Where will your dollar take you? That’s an excellent question. Well, according to the
Economist’s World Cost of Living Index, your dollar will go the furthest in Mumbai, India.
The Economist’s World Cost of Living Index is calculated every two years. It compares countries
based on the cost of things like food, drink, clothing, rent, transportation, and utility bills. The
purpose of The Economist’s World Cost of Living Index is to help companies determine how
much to compensate employees working overseas.
Interestingly, according to the Index, some of the world's cheapest cities, like fourth-ranked
Damascus, Syria, are also among the most dangerous.
10. Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Riyadh is the capital and largest city of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. It is also the capital of
Riyadh Province, and belongs to the historical regions of Najd and Al-Yamama. It is situated in
the center of the Arabian Peninsula on a large plateau, and is home to 7.3 million people, and
the urban centre of a region with a population of close to 9 million people.
World Cost of Living Index: 57
1 kg loaf of bread:
Today: $1.78
Five years ago: $1.57
A bottle of wine:
Today: N/A
Five years ago: N/A
A pack of cigarettes:
Today: $2.40
Five years ago: $1.47
1 liter of unleaded gas:
Today: $0.13
Five years ago: $0.15
9. Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
Jeddah is a city in the Hijaz Tihamah region on the coast of the Red Sea and is the major urban
center of western Saudi Arabia. It is the largest city in Makkah Province, the largest sea port on
the Red Sea, and the second-largest city in Saudi Arabia after the capital city, Riyadh. With a
population currently at 3.4 million people, Jeddah is an important commercial hub in Saudi
Arabia.
Jeddah is the principal gateway to Mecca, Islam's holiest city, which able-bodied Muslims are
required to visit at least once in their lifetime. It is also a gateway to Medina, the second holiest
place in Islam.
World Cost of Living Index: 56
1 kg loaf of bread:
Today: $1.61
Five years ago: $1.18
A bottle of wine:
Today: N/A
Five years ago: N/A
A pack of cigarettes:
Today: $2.31
Five years ago: $1.60
1 liter of unleaded gas:
Today: $0.13
Five years ago: $0.15
8. Panama City, Panama
Panama City is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Panama. It has a metro population
of 1,501,691, and is located at the Pacific entrance of the Panama Canal, in the province of
Panama.
The city is the political and administrative center of the country, as well as a hub for
international banking and commerce. It is considered a "beta-" world city, one of three Central
American cities listed in this category.
World Cost of Living Index: 55 (tied)
1 kg loaf of bread:
Today: $3.53
Five years ago: $2.72
A bottle of wine:
Today: $7.05
Five years ago: $10.00
A pack of cigarettes:
Today: $4.50
Five years ago: $1.80
1 liter of unleaded gas:
Today: $1.17
Five years ago: $1.05
7. Bucharest, Romania
Bucharest is the capital and largest city of Romania, as well as its cultural, industrial, and
financial centre. Economically, Bucharest is the most prosperous city in Romania and is one of
the main industrial centres and transportation hubs of Eastern Europe. The city has big
convention facilities, educational institutes, cultural venues, traditional "shopping arcades", and
recreational areas.
World Cost of Living Index: 55 (tied)
1 kg loaf of bread:
Today: $2.07
Five years ago: $2.77
A bottle of wine:
Today: $4.12
Five years ago: $4.73
A pack of cigarettes:
Today: $4.16
Five years ago: $2.53
1 liter of unleaded gas:
Today: $1.75
Five years ago: $1.63
6. Algiers, Algeria
Algiers is the capital and largest city of Algeria.Sometimes nicknamed El-Behdja or alternatively
Alger la Blanche ("Algiers the White") for the glistening white of its buildings as seen rising up
from the sea, Algiers is situated on the west side of a bay of the Mediterranean Sea.
The modern part of the city is built on the level ground by the seashore; the old part, the ancient city
of the deys, climbs the steep hill behind the modern town and is crowned by the casbah or citadel, 122 metres (400 ft) above the sea.
World Cost of Living Index: 53
1 kg loaf of bread:
Today: $2.44
Five years ago: $2.92
A bottle of wine:
Today: $11.40
Five years ago: $8.18
A pack of cigarettes:
Today: $4.89
Five years ago: $3.98
1 liter of unleaded gas:
Today: $0.28
Five years ago: $0.37
5. Kathmandu, Nepal
Kathmandu is the capital and largest municipality of Nepal.Kathmandu is the gateway to tourism
in Nepal. It is also the hub of the country's economy. It has the most advanced infrastructure of
any urban area in Nepal, and its economy is focused on tourism, which accounted for 3.8% of
Nepal's GDP in 1995/96.
