Ask HN: Cost of living across the world (Ramen PPP Index for hackers) • Hacker News Board

Re: Ask HN: Cost of living across the world (Ramen PPP Index for hackers)

#61

Post by boundlessdreamz » Mon, Oct 11, 2010, 5:02 AM UTC

RealGeek wrote: post #25

solutionyogi wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This breakdown doesn't seem right to me. From my other comment ( http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1773273 ), you can easily live on 250$/month in Surat, India. My friend runs an outsourcing company in Surat and he pays his programmers around 300-500$/month. When I started my IT career, I was in Mangalore (worked at Infosys) and my expenses were similar to what I listed above. [Except for the higher rent] I rented…

How many years ago was that? The rents were low until few years ago. The $500 rent I mentioned includes electricity and other utilities. When I moved to New Delhi, my rent was $100. These days a livable apartment in New Delhi will cost around Rs. 15,000 ($330) + add cost of electricity($100), water and maintenance. In summer, electricity bill shoots up to $200 to $300. The estimate of rent is very modest, a good two…

Dude, $2000 for a two bedroom? That's not true. I live in a Raheja Apartment, for 25K ($600) /month. Two bedroom , 1100 sq. ft. Comes with 24/7 security, car park etc etc.

Re: Ask HN: Cost of living across the world (Ramen PPP Index for hackers)

#62

Post by mjnaus » Mon, Oct 11, 2010, 5:17 AM UTC

Hatyai, Thailand (southern region, close to border with Malaysia)

Monthly expenses: rent (three bedroom, two bathroom, AC, carpark): $150 electricity (incl AC): $40 water: $7 food (eating out in nice restaurants 80% of the meals): $300 groceries: $166 car/motorcycles: $183 other expenses: $133

total: $979

Starting salary for designers/developers just out of uni: $400 Salary senior developers/managers: $665

Re: Ask HN: Cost of living across the world (Ramen PPP Index for hackers)

#63

Post by sybreon » Mon, Oct 11, 2010, 5:20 AM UTC

angusgr wrote: post #43

sybreon wrote: post #10

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia I assume that this is for an entry-level position. Monthly salary : ~ US$650-$950 (Average US$800). EPF deduction: 11% Room Rent: US$150. Food: US$250 (3 ramen sized meals) Car Installment: US$100 (Perodua Viva) Petrol: US$50 These are the costs for survival mode living. Optional Movie ticket: US$3-5 Internet (1Mbps): US$35 Mobile (300 mins): US$10 Alcohol: Forget it.

I'm guessing from a quick Google that EPF is Malaysia's compulsory retirement savings program?

Yup, but foreigners get a choice of whether or not to contribute.

Re: Ask HN: Cost of living across the world (Ramen PPP Index for hackers)

#64

Post by groaner » Mon, Oct 11, 2010, 5:22 AM UTC

patio11 wrote: post #23

I live in a small town outside of Nagoya, Japan. I live fairly comfortably at $2,000 a month. The ramen profitable number for a single self-employed twentysomething is in the neighborhood of $1,500. Some costs: - A month's rent for a capacious apartment (by Japanese standards): $450 (This would be $700 inside of Nagoya, and you'd get a third the size of the apartment.) - Utilities: Gym ($100), phone + Internet + cell…

But the ramen you make for yourself in Japan is "real" ramen, not instant ramen, is it?

I'm looking at the more interesting pictures here: http://images.google.com/images?q=ramen&biw=1714&bih...

Re: Ask HN: Cost of living across the world (Ramen PPP Index for hackers)

#65

Post by berntb » Mon, Oct 11, 2010, 5:22 AM UTC

ced wrote: post #29

jacquesm wrote: post #24

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What did you live off without an income? Savings? That sounds like quite the adventure! Did you write about it somewhere?

Savings. While in Germany, I had a good (tax-free) stipend and I was hoarding ~800 euros/month, for a year. Living in Asia was an amazing experience, but honestly, there isn't that much "adventure" to write about. I wasn't traveling, since that's expensive-ish. My primary goal was to do research in AI. That turned out to be quite challenging, with the lack of good libraries and peers, but the freedom to work on whate…

Stay an extra year at the next job, then you might be able to get a job to do from a distance.

If I lose motivation@work (got some allergy issues around where I am now), I'm thinking of sitting down a few months somewhere cheap with good weather (== sunny) and hack/read.

A question: How do you find apartments to rent for 1-3 months in random countries, like e.g. India or Japan?

Re: Ask HN: Cost of living across the world (Ramen PPP Index for hackers)

#66

Post by Kaizyn » Mon, Oct 11, 2010, 5:22 AM UTC

csmeder wrote: post #58

San Luis Obispo, CA Apartment Rent + Utilities: $400-$600 Internet (1 Mbps): $25 Food: $250 Phone: $50 Transport (Bike): $20 A decent meal: $8-$30

You must be living in a shanty at those prices (or you have roommates) in SLO, CA.

Re: Ask HN: Cost of living across the world (Ramen PPP Index for hackers)

#67

Post by TheEzEzz » Mon, Oct 11, 2010, 5:25 AM UTC

csmeder wrote: post #58

San Luis Obispo, CA Apartment Rent + Utilities: $400-$600 Internet (1 Mbps): $25 Food: $250 Phone: $50 Transport (Bike): $20 A decent meal: $8-$30

Santa Barbara, CA

Apartment Rent + Utilities: $900 Food: $250

Lawrence, Kansas

Apartment Rent + Utilities: $200 - $500 Food: Same

I miss Kansas sometimes =(

Re: Ask HN: Cost of living across the world (Ramen PPP Index for hackers)

#68

Post by augustflanagan » Mon, Oct 11, 2010, 5:27 AM UTC

Oaxaca, Mexico

1 bedroom apartment in very nice building with weekly cleaning - $450/mo (all bills + wifi included).

Food: $200-400

Beer: $1/bottle

Re: Ask HN: Cost of living across the world (Ramen PPP Index for hackers)

#69

Post by berntb » Mon, Oct 11, 2010, 5:34 AM UTC

mallipeddi wrote: post #39

Singapore Monthly expenses - S$1600 * Rent - S$900 (this will get you a room in a nice high-rise condominium with swimming pool/gym but you've to share the flat with 2 other flatmates). * Broadband - S$70 * Mobile + Unlimited 3G plan - S$40-50 * Food - S$400-500 (this will get you good tasty meals at hawker food stalls; not swanky restaurant dinners w/ alcohol). * Transportation - S$100-150 for public transport (forg…

Thanks for info. I've talked to a few people that worked in Singapore and they loved it.

Re: Ask HN: Cost of living across the world (Ramen PPP Index for hackers)

#70

Post by seltzered » Mon, Oct 11, 2010, 5:44 AM UTC

jacquesm wrote: post #28

Europe, Netherlands (adjusted for one person): - rent/mortgage 500 (comes to about the same) - food 120 - mandatory health insurance 100 - internet 20M 75 (yep, that's splurging) - cheap car 250 (owning a car is expensive here) - energy bill 200 - various other insurances 100 - phone 50

is this in USD or EUR? Are you in amsterdam?