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Cost of Living Index by Country 2024 – Numbeo

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Re: Cost of Living Index by Country 2024 – Numbeo

#71

Post by tschwimmer »

tempsy wrote: post #69
tschwimmer wrote: post #66

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don’t agree. I live in the Bay Area and eating out is noticeably more expensive in Zurich than here. I find that you’re not going to get away for less than 60-70 francs for dinner for two pretty much anywhere in Zurich. Sure, there are many places you can pay that much in the bay, but you can also eat for much cheaper. Even outside the cities it’s insane. We went to a regular looking Indian restaurant 40km outside…

in what world is 60-70 francs for dinner eg under $80 or $40pp eye-popping for dinner especially when you add tax and tip to any menu price in the US? and you can't compare in-n-out to a sit down place. an average casual ramen place is like $22 a bowl now here. add an egg (yes, they don't include it anymore) and it's $25. then add one drink or something and you're at $30. Then tax is $33 and tip is another $6-7. That…

This is a reasonable middle eastern restaurant in Palo Alto: https://orenshummus.com/lunch-dinner-menu/

If you get 2 drinks, an appetizer and 2 sandwiches yes, it's about $40 pp. But if you just get two sandwiches it's much closer to 20-25PP.

Similar story here: https://coconutspaloalto.com/menu.html

These are two restaurants in some of the most expensive real estate and highest income area in California if not the whole US. Meanwhile the Indian place was as I said, 40km outside Basel (the town was amusingly called Frick).

(by the way I checked Ramen Nagi, also in Palo Alto and has lines out the door every day. Regular bowl is 15.25, an egg is 2.75. So I think your baseline is a bit high.)

Re: Cost of Living Index by Country 2024 – Numbeo

#72

Post by tempsy »

tschwimmer wrote: post #71
tempsy wrote: post #69

Earlier quoted context omitted.

in what world is 60-70 francs for dinner eg under $80 or $40pp eye-popping for dinner especially when you add tax and tip to any menu price in the US? and you can't compare in-n-out to a sit down place. an average casual ramen place is like $22 a bowl now here. add an egg (yes, they don't include it anymore) and it's $25. then add one drink or something and you're at $30. Then tax is $33 and tip is another $6-7. That…

This is a reasonable middle eastern restaurant in Palo Alto: https://orenshummus.com/lunch-dinner-menu/ If you get 2 drinks, an appetizer and 2 sandwiches yes, it's about $40 pp. But if you just get two sandwiches it's much closer to 20-25PP. Similar story here: https://coconutspaloalto.com/menu.html These are two restaurants in some of the most expensive real estate and highest income area in California if not the w…

You intentionally picked fast casual places that are akin to a Chipotle. I'm talking about a sit down place with service.

I'm in San Francisco. Not sure if you've been to a sit down place recently but trying to argue a sit down meal is $25pp inclusive of tax and tip is ridiculous.

Re: Cost of Living Index by Country 2024 – Numbeo

#73

Post by specproc »

phtrivier wrote: post #53

Living in France, i'm pretty surprised they manage to find a "cost of living index" being _lower_ now than in 2018. Sure, things have recessed from the highs of 2022 / 2023, but the idea of a "groceries index" that does not reflect how is has changed to, ahem, shop for groceries is weird.

It's baselined against New York, so you can be more expensive, but not have had the cost of living grow faster than NYC.

This makes it alright for comparing between countries in a single year, but I'm not sure exactly what you get out of comparing the same country within a year.

Re: Cost of Living Index by Country 2024 – Numbeo

#74

Post by seanmcdirmid »

tempsy wrote: post #70
seanmcdirmid wrote: post #44

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In 2007 before I left Lausanne, a Big Mac meal, was 10.5 CHF, that was maybe $8, this was before CHF hit parity with USD. Now it is 16 CHF, and CHF is now 10% more dear than USD, so I would say it has risen quite a bit? Even if not as much as a Big Mac meal did in the states (from I think $5 to $13). A better indicator would be Kebob prices, but I just don’t remember those.

my point wasn't that a Big Mac meal in Switzerland hasn't risen since 2007 or wahtever. My point was at that time an American in Switzerland would have thought it was relatively much more expensive than a Big Mac meal here. Now it's similar.

16CHF is like $17.60 now. That is still more expensive than the states, although I guess $13 in Seattle + tax works out to $14.30.

Whatever, for what I made in Switzerland, it didn't seem like a big deal, and you can live pretty well in Swiss with very deterministic costs, whereas in the states, tax and tips sneak up on you.

