Cost of living in European countries

Hi,

I live in Lecce, South of Italy, small ciy with around 150 000 people...

- accomodation : 500 € per month for 50 sq.m very close from the centre (2min walking)
- public transortation : 0,80€ for a single ticket - 4€ for a 6 courses ticket - 20€ for a monthly subscription
- food prices : less than 200€ per month for two people
- health prices : 1/3 of 19% of your gross salary
- education price : don't know but I guess it is "free" (a couple of euros per year)
- electricity : I pay 10€ per month (I have Air Conditionning)
- gas : 10€ per month (the water is heaten by gas)
- gasoline : 1,20€ per liter
- internet : 35€ per month for ADSL 4Mbps - 20€ per month for 640Kbps - 2€ per hour for 640 Kbps - 0,01€ per hour for 56Kbps
- telephone : 15€ per month + communication + 140€ of installation
- mobile phone : 0,07€ per minute - 0,10 per SMS
- good menu in a restaurant : 9 - 12€
- beer : 4€ half pint of guiness
- coffee : 1€

My budget for two people to live without counting each euro is about 1000€ per month (for two)

In Madrid, Spain:

> accommodation: 625 euros inclusive (taxes, air con, shared swimming pool) for a 45 sq.m in the town center

> public transportation fares: Tube/bus 5.80 euros for 10 tickets or 1.10 euros each

> food prices: I would say 200 euros. Vegetables are quite cheap.

> health prices: I used to work as a self employee when I was in Madrid, I had to pay 150 euros per month

> eduction prices: Education is free, well you'll always have to buy books and pencils

> energy prices: I don't remember the oil price (I've got to check); for the electricity it was arount 12.5 euros per month.

> common bills (Internet, television, telephone, mobile phone):
Internet 39.90 euros per month for a 1Mo adsl line
Telephone (Telefonica): 20 euros per months (that's expensive as Telefonica hasn't got any competitor)
Television: We didn't have to pay for it
Mobile phone: That's expensive, we used top up plans

> prices of a good menu in a traditional restaurant
12 euros for a regular meal in the town center, with wine bread and coffee included

> prices of a beer and of a coffee in a regular pub
A beer: 1.5 euros
A coffee: 1 euro

Ok, lets see.  I'll start with what we paid in Athens, Greece:

> accommodation prices - 330 euros a month, 1 bedroom, 1 bath, nice sized kitchen, large living room - close to metro station
> public transportation fares (tube, bus etc ...) it was 70 cents, I think it has gone up though - for the metro, didnt use the bus.  Cabs can get pretty expensive, because it takes cars a long time to make their way through the city
> food prices(per month, how much does it cost you?)  for 2 of us, about 600 euros a month (ate out a lot)
> health prices (for those who need medical insurance) well, doesn't count for us right now, as he is a doctor, so most of what we get is free =p
> eduction prices (if you need to pay)
> energy prices (oil, electricity) we use lots of electricity, our bills were (and still are) about 100 euros a month, thats with blasted cold A/C in the summer =p
> common bills (Internet, television, telephone, mobile phone) internet, we pay about 30 a month for adsl, NOVA satellite TV is 50 a month, telephone with caller id about 22 a month.  Also, for apartment buildings there are "common" expenses, which in Athens included heating, rounded out to I guess about 30 a month, but you pay more in the winter, obviously, water bill was about 30 a month
> prices of a good menu in a traditional restaurant nice meal for 2, with wine, around 50 euros
> prices of a beer and of a coffee in a regular pub  3 to 5 euros, VERY high

For the smaller villages, on Kos (the island) our accomodation was 265 euros a month, all the other prices really about the same.  In Litochoro, we paid 190 euros a month for what amounted to a 2 bedroom apartment.

Here in Thessaloniki, we aren't paying for the apartment (since it belongs to the family) but the other prices are the same.  But apartment costs in the city centre (where we live) and even in the near outskirts can be very high (for Greece), up to 600 euros a month for a 1 bedroom.

Here in Florence, Italy things are a bit more expensive...

- accomodation: 1000€ per month for 65 sq.m downtown near Santa Croce
- public transortation:
  - 1,00€ for a 1 hour ticket
  - 1,80€ for a 3 hour ticket
  - 4.50€ for a 24 hour ticket
  - 31€ for a monthly subscription
- food prices: About 400€ per month for two people (grocery store and open market)
- health prices: If you don't have insurance, a doctor visit is about 50€
- education price: N/A
- electricity: We work from home and pay about 50€ a month.
- gas: 20€ per month (we have a gas heater and cook with gas as well)
- gasoline: 1,20€ per liter
- internet: 35€ per month for ADSL 4Mbps
- telephone: 15€ per month (we generally use our cells)
- mobile phone: 0,07€ per minute - 0,10 per SMS
- good menu in a restaurant:
  - Lunch 10 - 16€/per person
  - Dinner 15 - 30€/per person
- beer: 2,50€ for a half pint
- coffee: 1,20€

Salaries are supposedly not that high either. Some people take home about 1200€/month here in Florence, so I've heard.

