Cost of Living Comparison

[clrpod]

Come on, you don't think you can be happy without money? Tell that to the people who live in slums. Being happy is not to do with what you have, it's how you perceive what you have. Just like bitcoin's worth is only defined by the value people assign to it.

Are people in slums generally happier than people with appartement/house, car etc.? I don't think so. Also not having a job makes unhappy, I guess most people in slums don't have a job.

I did not say that they are, it's clear there is a link between money and happiness but to suggest that happiness cannot be achieved without money is incorrect. Happiness is a chemical reaction and is all decided in your own mind and thus is a simple matter of perception.

Bravo, bro.  I didn't exactly grow up dirt poor, but there was definitely not enough money for a lot of extras--toys, clothes, bicycles, etc., so I had to do without a lot of the fun stuff kids tend to enjoy.  But I made do, and the biggest factor of whether I derived pleasure out of something was my own imagination.  There were no smartphones when I was a child, and I didn't own a video game console until my late teenage years.  Anyway, my point is that I agree that money does not equate with happiness.   

There are extremely rich individuals who live in their own private hell, and all the money in the world does nothing to assuage their pain.  I've met quite a few such people.  Their money ends up owning them.

Right now I've got enough dough to live just how I'd like to live.  I'm not wealthy by United States standards by a long shot, but I have everything I need and a lot of the things I want.  I just bought a beautiful gold-plated fountain pen for $140, and it's been exceeding my expectations and keeping me very amused and satisfied throughout the day.  I don't need big expensive things to keep me happy.  Those are all external solutions to what amounts to an internal problem if that's what you need to be happy.

Exactly my point, happiness can be found from the littlest or cheapest of things. For example the joy of waking up to the birds singing outside or the sun, that is all free, you just need to be able to notice it and appreciate it. Mindfulness is the key.

It seems to me that slum dwellers need to be asked why they live like this and what they have done to live better? Man himself is to blame in their problems. I often see the poor begging. But these same poor people vote for politicians who brought the country's economy to such a state. Our living conditions are the price we paid for what we did or didn't do.

That's a big generalization, many are in bad circumstances because of their actions but many are there because of circumstance. It's also a judgment thing, can we really judge people for being homeless and addicted to drugs, we do not know their circumstance and what lead them to make the decisions that they did. We of course can choose not give them money because we see it as contributing to their problems.

I don't quite understand what your point is. Do you want to say that people living in slums are happy? Some of them may well be, but most will readily change their surroundings for something better if given an opportunity. Let's not be hypocrites here. Your well-being is determined by how wealthy you are. There are outliers, of course, but they just prove the general rule, which can be summarized as follows: most people would be happier if they had more money in their pocket.

You're entirely right and I wasn't disagreeing with that. If you see my first response in this message that might clear things up.

[Martinkuhn]

Let's discuss where to live
Using this tool you can compare cost of living and it's indicators (Cost of Living index, Cost of Living Plus Rent Index, Groceries Index, Restaurants Index, Local Purchasing Power and etc.) for two cities supported by our dataset.
https://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/comparison.jsp

Go to a country that has a low cost of living and start your online business there. And when you have succeeded, move to a city with better quality of living and enjoy your life over there.

Thats the formula that a lot of digital nomads are using to eke out their fortune and make life better for themselves.

One of the most popular place for digital nomads is Thailand where cost of low, visa is easy, food is good and connectivity to the rest of the world is good too.

[eternalgloom]

I should really consider moving to Prague, it would save me a ton. I actually don't think I would mind living there, always liked Prague when I visited.
My city doesn't seem to have too high of a cost of living, but it's not exactly cheap either.

The only things my city has going for it is the good, cheap beer and relatively cheap rent. It's also very centrally located, so travel is cheap and easy.

[clrpod]

I should really consider moving to Prague, it would save me a ton. I actually don't think I would mind living there, always liked Prague when I visited.
My city doesn't seem to have too high of a cost of living, but it's not exactly cheap either.

The only things my city has going for it is the good, cheap beer and relatively cheap rent. It's also very centrally located, so travel is cheap and easy.

Cheap beer and cheap rent seem like pretty good things, as well as a good location. Can I ask what city it is in which you live? Prague is a great city, I've also enjoyed my visits and know a few who have moved there at various points in their lives.

[destroyer01]

A cost of living index compares the cost of living in a major city as compared to a corresponding metropolitan area.The index incorporates the expense of various components that comprise basic human needs, creating an aggregate measure to which new entrants into the workforce may refer.As college graduates weigh employment alternatives and currently employed job seekers consider relocation,the index provides an informative snapshot of rental,transportation and grocery costs.