Re: Cost of Living Index by Country 2024 – Numbeo

#75

Post by tschwimmer »

tempsy wrote: post #72
tschwimmer wrote: post #71

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is a reasonable middle eastern restaurant in Palo Alto: https://orenshummus.com/lunch-dinner-menu/ If you get 2 drinks, an appetizer and 2 sandwiches yes, it's about $40 pp. But if you just get two sandwiches it's much closer to 20-25PP. Similar story here: https://coconutspaloalto.com/menu.html These are two restaurants in some of the most expensive real estate and highest income area in California if not the w…

You intentionally picked fast casual places that are akin to a Chipotle. I'm talking about a sit down place with service. I'm in San Francisco. Not sure if you've been to a sit down place recently but trying to argue a sit down meal is $25pp inclusive of tax and tip is ridiculous.

Coconuts and Orens are full service sit down restaurants. They may not be super fancy byt you do not order from a counter like Chipotle. Ramen Nagi is not strictly full service because the lines are so long - the server comes out and hands you a order card to expedite the process. But there are roving waitstaff that handle appetizers and drinks. I think you settle the check at the counter.

The most recent full service restaurant we went to in SF was Sam Wo (https://www.yelp.com/biz/sam-wo-restaurant-san-francisco-3), that was definitely under 25PP I think even with drinks).

I mean, sure, if you go to trendy restaurant of the week it's going to be super expensive. But there are plenty of places you can eat out in SF for ~$15 a person out the door. I don't feel like that's true in Zurich.

In fact, writing this comment made me remember when I went to Hiltl Sihlpost. That's definitely not a full service restaurant, but it was 30 francs for a plate of entirely vegetarian food! Reflecting more, I think what's missing in Zurich is the equivalent of low end Bay Area restaurants.

Re: Cost of Living Index by Country 2024 – Numbeo

#76

Post by CMCDragonkai »

ChumpGPT wrote: post #7

Eastern Europe is where it is at. Ukraine is super cheap and a really beautiful place, requires a little work to get there but not to bad. Hotels are cheap and really good food and just awesome. Planning to go again this summer.

I'm interested in hearing more about this? Can you share a bit more of how you're operating there?

Re: Cost of Living Index by Country 2024 – Numbeo

#77

Post by rldjbpin »

being from a country on the bottom side of the list living on one from the top, it seems to roughly add up from my experience. although it is more accurate for the more expensive parts of each country.

when living in a cheaper country to live compared to a more expensive one, there is a very different split between rent and other expense in terms of having a comparable standard of living.

Re: Cost of Living Index by Country 2024 – Numbeo

#78

Post by ChumpGPT »

CMCDragonkai wrote: post #76
ChumpGPT wrote: post #7

Eastern Europe is where it is at. Ukraine is super cheap and a really beautiful place, requires a little work to get there but not to bad. Hotels are cheap and really good food and just awesome. Planning to go again this summer.

I'm interested in hearing more about this? Can you share a bit more of how you're operating there?

What kind of information were you looking for? How to get there or what it was like?

Re: Cost of Living Index by Country 2024 – Numbeo

#79

Post by ChumpGPT »

futureshock wrote: post #35
ChumpGPT wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yeah, not everyone has what it takes for a good adventure....I suppose that's why so many like Paris and Rome, it's all they can handle...

Curious to hear your story. Why take the risk of going to Ukraine? How long did you go for? How much did the war impact your visit?

Getting there wasn't too difficult, there is an overnight train from Prague that takes you to the border where you switch trains to go to Lviv or onward. You can also take a train from anywhere in Poland to the border. Buses are a good option too. Prices were very affordable, $250 for an entire month at an AirBnB in the heart of Old Town Lviv. Had Internet, washing machine, stove, etc, nice place. Then went on to Kyiv for a few weeks, absolutely amazing. My new favorite city in Europe. That was $28 a night at Hotel Ukraine. Everything was affordable and they accept credit cards/mobile payments etc everywhere. Got a sim from Kyiv Star Mobile for like $4 USD with 20 gig data and it worked everywhere, even in Germany, Poland and Czech Republic.

There were air raid alerts when I was there and missile/rocket attacks but they do a good job protecting everyone. All in all it was a awesome time, am definitely going back this summer. It's a wonderful and very resilient country with beautiful people, once you visit you understand why they are fighting so hard to preserve it. The war has cost them dearly and it is sobering to see all the memorials dedicated to their dead Heroes.

I am glad to have gone and spend time and money there to support them. Everyone I met was incredibly grateful that I had come as a visitor, it's important to show that they are not alone. It felt like I was part of an incredibly important moment in History in their fight for survival. I encourage everyone to go and support them and their economy in some way.

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