I live in Casares, a small municipality on (but not very affected by) the Costa del Sol, Andalucía, Southern Spain.  In fact I live at the very top of town (435m up) with a castle for a back wall.

> accommodation prices
Zero: Lucky enough to have bought outright with no mortgage.

> public transportation fares (tube, bus etc ...)
What public transport?  OK, there's a bus twice a day into Estepona at about 1.50 euro.  Not only do you need a car, but one with low gears.

> food prices(per month, how much does it cost you?)
About 400 euro monthly for a family of five.

> health prices (for those who need medical insurance)
Paid for through my Social Security by my employer, though it costs them about 29% of my salary.

> eduction prices (if you need to pay)
Free, except for books and materials, which the regional and local government help with - See Los Reyes Magos visitaron Casares on the blog.

> energy prices (oil, electricity)
Diesel for the car about 0.97 euro per litre at the moment.  Electricity about 30 euro bimonthly, gas (butano) now 11 euro per bottle which lasts 2 months.

> common bills (Internet, television, telephone, mobile phone)
Just signed up for ADSL (not yet working - Any tips out there for getting an ADSL router recognised by my laptop?) at 36 euro monthly; TV - zero; Water 3, yes THREE euro bimonthly; Telephone (currently) about 100 euro bimonthly, but expected to fall drastically when I go ADSL; Mobile 20-40 euro a month.

> prices of a good menu in a traditional restaurant
Menu del día from 7.50 to 11 euro (One of Franco's innovations I am grateful for)

> prices of a beer and of a coffee in a regular pub
cerveza (tubo or caña) 1 euro locally, coffee 50 cents to 1 euro locally.  Double these prices on the 'Costa'.

> Miscellaneous
Union dues 36 euro annually (but saves me at least 25 euro on doing my tax declarations)
Car insurance about 180 euro annually for a 250cc bike.
Cinema tickets 5 euro per person.

I live in Tübingen, seemingly of of the most popular universities in Germany.

The town is quite small for its cost of life! Roughly 80.000 inhabitants, 25.000 of them being students. Here we go:
- Accomodation: 385€ for 33.3 sqm in a house with 3 people "quite far" from the center, that means on a hill 6 km away... Downtown the prices reach summits, till 400€ for a small single room in a shared flat!
- Bus: 1.90 € for a single ticket... The German Railway increased also its prices, nearly 10€ for a 45min drive to Stuttgart, 40 km away...
- Food: tighly, I'd say around 80€ per month. This doesn't include alcohol or extras like restaurants.
- Education: I paid myself 97€ / semester while studying, but soon (next eyar? Already?) it will increase to 500€ /semester. Study quickly!
- Phone, internet, tv: I'm right now paying 75€ for cable TV + phone + Internet flat rate, but I'm bound by a stupiud 2 years long contract... You can get the same for 40€ monthly.
- Coffee and beer: around 1.90€ for a "big" untasty coffee, and beer (0.5L) ranging from 2.60 to 3.20€... It's the cheapest drink in a pub, even before juices, except for sparkling water!!!
- Restaurants: a single dish is common. It ranges from 6.50€ for the cheapest swabian noodles with cheese and a salad, to 22€ for a piece of beef... Plus the drinks!

Accomodation and charges (I pay 85€ /month for water, waste, fuel) are really expensive here compared to the rest of Germany. It is said to be the 2nd more expensive place for students after Munich.
On the other hand, food bought in the supermarket is not so expensive...

I am in London now, looking for a flat (I used to live in London a couple of years ago), and it's quite impressive how expensive is this city!

I'll give you an idea of the prices as soon as I'll have some time. I need to find a flatshare first (a studio is far too expensive)

I live in Barcelona,  Spain.

My prices are for us, 2 married people, prices are in euros

> accommodation prices

monthly: 850 for 2 bedroom 65 square m flat - 20 minutes walk from work

> public transportation fares (tube, bus etc ...)

50 a month - these are 10 travel tickets

> food prices(per month, how much does it cost you?)

450 a month - this is 3 meals a day and snacks but doesn't include eating out which we do a few times a month

> health prices (for those who need medical insurance)

100 per month

> eduction prices (if you need to pay)

100 per month for spanish classes

> energy prices (oil, electricity)
> common bills (Internet, television, telephone, mobile phone)

100 per month (electricty, gas, water, mobile phone etc.) no internet or phone

> prices of a good menu in a traditional restaurant

50 for the two of us.

> prices of a beer and of a coffee in a regular pub

each Beer: 3E? coffee 2E, I don't really know exactly

Living in St. Andrews, Scotland (comparable to nearby Edinburgh)

accommodation prices: between 150-700 GBP/person/month, running the gamut from rundown, limited-space University halls to luxury flats with satellite TV and cleaning service.  2-BR flat runs about 300-400 per person.

> public transportation fares (tube, bus etc ...): about 3 GBP between towns

> food prices(per month, how much does it cost you?): about 15 GBP/week

> health prices (for those who need medical insurance): NHS is free!  But no dentists.  Pay per visit for private dental care, but it's still cheaper than in the States!