[monomix]

what is the point of discussing expense part? it is always the equestion of residual income. if you spent everything you make on whatever.. housing, grocery, school and have no money left... what is the point once again 

[Hui8]

I would go with very simple assumption if it comes to choosing where to live. To be honest its personal choice, I mean whether I want to have blue ocean beach by my side or whetehr I want red forest surrounding my house or whether it has to be at the heart of New York city. that gives rise to personal choice but with that choice we have to pay XYZ cost for that. Just imagine having house in the New York city and by the beach side has got price difference as equal to difference between sky and ocean. Its huge! So cost of living hampers your choice a lot.

But on the other hand I also think that cost of living will get dispersed according to the salary that you are going to get as per your location. Obviously your salary will be higher in the New York city if you are having qualified experience and education etc and similarly it will be different in the area like forest region! Cost of living divide according to that also so it make no difference many times.

[haroldtee]

Come on, you don't think you can be happy without money? Tell that to the people who live in slums. Being happy is not to do with what you have, it's how you perceive what you have. Just like bitcoin's worth is only defined by the value people assign to it.

Are people in slums generally happier than people with appartement/house, car etc.? I don't think so. Also not having a job makes unhappy, I guess most people in slums don't have a job.

Happiness is not all about the money. I have seen rich people who had some challenges in life, (could be health, problem with kids etc), that absolutely money cannot solve.

Money may give you a comfortable life, but comfort, does not necessarily bring happiness and that totally makes clrpod right. So many people in slums, can still give themselves a comfortable life in their own way and still be happy with life, so it totally depends on your own perception about the life you are living, as long as you are contended with it.

[cristinaxx]

The cost of living of every countries is based on the salary of the people the more the higher the salary of the people the more the higher the cost of living. Just like in some other country the salary in the urban area is much higher than in rural area. The more people the bigger the cost of living. But the important is that you are happy in where you are living and what you can earned. If you can stand on a high quality cost living go on and try harder to reach what you want.

[cristinaxx]

The cost of living of every countries is based on the salary of the people the more the higher the salary of the people the more the higher the cost of living. Just like in some other country the salary in the urban area is much higher than in rural area. The more people the bigger the cost of living. But the important is that you are happy in where you are living and what you can earned. If you can stand on a high quality cost living go on and try harder to reach what you want. If not why not adjust only the living on what your money can afford.

[chillitabit]

Come on, you don't think you can be happy without money? Tell that to the people who live in slums. Being happy is not to do with what you have, it's how you perceive what you have. Just like bitcoin's worth is only defined by the value people assign to it.

Are people in slums generally happier than people with appartement/house, car etc.? I don't think so. Also not having a job makes unhappy, I guess most people in slums don't have a job.

yeah the problem is that people in slums face violence and gangs on every day basis. For a regular person it's not possible to be happy if you don't have access to basic needs.

[Lenzie]

Cost of living is something everyone should consider and even more so for those of us who can make our living anywhere in the world, but there is more to life than just cost of living, you also have to consider how happy you will be in a certain place. If we look at the countries with the highest happiness ratings we'll often find that they are also among the happiest countries.

The cost of living is actually affecting a happy state of certain persons in most cases. If people don't have enough of financial stability which will provide the security for a life they also cannot enjoy that same life.

Those countries with the high cost of living actually have the higher standards so someone from a different country cannot consider his/her move to that country if he doesn't have the steady work there.

Happiness is connected with the financial situation and no one cannot deny that. There are few cases where the rich people are not happy with all their wealth but that are only a few cases where the certain people have low morale and will.

Come on, you don't think you can be happy without money? Tell that to the people who live in slums. Being happy is not to do with what you have, it's how you perceive what you have. Just like bitcoin's worth is only defined by the value people assign to it.

I don't quite understand what your point is. Do you want to say that people living in slums are happy? Some of them may well be, but most will readily change their surroundings for something better if given an opportunity. Let's not be hypocrites here. Your well-being is determined by how wealthy you are. There are outliers, of course, but they just prove the general rule, which can be summarized as follows: most people would be happier if they had more money in their pocket.

I entirely agree with the latter. Most people will happier with a lot of money in their pockets. If you have a lot of money you don't have to work and tire yourself in surviving everyday of your life just to have a small amount in your wallet. Imagine if you have a lot of money, I would just build my own business that could sustain my necessities for the rest of my life and my generations to come. I don't need to waste my time working, instead I would go achieve my other dream aside from becoming a business tycoon.

It is not bad to admit that financial situation really affect the happiness of a person. Because in a practical way of life? It really does.

