World's least expensive cities

[mobri1130]

Interesting slide show of the 10 least expensive cities in 2010. The cities were ranked as the least expensive in the world by the 2010 Mercer Cost of Living Survey, released in June.

http://www.latimes.com/travel/la-tr-inexpensive-photos,0,5139659.photogallery

 

[laureltp]

I wondered the same thing myself, would expats really want to live in those places though? They may be cheap but at what cost? I think I would have to review their quality of life status and find out how safe they actually are. But maybe they are good places to go if you are only planning on staying a few months or so.

Interesting list, I learned something new.

 

[gunt86]

Asuncion was noticeably absent from the list...I would much rather live there than la paz.

 

[davonz]

I have been to alot of the places mentioned, and i dont think i would live in most of them, not for any length of time anyways, and places like Bishkek, La Paz, Windhoek, Tegucigalpa, Calcutta, Ashkhabad definitely not.. Managua i liked from what i remember.. and the rest i dont know.. but i guess pakistan is like india, very interesting to visit, but dirty and when the rains come isnt very nice..

 

[sergio]

I'd say that Calcutta would be the most interesting. India alone is fascinating and you'd have many travel opportunities. I wonder, though, how much it would really cost if you tried to duplicate a western standard of living. Are good neighborhoods so cheap? Cost of private health care at good clinics? I don't know. Managua might be interesting but probably would be boring after awhile.

 

[gunt86]

Detroit is ridiculously cheap to live...Buy a house for US$1. Large art scene. Lots of infrastructure.

 

[perry]

I certainly do not believe that Buenos Aires is even in the least 50 most expensive cities in the world. I would say for long term expats it is in the top 30 most expensive based on my calculations for living.

Food and transport is cheap in Buenos Aires but big ticket items ie clothing, cars, electronics, furniture and many more items are twice as dear than most western countries.

To judge a city by the price of a Big Mac is plain silly.

 

[Eternalnewbie]

I certainly do not believe that Buenos Aires is even in the least 50 most expensive cities in the world. I would say for long term expats it is in the top 30 most expensive based on my calculations for living.

Food and transport is cheap in Buenos Aires but big ticket items ie clothing, cars, electronics, furniture and many more items are twice as dear than most western countries.

To judge a city by the price of a Big Mac is plain silly.

I recently bought a Sony Bravia 40" widescreen TV from an international import-export online site in the States The TV plays all zones worldwide and accepts all voltages. It was shipped to me in the mail. With the price of the TV and the shipping, I saved $1500 USD over buying it down the street at Jumbo, and that TV would only function within Argentina.

Now that is ridiculous, and anyone buying electronics here is either obscenely rich or has no choice.

I agree with this comment. Going out to most restaurants, grocery shopping, some items of clothing, are all a bargain here. Rents are acceptable. But anything else and this city is as expensive as London.

How do Argentines manage this?

 

[steveinbsas]

After living in Mexico for five years I came to Argentina. After living in BA for a few months I came to the conclusion that I wouldn't want to live in any city where I didn't "blend" in with the locals. For me, that would eliminate all of the cities on the list.

After living in CF for a few years I came to the conclusion that I don't want to live in any city, though I found I could live in BA cheaper than any city in the US that I have lived in (Chicago, San Francisco, Park City, and Marina Del Rey).

So what if a new TV is expensive here? I was able to bring my own computer(s), clothes, sheets, and towels from the US. I've been able to buy everything I need here at rock bottom prices at www.mercadolibre.com.ar, including a used TV.

And I consider the home I am now living in a bargain as well:

Who wants to be my neighbor?