> eduction prices (if you need to pay): between $15,000-$20,000 in fees

> energy prices (oil, electricity)

> common bills (Internet, television, telephone, mobile phone): about 20 GBP/month for broadband.  Anywhere from 10-40 GBP/month for mobile.

> prices of a good menu in a traditional restaurant: 8-20 GBP

> prices of a beer and of a coffee in a regular pub: 3 GBP

From Berlin:

> accommodation prices

about €500 for a modern flat, 60m² in central area

> public transportation fares (tube, bus etc ...)

About €60 flat fare for one month for the whole of Berlin

> food prices(per month, how much does it cost you?)

Not exactly sure, would say about €200 for two people

> health prices (for those who need medical insurance)

Between €300 / €600 for freelancer depending on income

> energy prices (oil, electricity)
> common bills (Internet, television, telephone, mobile phone)

Internet: €10 for 1mb DSL flatrate; telephone: about €30 for ISDN including DSL connection, calls incl. international all 2c / minute or less

> prices of a good menu in a traditional restaurant

A main course in a "typical" restaurant would be between €7 and €12

> prices of a beer and of a coffee in a regular pub

Beer: €1.80 ~ €2.50, up to €3.50 more in trendy / touristy locations; "normal" coffee is about the same

For a large capital city Berlin is very good value for money, although that is in part a reflection of the local economy.

IN Estonia (except Tallinn)
accomodation: rent, 180 euro approx for 1 bedroom apartment
transport: a bus ticket costs 60cents (euro)
Food prices... a loaf of bread costs about 50 cents euro at most
Beer price: 1.30 eur
Food in restaurant: in a normal place, for three people it's about 13 euro.

Since I am just arrived in Milan, I cant say much more than accomodation which is sooooooooo expensive. If you want to live by yourself, it is at least 700 euros for one room+bathroom (+expenses). due to the high prices a lot of young people live at 2 in the same bedroom (from 200 to 400 euros/month!!!). moreover dont hope to get a living room, it is rented as a bedroom!
well for this i have been quite lucky because I found a room 450 euros/months all inclusive in a small house, not so far from a metro stop...but it is extremly rare!

otherwise, prices seems quite normal. Public transport are not that expensive, 1 euros/ ticket and 30 euros for a monthly card.

In Switzerland:

> accommodation prices = Apartments from CHF 800 to unlimited. For CHF 800 you have the minimum and usually undesirable neighborhood. A 2 bedr. apt about 95 m2 with DW and mostly 2 bathr. nowdays, runs around CHF 1600.00 to 2000.00, garage always CHF 120.00 a month and utilities about CHF 60 to CHF 200 depending on the apt and then once a year an extra bill for heating.

> public transportation fares (tube, bus etc ...) = About CHF 100 to 200 per month depending where you live and how far you go.

> food prices(per month, how much does it cost you?) = CHF 1400.00 for 2. Includes detergent, toothpaste and all that stuff one picks up at the supermarket too. Does not include fancy food or steaks.

> health prices (for those who need medical insurance) = Everybody needs medical insurance :-) around CHF 300 a month per person - private insurance.  The best doctors only take private or semi private insured patients as do the best clinics.

> eduction prices (if you need to pay) = For something that gives you a govt.approved diploma you pay thousands and this is not full time school but adult eduction, night school a couple of times a week.  It is something I happen to have gotten into a hassle with the govt. department of education about because this is awful. There is nothing that is free once you leave school and are an adult. You can take courses that are cheaper but you don't get the diploma that you need if you're doing this to get a better job. They only accept government approved diplomas paper is more important than what the person can actually do or what he/she knows.

> energy prices (oil, electricity) = CHF 900 and  more per year depending how you live.
> common bills (Internet, television, telephone, mobile phone) = cable TV around cHF 300 a year, internet cable from CHF 43 to over CHF 200 (for businesses of course), ADSL same prices, phone has a monthly subscription rate ISDN is CHF 43 per month, mobile with swisscom is 25 p/mth on one of their plans.

> prices of a good menu in a traditional restaurant = a good meal wtih wine is around CHF 120 to 200 for 2 people. Pizzerias cheaper of course but not much.

> prices of a beer and of a coffee in a regular pub = It depends, the prices vary wtih the Kanton and the place. A glass of beer can be CHF 4  to CHF 6 and a coffee between CHF 4 and 6 too. It all depends. In Lucerne they were charging tourists CHF 9 for mineral water until some American tourists complained to the state tourist agency and the you know what hit the fan then LOL. That was a couple of years ago.

To live decently with a car you need to earn at least CHF 5,000.00 per month. Taxes will run you one month's salary to 2 months salary depending which Kanton you live in. Avoid the Kanton Bern at all costs. It is disgusting what they take you for in taxes.

You pay your state and community taxes, one bill. Then you get a second bill, Govt taxes, then you get a bill for road taxes which varies depending on what kind of car you drive. Oh, a car that costs more than a certain amount, like CHF 30,000.00 I think it is you have to declare on taxes as your estate which puts your tax rate up. I lease my car.
A pack of Marlboro Lights 100s is CHF 6.10. I know because I just quit 62 days ago after lifetime of puffing away. :-(((

Switzerland is very very expensive. I think it's on the same level as Tokyo, Hawaii and New York on some index of most expensive countries to live in.