[floresjonathan123]

Let's discuss where to live
Using this tool you can compare cost of living and it's indicators (Cost of Living index, Cost of Living Plus Rent Index, Groceries Index, Restaurants Index, Local Purchasing Power and etc.) for two cities supported by our dataset.
https://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/comparison.jsp

Cost of living is a big factor to everyone of us. People do working hard and striving for having a better and happy life. In every single day of us that still existing in this world, we are truly responsible to gathered a better profit or income for us to support our financial needs.

[faceoff97]

If an American would live in my country, he would consider it as a cheap one.  An American would live a better life in my country. Since most of the goods and services here are so affordable, He might sustain three families. Most of my countrymen go abroad so they could gain better wage which is actually 5X the amount of minimum wage my own country. Foreigner might consider my country as cheap, but in for normal citizen, the amount they gain is just enough for daily living.

[palle11]

I do not think that users have considered cost of living against the strength of a currency. The value of a currency is important. Consequently, if a currency is devalued, it affects the cost of living because inflation would be high. So I think cost of living and currency go hand in hand.

Some countries are small in size, number and popularity yet their cost of living is very high because the country's currency is devalued while some are doing well because their currency is really active and in use giving it more strength.

[brontosaurus]

Cost of living is something everyone should consider and even more so for those of us who can make our living anywhere in the world, but there is more to life than just cost of living, you also have to consider how happy you will be in a certain place. If we look at the countries with the highest happiness ratings we'll often find that they are also among the happiest countries.

Yes you are right. Happiness is one of the basic qualitative characteristic that we use to compare the standard of living of different places. Apart from happiness there are many other indicators as well to compare the standard of living like safety, satisfaction and what not!! But what basically the matter here is the cost of living that is one of the quantitative characteristic to draw out comparisons between different places.

And yes this site is a good measure to get to draw out comparisons and will help you make a preliminary unless provided it remains updated with the latest updates, data n stats!!

[hase0278]

I do not think that users have considered cost of living against the strength of a currency. The value of a currency is important. Consequently, if a currency is devalued, it affects the cost of living because inflation would be high. So I think cost of living and currency go hand in hand.

Some countries are small in size, number and popularity yet their cost of living is very high because the country's currency is devalued while some are doing well because their currency is really active and in use giving it more strength.

If that is the case then it is better to live in countries that have a strong currency like USA but little cost of living. I do not say that cost of living in US is cheap but in some states, I think living is feasible as one can have great access to free tv coverage and wireless internet while food and basic necessities are just in the right price. IMO Philippines is also a good choice since one can live there and have 3 decent meals per day(for each person) by just spending 3$.

[Hell-raiser]

I do not think that users have considered cost of living against the strength of a currency. The value of a currency is important. Consequently, if a currency is devalued, it affects the cost of living because inflation would be high. So I think cost of living and currency go hand in hand.

Some countries are small in size, number and popularity yet their cost of living is very high because the country's currency is devalued while some are doing well because their currency is really active and in use giving it more strength.

If that is the case then it is better to live in countries that have a strong currency like USA but little cost of living. I do not say that cost of living in US is cheap but in some states, I think living is feasible as one can have great access to free tv coverage and wireless internet while food and basic necessities are just in the right price. IMO Philippines is also a good choice since one can live there and have 3 decent meals per day(for each person) by just spending 3$.

And don't forget to add to the menu some deadly mosquitoes as well as parasites and who knows what else including a lot of exotic deceases likely as deadly for foreigners. In respect to strong currencies like the American dollar, you can happily live with a weak one as long as have free access to a currency exchange without fear of being arrested for illegal currency conversion operations. Eastern Europe with places like Czech Republic seems to be the right place.

[Mometaskers]

Compared my city to what my relatives in the US are paying for, seems the only basic good cheaper there is milk. Everything is at least 100% more expensive. I don't understand why their purchasing power is still 156% higher than in my city despite that though.

Come on, you don't think you can be happy without money? Tell that to the people who live in slums. Being happy is not to do with what you have, it's how you perceive what you have. Just like bitcoin's worth is only defined by the value people assign to it.

They don't have a choice anyway. If you sleep on the street with nothing but a carton between you and pavement, you'd go crazy if you are not happy. This blissful "ignorance" of the magnitude of their problem helps them focus on their day to day activities, aka survival.

[sindikat]

It is impossible to determine where a person is better to live. This is a very subjective opinion. Local people know the specifics of their country and can live on $ 3 a day in the Philippines. Visitors in the Philippines need 15-20 dollars a day. The human immune system adapted to the specific conditions and I know how obsessed some tourists in tropical countries. And there are many reasons to admit that such surveys are incorrect.