by Paul Gibson
Home >> To Russia with Love
While in Spain we are counting euros and always trying to figure out how much that is in pesetas to feel more Spanish, Muscovites are looking for an easy way to exit their own country.
The reason is simple: growing inflation, long lines at shopping centres, and growing fears that families may not know how to make ends meet at the end of the month. Sound familiar? It should.
As the euro “strengthens� our competitive position in the world, it is also making our standard of living more expensive and thus, maybe our quality of life is decreasing, not increasing. In Europe alone, this trend has placed Copenhagen, Geneva, Zurich and Oslo, respectively, among the top 10 most expensive cities to live in.
Every year, the US puts together a study to rank the cities of the world in terms of housing, transportation and food. The study uses New York as the benchmark to see how cities evolve. The study is later used by American businesses to determine how much money their expatriates should be earning in foreign countries.
The result? Moscow comes in as the most expensive city in the world for the second year in a row, with housing costs rising 35% more than in New York and London comes in a close second, with 29% housing spike. According to Associated Press Jackie Farwell: “In Moscow, a luxury two-bedroom apartment will cost an expat $4,000 a month; a CD rings up at $24.83; one copy of an international daily newspaper is $6.30; and a fast-food hamburger meal totals $4.80.�
In terms of euros, that means a luxury 2-bedroom apartment would cost €3007 to rent for a month, a CD costs €18 and an international newspaper, €4.73. Expensive?
To put things in perspective, only 8 Asian cities made the top 50. So much for Forbes magazine’s prediction of the rising Red sun. Maybe they moved their business to Asunción in Paraguay – I would. Asunción comes ranks number one as the “least expensiveâ€? city in the world for the fifth straight year in a row.
Would you be surprised to find out that 30 European cities made the top 50 around the globe? That list includes Madrid (ranked 53 in 2006, now ranked No. 26) and Barcelona, coming in 31st place.
Back in Spain, Barcelona has reclaimed first place in terms of real estate, but it joins Madrid and San Sebastian as the top three cities in Spain to squander your paycheck.
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Posted on http://www.weeklyletter.com at 2007-06-26 10:00:00 +0200
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Hi everyone,
I think that the disadvantages of living in big cities are becoming more and more obvious: traffic, housing costs, security… You can get higher standard of living in small/mid cities. The assumption that you have a better cultural or entertainment offer, more educational resources or other similar advantages in big cities is questionable as well. The main difference could be the easiness to find a specialized job. Maybe the ideal situation is to work for a multinational company (with multinational salaries), but based in a mid town!
Regards,
José Luis
Why José Luis! What have we here… ? It seems that in the future there may be an exodus from the great metropolitican centers of Spain into the rolling plains of Castilla La Mancha?
What will Gallardon (or any mayor for that matter) do with the new train system and all those highways we have been constructing for the past five years?
Donkey trains are the future!
Thanks again!
Paul
Hello to everyone,
I thinik life in big cities is very very expensve and bad, because the city obligates to run everywhere you go.
For me is easier to think in pesetas, because then I know the money I spend. The more money I am talking about, the more I need to talk in pesetas, because sometimes in euros is difficult to me to know how many money I’m talking about.
I prefer a lower standard ol living, if this is the signal of better conditions of life.
For example, if I have to arrive later for earning more money, and this obligate to me to pass less time with my family, I prefer the time with my family to the money.
Nobody pays the time you can’t pass with the children, and they grow up very quickly.
But I think, life is too expensive.
Thanks for your contribution Patricia!
Your comments reminded me of the MASTERCARD commercial on television, which gives you several possibilities on what to spend your money on and at the end, they show the face of your children and one word comes on the screen: PRICELESS. (This word in English means that: “something or someone is so valuable that you can not put a price tag on it.”)
Life is too expensive and what’s worse, while money is necessary, professionals are forced to choose between their family and work when both should be completely compatible. This is a complete failure of human resource management. The company that comes up with the solution will be the most popular and will profit the most from a positive image in the market.
GREAT COMMENTS, Patricia!
Paul