You've forget something in your list......

I'm very curious (tough not proud) about tobbaco's prices.

In france:
-20 smokes packet/box/(?) :5€
-40g hand-rolling tobbaco :5,50€

Other countries?

Reading, England, United Kingdom
(60km west London)
(prices in euros)

> accommodation prices: 1 bedroom appartment in town centre, 1,000 euros + 100 euros in council tax (mandatory), so 1,100 euros/calendar month

> public transportation fares (tube, bus etc ...) I only use train to a nearby town, 7 euros return ticket. To London on peak time is around 30 euros return ticket. (expensive!!)

> food prices(per month, how much does it cost you?)
An average of 300 euros, including some "expensive" products such as wine or olive oil.

> health prices (for those who need medical insurance)
health is free in the UK, and most of companies include a health insurance as a benefit when employed.

> eduction prices (if you need to pay)
I am single and with no children, so I don't know. As far as I know it can be as expensive as you want (I've heard about tuition fees of 40,000 eur per year and kid)

> utility prices (oil, electricity)
water has a flat rate, so it doesn't matter how much water you use. I'm paying around 25 eur per month.
Electricity, around 15 eur per month
Gas, around 15 eur per month (up to 30 in wintertime)

> common bills (Internet, television, telephone, mobile phone)I've got a single bill for telephone line rental, unlimited national and international calls to fix numbers and broadband for 35 eur per month, which is not a bad deal... broadband speed sucks.
TV Licence: you must pay, but I didn't yet. It is something like 150 eur a year
mobile phone: there are very good deals in contracts, but you won't get one unless you proof you've been living here for some time. 30 eur/month plan should allow you to talk 200 mins, send more text messages than you will need and have a very nice handset for free.

> prices of a good menu in a traditional restaurant
A dinner for two in a nice typical English pub, with two courses, wine and dessert for one may go up to 40-50 euros/person easily.
A regular dinner  in a non-fast food restaurant may cost 30 euros (with a couple or beers included)

> prices of a beer and of a coffee in a regular pub
A pint of lager costs around 4.5 euros
A coffee is around 3 euros

> tobacco
American tobacco, 20 cigarettes for almost 8 euros 
(it is cheaper to go on vacation to Spain and buy the cigarettes there... 1 return ticket to Alicante + 4 marlboro big packets = 4 marlboro big packets bought in the UK)!!!!

London and it's influence area is expensive, but I must say that salaries for educated professionals are pretty good as well.

Regads,
a Spanish guy

I'm writing from Reykjavik, Iceland, where the Icelandic Kronur (ISK) is currently at about 70 to one US dollar.

> accommodation price
80.000ISK will get you a one-bedroom downtown if you're lucky (there are almost no rental properties because home loans have such low interest).  I'm paying 25.000ISK for a huge room in a shared place a 5 min walk from the main square.  This is an excellent and rare price.

> public transportation fares (tube, bus etc ...)
250 ISK will get you most anywhere on the bus. Only foreigners and tourists will admit to taking the bus.

> food prices(per month, how much does it cost you?)
probably about 90,000, including the odd cafe lunch here and there.  I spend about 2000ISK per trip to the store. Fruit and veggies tend to come from overseas and are expensive.  Milk and cheese is not so much, since it is all locally produced.

> health prices (for those who need medical insurance)
included in the taxes.

> eduction prices (if you need to pay)
the only thing I've paid for educationwise is some short courses which tend to be expensive and intense.  An Icelandic course for 6 weeks cost 40.000 ISK last year

> energy prices (oil, electricity)
heat & electricity are all hydro or geothermal, and are cheap.  Heat & electricity in winter is (if I recall correctly) about 4.000 per month in winter (and it's dark for all but 5 hours per day for most of December).  Currently not paying these :-)

> common bills (Internet, television, telephone, mobile phone)
if you work in high-tech it's common for this stuff to be paid for by the company.  When I had to pay net it was about 4.000ISK per month, cellphone bill about 2-3.000.  Never paid for TV although there is a "TV tax" you are supposed to pay for the national channel.  Phone is often a bundled deal with internet and I dno't have one so I can't say!

> prices of a good menu in a traditional restaurant
appetizers are 1.000-1500, main courses are about 2.000ISK, wine's about 3.000 for a bottle minimum

> prices of a beer and of a coffee in a regular pub
beer is usually around 500 ISK, coffee (cappuccino or latte) is 300-350

People say that Reykjavik is one of the most expensive places to live but I've found that (at least in my field) the company pays for a lot more stuff than in the USA where I am from.  My company subsidises gym memberships, often pays for cellphones and internet, and provides an inexpensive option for a full, hot lunch every workday, which cuts down on the expenses considerably.

Also, the most essential component of Reykjavik living, the pool entry fee, is cheap, at 250ISK!

