people I talked to in the Philippines were surprised to find out that most of the wealthy people I know in the US do not have full time house help. In the philippines, and other poor countries even people who are kinda well off have a full time housekeeper and a full time driver. At $120 a month, servants are cheap compared to LCD TV's and other possessions.
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10-28-2009, 11:01 PM
That's one of the things I love about UPI.
I have a Pinay chick working for me. She got some flowers the other day that probably cost about $75. They were from her sister in Ilocos. She had sent them to thank the girl for paying for a year of her college tuition. My chick had sent her $620.
I'm heading to Borocay real soon.
Aloha!
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10-28-2009, 11:20 PM
Kona,
"I'm heading to Borocay real soon. "
How is that place?
Break it down.
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10-29-2009, 06:29 AM
Sofia, Bulgaria:
- A nice furnished 1br apartment with good location : 400 euros per month (utilities not included and they're insane)
- Taxi : 0.3 euro per km
- Subway or bus : 0.5 euro
- 2 liters plastic bottle of beer : 1 euro
- Bar : glass of wine : 1.5 euros
- Bar : beer bottle : 2 euros
- Dinner meal at your typical bulgarian pizza bistro : 5 euros
It's the cheapest capital in the europeen union.
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10-29-2009, 11:29 AM
I live in a large city in the Baltics.
1-year old studio apartment with a riverfront balcony: $400/month (utilities not included; as a poster above noted, utilities in Eastern Europe are very expensive)
Pint in a pub: $2
Pint in the grocery store: $1
1-way public transport ticket: $1 (it's very expensive here, but very few people actually buy tickets)
Meal in a nice restaurant: $10
Most nights out run me $10-20, depending on how much I drink. It's not "cheap" here, but it's not overly expensive. I'm living very comfortably on about $20,000 / year.
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10-29-2009, 04:05 PM
Cost of living is usually tied to rent. So take the rent you'll probably pay and add AT LEAST double that.
So if in Rio you can get a place for 500/month, add another 1,000 for everything else for a basic lifestyle. If you like to let the money flow a bit and are not a fan of budgeting then triple it.
In Colombia I paid 350/month for rent. Tripling that gives 1,000, and 1350 a month was very close to my actual expenses. So once you know your "multiplier" it becomes very easy to estimate. Mine is 3.
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10-29-2009, 05:42 PM
It was a rented room in a condo in the best part of town (Poblado). I lived with a married couple and their dog... had my own bathroom and nice kitchen facilities.
700 a month would probably get you at least a studio in the same area.
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10-30-2009, 10:47 AM
Yeah the most beautiful girls hang out in Parque Lleras, which was a few minutes from me. But they are not the easiest.
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11-04-2009, 08:45 AM
Hey Guys and Gals,
Im new here, so first off..Hello. Now on to the cost of living thing. First, this whole idea of "cheap" is EXTREMELY relevant to everyones "perspective". Not to mention (and Im not trying to sound like an asshole when I say this) but for someone from the US or Western and other parts of Europe whom have not done much traveling to the developing world many would consider just about everything "cheap". Where a more "versed" traveler would NOT consider something cheap.
For example: Here in Panama, where I am based. A taxi right just about anywhere in the MAJOR parts of the city will at the MOST cost you you $3. But your AVERAGE Taxi ride is going to cost you more like $1.25-$2. And if you are only driving for about 5-6 blocks the ride will only cost you $1 Only if you are going a bit outside the city will you pay $5 or $6. Now myself I consider an avg. taxi ride being $1.25 pretty cheap based on places I have been in the world. The flipside to the coin is a place like Domican Republic. A very short distance (4-5 block drive) will cost you at least $4.50. Your AVERAGE taxi ride is going to cost you about $6 bucks. And if you are traveling a bit outside the MAJOR parts of the city it will cost you about $8.50-$9. Now obviously this is not "expensive" but for a person that has done a bit of traveling around latin america it IS ABOVE avg. But your "avg" traver who does not know much probably WOULD consider that dirt cheap, when in fact it is not. So I say all that bullshit to say it is all relative. Not to mention there are a billion X factors...Are you going to live like a local or like a gringo? Are you going to take a bus or a taxi everywhere? Are you going to want your OWN place or share a place? Where are you goign to party, in the rich areas or with the locals? etc, etc, etc, Now on to the numbers..
Panama City, Panama-These are all averages...
Taxi Ride- $1.25-$2
Bus Ride .25 cent to .50 cents
Good meal with NO alcohol and a soda-$12-18 (For one person)
Club Entrance- low end $5 High end $15 or $20
Apt Rent If you rent a ROOM in a decent place (AC etc) $450-500 a month
A ROOM in a lower end place $250 or so
A Drink-low end $4 or 5 High end $7 or $8
**In the store your avg. BOTTLE of liquor is going to cost about $18-$25**
Panama in MY opinion is SOMEWHAT cheap, a few years back is was REALLY cheap. The first 2 bedroom apt I got about 4 years ago was $550 a month
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11-04-2009, 12:43 PM
BrDr,
"Panama in MY opinion is SOMEWHAT cheap, a few years back is was REALLY cheap. "
I heard there was tons of development dollars a flowing into Panama City. Is that still going down?
(I have only been to the small beach towns and jungles in Panama. Never Panama City.)
![[Image: boracay.JPG]](http://www.boracay.net.ph/Philippines/boracay/boracay.JPG)