Tourism in Kathmandu declined thereafter during a period of political unrest, but since then has improved. In 2013, Kathmandu was ranked third among the top 10 travel destinations on the rise in the world by TripAdvisor, and ranked first in Asia.
World Cost of Living Index: 44 (tied)
1 kg loaf of bread:
Today: $1.26
Five years ago: $0.96
A bottle of wine:
Today: $18.98
Five years ago: $15.07
A pack of cigarettes:
Today: $1.53
Five years ago: $1.26
1 liter of unleaded gas:
Today: $1.24
Five years ago: $1.33
4. Damascus, Syria
Damascus is the capital and the second-largest city of Syria after Aleppo prior to the civil war. It
is now most likely the largest city of Syria, due to the decline of Aleppo because of the ongoing
battle for the city. It is commonly known in Syria as ash-Sham and nicknamed as the City of
Jasmine.
In addition to being one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, Damascus is a major cultural and religious centre of the Levant. The city has an estimated population of 1,711,000 as of 2009.
World Cost of Living Index: 44 (tied)
1 kg loaf of bread:
Today: $1.88
Five years ago: $2.03
A bottle of wine:
Today: $6.47
Five years ago: $3.04
A pack of cigarettes:
Today: $1.58
Five years ago: $2.35
1 liter of unleaded gas:
Today: $0.78
Five years ago: $0.78
3. New Delhi, India
New Delhi is the capital and seat of the Government of India. Although colloquially Delhi and
New Delhi as names are used interchangeably to refer to the jurisdiction of the National Capital
Territory (NCT) of Delhi, these are two distinct entities, and the latter is a small part of the
former. New Delhi has been selected as one of the hundred Indian cities to be developed as a
smart city under PM Narendra Modi's flagship Smart Cities Mission.
World Cost of Living Index: 43
1 kg loaf of bread:
Today: $1.05
Five years ago: $0.84
A bottle of wine:
Today: $16.33
Five years ago: $39.24
A pack of cigarettes:
Today: $2.20
Five years ago: $1.88
1 liter of unleaded gas:
Today: $1.14
Five years ago: $1.17
2. Karachi, Pakistan
Karachi is the largest and most populous city in Pakistan and 7th most populous urban city in
the world. It is the main seaport and financial center of Pakistan.
Karachi is the 7th largest urban agglomeration in the world, and the second largest in the
Muslim world. It is Pakistan's centre of banking, industry, economic activity and trade and is
home to Pakistan's largest corporations, including those involved in textiles, shipping, the
automotive industry, entertainment, the arts, fashion, advertising, publishing, software
development and medical research. The city is a hub of higher education in South Asia and the
Muslim world.
World Cost of Living Index: 40
1 kg loaf of bread:
Today: $1.59
Five years ago: $1.78
A bottle of wine:
Today: $13.73
Five years ago: $10.47
A pack of cigarettes:
Today: $1.56
Five years ago: $1.35
1 liter of unleaded gas:
Today: $1.14
Five years ago: $1.18
1. Mumbai, India
Mumbai is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India
and the ninth most populous agglomeration in the world, with an estimated city population of
18.4 million. Along with the neighbouring regions of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region, it is one of the most populous urban regions in the world and the seсond most populous metropolitan area in India, with a population of 20.7 million as of 2011.Mumbai lies on the west coast of India and has a deep natural harbour.
In 2009, Mumbai was named an alpha world city. It is also the wealthiest city in India, and has the highest GDP of any city in South, West, or Central Asia. Mumbai has the highest number of billionaires and millionaires among all cities in India.Mumbai is the financial, commercial and entertainment capital of India. It is also one of the world's top ten centres of commerce in terms of global financial flow,
World Cost of Living Index: 39
1 kg loaf of bread:
Today: $0.91
Five years ago: $0.93
A bottle of wine:
Today: $20.59
Five years ago: $25.22
A pack of cigarettes:
Today: $1.53
Five years ago: $1.87
1 liter of unleaded gas:
Today: $1.21
Five years ago: $1.22