Hello All,

I live in Cork City Ireland:

ACCOMODATION PRICES:
I live on my own in the outskirts of town and I pay 550€ a month for a one double bedroom flat in a house that also offers garden and parking space. This is considered fairly cheap given that brand new flat would easily be rented at around 700- 750€ a month without charges. Everything in the flat is mostly electrical and I usually pay around 50€ for 2 months.


PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION (tube, bus etc ...)
I don't use them as I have car now. But here buses are like a total nightmare as they are never on time or they sometimes don't  even stop. Buying a car is dear and getting it insured is even mor expensive. I bought a 2002 Yaris earlier this year and paid 9500€ with 21100 miles on it and i pay about 800€ a year for a full comprehensive insurance (1 year bonus).

FOOD PRICES
per week, I would easily spend 100€ between groceries shopping (Tesco), meat at the butcher and fish at the market. For quality food, you have to pay the price.

HEALTH PRICES
I usually avoid going to the doctor. They are very dear (50€ a visit) and they mostly are not good. I usually have a checkup whenever I go back to France.

RESTAURANT/ PUB
Again if you wanna enjoy a good night in a nice restaurant, you have to pay the price for it. I guess you can easily spend between 30- 50€ for a full course menu (starter/ main dish/ wine and dessert). Otherwise, you can spend about 10- 15€ for  pub food.

TRAVEL
Travelling from Ireland is probably the worst thing here. It is really hard to find direct flights or you have to stick unaccomodating schedule.


Warda

i am in rural central portugal, east of coimbra


> accommodation prices

rents are cheap. can be as low as 100 euros a month.

> public transportation fares (tube, bus etc ...)
trains very cheap, 20 euros to lisbon (3 hours away)
> food prices(per month, how much does it cost you?)

500 euros a month - family of 5

> health prices (for those who need medical insurance)
n/a

> eduction prices (if you need to pay)
n/a

> energy prices (oil, electricity)

electric about 20 euros a month

> common bills (Internet, television, telephone, mobile phone)

adsl 35 euro/month. no tv license. phone 16 euro/month line.
> prices of a good menu in a traditional restaurant
it is possible to get a full meal (3 courses, coffee, wine, starter) from 3.50 euros... normally between 5 and 10 euros per head... expensive places can be 20 for everything. almost all menus are REAL food, home made, home grown even often... not like the microwaved packaged rubbish that  uk pubs sell.
> prices of a beer and of a coffee in a regular pub
a bottle beer, 60 cents, coffee 40 cents...

Hello I live in London (12 minutes away by train from central London)

- accommodation prices: My one bedroom flat costs £740 per month + £120 for the council tax every month

- public transportation fares (tube, bus etc ...)
One bus ticket before 9.30 am costs £1.10 if you ve got an oyster card or £1.50 normal price. After 9.30 am with the oyster card, it is only £0.80 or £1.10 normal price.
I never take the tube but I know that if you want to buy a single ticket by tube in zone 1 only, a ticket costs now £4 ! The best is to take a dayly or a weekly travelcard.

- food prices(per month, how much does it cost you?): In UK, food is cheap , I spend approx £25 per week

- health prices (for those who need medical insurance)
If you are registered with a general practitional, healthcare is free, the same with hospital. However with this service and it quite difficult to have an appointement for the same day . Dentists charge approx £75 for a filling. 

> eduction prices (if you need to pay)
An MA fees cost around £4000/ year

> energy prices (oil, electricity)
My electricity bille is £230 approx every 3 months.

> common bills (Internet, television, telephone, mobile phone)
Internet+ telephone line+ digital TV costs only £30

> prices of a good menu in a traditional restaurant
Approx £15 per head

> prices of a beer and of a coffee in a regular pub
a pint pf beer costs around £3.00, coffee is £1.60

That's all folks!

First time post on here:) equivilent council tax rates where I live in Andalucia are actualy a bill I enjoy paying... 9 euros for the year, my home is a traditional Andalucian cave house and the rates are very very low. In the UK it was just under 100 pounds per month.

I live in the heart of London so we pay more than the average. All prices below in British Sterling Pounds

Accommodation prices: Our two-bedroom flag with huge living room, kitchen and HUGE terrace costs £1490 per month + £100 for the monthly council tax.

- public transportation fares (tube, bus etc ...)
Same as previous reader said. I take the bus more than the tube. The bus is 80 pence with an Oyster Card...a MUST item even if you are just visiting London as a tourist. One Tube ride is 1.20. Another great thing about the Oyster card is that you never pay more than a certain cap amount; in central London once you reach about £6 in a single day, you won't pay anything else above that daily cap amount for any further journeys you take.

- food prices(per month, how much does it cost you?): Probaby about £50 per week for a couple. You can save a lot by shopping in the many outdoor markets.

- health prices (for those who need medical insurance). NOTHING. NADA. ZIPPO.  ZERO. We have Nationalized health care. I've never had a problem with it. The only thing we pay for is prescription drugs, which cost about £6 apiece.

> eduction prices (if you need to pay)
No idea; we're not students

> energy prices (oil, electricity)
Our electric bill was about £85 for three months. The gas bill is much cheaper, about £40 for three months.

> common bills (Internet, television, telephone, mobile phone)
Same as previous reader. We pay £30 for combined Internet+ telephone line+ digital TV with 40 channels through TeleWest.  Also my neighborhood has FREE wi-fi internet on the entire mile-long road, but it is so slow I rarely use it.

> prices of a good menu in a traditional restaurant
Approx £15 per head

> prices of a beer and of a coffee in a regular pub
Fellow reader must go to some expensive pubs!  A pint of beer in my local is about £2.50, and as cheap as £1 during happy hour.  Coffee is about £1 at a local British cafe (pronounced "caff") or £1.50 at Starbucks.  I have a very bad Starbucks Cafe Mocha habit, which are about £2.20 apiece.

Hi

This is my first post and i will write about the prices in Romania .
I will write the prices in my city which is very close to the Hungarian border but you'll have to expect the accomodation price to be more expensive in Bucharest  which is the capital of Romania .

> accommodation prices :60-100 euros for a studio flat
100-150 euros for one bedroom apartment.
150-300 for a house.

> public transportation fares .I have no idea but i think is very cheap because the taxi charge you about 0.25 eurocent /km.
> food prices(per month, how much does it cost you?)The food is expensive in Romania you will need about 100-200 euro for a family of two.

> health prices .A visit to the doctors will cost you about 6-7 euro the same amount youhave to pay for the dentist.

> eduction prices .About 200 euro for a 3-5 month course or 4-500 euro for one year at private university.

> energy prices (oil, electricity)petrol and diesel prices are about the same and the price for one liter is about 1 euro.
The electricity bill is 50 -60 euro for two months period.
The gas bill is about 100 euro/month.

> common bills >internet and phone about 10 euros /month for cable internet at 1mb and a lot of free minutes for the phone.
Cable is about 6-10 euro .
Mobile phones is 8-10 euros whith 200-300 minutes included.

> prices of a good menu in a traditional restaurant.10-20 euros for two with two course meal and drinks.

> prices of a beer and of a coffee in a regular pub.1 euro for a beer ,4-8 euro for a bottle of wine.

>Tobacco price is about 1 euro for 20 cigarettes pack .

OK, well we're living in Larnaka in Cyprus, and reading this thread I can begin to see why people think Cyprus is expensive!  Less so than the UK, on the whole, but more than many other Mediterranean countries.  Partly this is because the Cyprus pound has been kept artificially strong - it's currently worth about 1.7 euros, although as we're joining the euro at the end of the year, I think they'll have to do something about that. 

But in the meantime, prices in Cyprus pounds:

> accommodation prices

We were paying £250 for a spacious four-bedroomed bungalow with a huge garden - however it needed a huge amount of work as it was in fairly bad condition.  Typically £200 would pay for a 2-bed apartment, and a 4-bed house with garden would be more like £400-500.   House prices for buying are cheaper than UK, so it's worth buying if you live here long-term.  This is what we've now done, having sold our UK home. 

> public transportation fares (tube, bus etc ...)

Ha.  No trains or underground here.  Buses run once an hour between major cities, six days a week, until about 6pm - cost around £2.   People mostly use the shared taxi system, which is about £3.50 per person between towns.  Within a town, people drive, walk or cycle. 

> food prices(per month, how much does it cost you?)

We typically spent about £350 a month for a family of four including two teenage boys. 

> health prices (for those who need medical insurance)

We pay 400 per year insurance to cover us all for hospital stays only.   Emergency care is free. To visit a doctor of any sort, there's a standard fee of £15, usually.   

> education prices (if you need to pay)

Greek-speaking schools are free.  We educated our sons at home, but friends have three children in a local English-speaking private school, and pay about 500 per month.   

> energy prices (oil, electricity)

We pay about £50 per month for electricity, on average.  That includes a fair amount of air conditioning in the summer, and electric water heating in the winter (solar heat is great for most of the year).  Gas central heating (bottled gas) costs about £100 per month during the coldest months (basically Dec-Feb). 

Petrol is about 50c per litre.

> common bills (Internet, television, telephone, mobile phone)

Internet about £15 per month for broadband, standing charge on phone £6.  Mobile charges are very good - a pay-as-you-go card of £10 lasts my 18yo son about six months.  A contract costs about £1.50 per month including several free text messages.  Calls are very cheap, and texts cost 2c each. 

> prices of a good menu in a traditional restaurant

About £10 - £15 each, although you can pay more at really posh places. 

> prices of a beer and of a coffee in a regular pub

No idea!  Coffee at a sea-front restaurant usually costs about £1.50. 

No idea about cigarettes either, sorry.  But I think they must be pretty cheap as loads of people smoke here.  Yuk. 

Now we own our own house, we reckon about £750 a month is more than sufficient for two adults and one teenage son (the other is no longer at home) - that includes £70 for the son's music lessons.

I live in Kristiansand, Norway.


> accommodation prices
$700 and up.

> public transportation fares (tube, bus etc ...)
$3

> food prices(per month, how much does it cost you?)
If you don't eat out - $200-400

> health prices (for those who need medical insurance)
included in taxes.

> eduction prices (if you need to pay)
included in taxes.

> energy prices (oil, electricity)
high.

> common bills (Internet, television, telephone, mobile phone)
around $400.

> prices of a good menu in a traditional restaurant
$40-50

> prices of a beer and of a coffee in a regular pub
a 0.5 beer: $8 (!!)   regular black coffee: $4

> tobacco
20 pack marlboro is $10

I'll bite. Paris France near the Bastille.

Rent 1100 euros for 45 m sq.

Phone 40 euro per month

Food 200 euro per week for 2

Gas 10 euro month

Health care is free.

50% income and other taxes.

I live in Barcelona, Spain in the central part of city that borders with Eixample and Montjuic:

> accommodation prices
I pay 1200 euro a month for 65sq mtrs, all newly renovate flat (was rented as 85 sq mtrs; they measure the walls in total sq meters).
However: I also paid a deposit (6 months) of 7200 euro plus 1st month rent, plus agent fee: in total 10,800 euro before they would even give the key. This is not some rare rip-off but NORMAL here and a common requirement from non-spanish nationals.
Fridge and washing machine (not included).
Same size flat for about 800 month can be found in poor condition or non-central.

I have been looking for one year for a 150-170sq mtr spacious flat in good condition, central, and am willing to pay 1600 a month. I can't find one.

> public transportation fares (tube, bus etc ...)
Cheap. 2 euro for single rides. I buy metro cards in rides of 10 for 6.90.
It includes buses, trains and even Ferro Carrils.
Taxi: about 20 euro from airport to central Barcelona. You can take a taxi within most destinations in the center for about 10 euro.

> food prices (per month, how much does it cost you?)
I spend about 200 a month on modest food for home cooking (no meat included). It can be done cheaper for one person.

> health prices (for those who need medical insurance)
600 euro a year, full-coverage, LaCaixa (best insurance in Spain). It is not necessary to have separate health insurance here.
Socialized government healthcare is free but has long waiting lines. My appointments take 3-6 weeks to get. Medications are very cheap.

> eduction prices (if you need to pay):
Language classes: 300-800 a month from known schools

> energy prices (oil, electricity):
My Fincasa charge me 75 euro per month. Fixed.

> common bills (Internet, television, telephone, mobile phone)
DSL internet 40 euro a month
Phone line (that allows outside calls and unlimted local) 31 euro a month
Phone bill, without call rates, will stay stable at 80-100 a month with Telefonica.

Cellphone: I signed up for a 7 euro a month service, and 0,08 per call. Bill ends up about 35 euro p/m even without calculating the call rates... Don't ask how. This is Telefonica.

> prices of a good menu in a traditional restaurant
Normal is 8-15 euro per plate (2 star, average). Appertizers or desert not included. Non tourist areas.
Snack-bars with take aways are about 5 euro per snack (ex. pita, dorum).
Tapas run from 2.5 to 5 euro per piece.

> prices of a beer and of a coffee in a regular pub
Very cheap. Cava (champagne) 2 euro a glass average.
Beer about 2 euro, and coffee from 1,10 to 1,80 euro.
These prices are in non-tourist areas. In tourist areas, double or tripple the price.

BCNexpat looks pretty accurate to me...

Schools:  we pay 100 Euros a month for each child to go to a 'private' Catholic school

We pay, outside of BCN, 650 per month for a three bedroom, largish apt with a large terrace and a view of the sea and the mountains. 

Gas, 30 Euros a month
Water 30 euros a quarter
Electricity, 30 Euros a month

a coffee and croissant, around a Euro fifty.

I just add some comments about Geneva in BOLD

Karen wrote:

In Switzerland:

Karen spoke about all Switzerland and she's right on main points. I will just add some things about Geneva: the price of the accommodation is really high, specially because 98ù of the apartments are full. And it's not getting better soon
> accommodation prices = Apartments from CHF 800 to unlimited. For CHF 800 you have the minimum and usually undesirable neighborhood. A 2 bedr. apt about 95 m2 with DW and mostly 2 bathr. nowdays, runs around CHF 1600.00 to 2000.00, garage always CHF 120.00 a month and utilities about CHF 60 to CHF 200 depending on the apt and then once a year an extra bill for heating.

In Geneva, you pay CHF 70 for a month, or CHF 600 per year. The system is really good and secure! That's a good point, specially as having a car is really expensive + no parkings:unsure> public transportation fares (tube, bus etc ...) = About CHF 100 to 200 per month depending where you live and how far you go.

> food prices(per month, how much does it cost you?) = CHF 1400.00 for 2. Includes detergent, toothpaste and all that stuff one picks up at the supermarket too. Does not include fancy food or steaks. I would just say, that close to France, you have to go there to buy some things...

> health prices (for those who need medical insurance) = Everybody needs medical insurance :-) around CHF 300 a month per person - private insurance.  The best doctors only take private or semi private insured patients as do the best clinics.
Nothing to add: really expensive...

> eduction prices (if you need to pay) = In geneva, it depends: are you in a public or private school? For public, it's free. For private, there are quite a lot (thanks to expats:P), but also quite expensive

> energy prices (oil, electricity) = CHF 900 and  more per year depending how you live.

> common bills (Internet, television, telephone, mobile phone) = ADSL is CHF 75/months, mobile depends how much you call. It's like in France. TV and radio are CHF 112 / 3months

> prices of a good menu in a traditional restaurant = a good meal wtih wine is around CHF 70 to 200 for 2 people.

> prices of a beer and of a coffee in a regular pub = It depends, are you going to expats places or not...
To live decently with a car you need to earn at least CHF 5,000.00 per month. Taxes will run you one month's salary to 2 months salary depending which Kanton you live in.

Geneva is really an expensive town, but it's a pleasure to live here:top:, if you can...


Kro

Budapest:

Rental flat: 40 sq.meter studio plus heating, water and electricity 80 000HUF

Cable Internet and tv: 8000 HUF

Monthly pass for public transportation: 7350 HUF

Education is mostly free - I don't know about foreigners.

Public health care: 300 HUF per visit. I don't know much about quality - I haven't had serious problems.

Private dentist: Check up and clean up - 12 000 HUF

Food is cheap if it is produced here or nearby and if it is right season.

Computers are more expensive than in Finland, Germany or Switzerland.

Plus: If you work under hungarian taxation you will face quite hard taxes.
Short example of income tax levels in Hungary

TALLINN.Capital of Estonia.

Accomodation: Surbubian,not good condition 300 Euros,Good condition,center of Tallinn 500-600 Euros for two bedroom flat (bills inluded)

PUBLIC TRANSPORT : 16 euros per month

Food prices: 30-40 Euros per week

Internet 10 Euros,Telephone mobile 10-20 Euros per month

Food in traditional restaurant 7-10 Euros,touristy places 20 Euros

A coup of coffee 1-1.20 Euros

Beer: 2-2.20 Euros for 500 ml

Cigarettes:1.60-2 .00 Euros per pack

Taxi ride :10 km  8 Euros

Averige wages in Tallinn 700 Euros per month 600 after tax

I live in Edinburgh which is a verty expensive city, but so beautiful and people are really nice.

> accommodation prices
We're renting a big 1 bedroom flat with my partner (big kitchen, living room and study room) for £650 in a really nice area. If we wanted to buy this flat it would cost us about £210.000, which means no way, far to expensive! (I know because a similar flat upstairs went for that price a month ago).

> public transportation fares (tube, bus etc ...)
A single bus ticket costs £1, a day saver costs £2.50 and a monthly card is £37.

> food prices(per month, how much does it cost you?)
We are "foodies" so we eat well all the time, I'd say about £60 a week, and that's not including wine (which we only drink a the weekend).  We prefer to shop in local shops if we can as we like to source our food locally (why buy lamb from New-Zealand when there's a beautiful sheep farm 2 miles away! And it's also better for the environment!)

> health prices (for those who need medical insurance)
My partner has a private medical insurance with his work and my name's also on it.  Otherwise, as everywhere else in the UK, GP is free and a prescription is about £6.70.
I was lucky enough to find an NHS dentist, so it's now dead cheap to go to the dentist's!

> eduction prices (if you need to pay)
Not a student but I work in a university so I know.  Fees are about £3000 if you're a UK or EU citizen and £8000 if you're from overseas (and believe me the place is packed with Chinese, Japanese and Indian students!).

> energy prices (oil, electricity)
A litre of petrol is about 98 pence.
Not sure about gas/electricity but I reckon it's about £500 per year (we have gas central heating and it's not rare to put the heating on in the middle of summer)

> common bills (Internet, television, telephone, mobile phone)
Don't have a phone landline at home but my mobile (contracts) is £30 per month and we have cable/internet, which is about £55 per month.
TV licence is £27 per month. 

> prices of a good menu in a traditional restaurant
Depends if if go for lunch or dinner.  Lunch is much cheaper and you can easely find a good restaurant for £10-13 for a 2 courses meal.  For dinner count about £25 per head.  And that's not including wine of course!

> prices of a beer and of a coffee in a regular pub
In my local boozer, where we go far too often (but hey, it's the heart of the community!) it's about £2.50 for a pint, same for a gin & tonic.
In the middle of town (i.e. posh streets like George Street if some of you know the city), it's not rare to pay up to £4 for a pint.
A coffee at Starbuck is about £2 (although I prefer the Italian coffee from Cafe Nero and not that crap they dare selling us at the kiosk at work).
Ciggies are expensive, about £5.50 a pack, and it's been a year you're no longer allowed to smoke in any indoor places. 

I almost forgot the Council Tax, which is a total rip off, £150 per month!

Apart from that, I love living here!

Here in Novi Sad, Serbia  5 km. from town center prices are:

Apartment- 300 Euros - for small apartment, living room/sleeping area, bathroom, small kitchen, wood floors and hopefully a small terrace.

Food - 8,000 dinars per month - we cook everything at home.

Beer in a cafe - 60 dinars at a cheap place we know with very cold beer.

Coffee in a cafe - 40 dinars for Turkish style

Bus Fare - 29 dinars for each trip

Bills:
Electric - 1500 dinars per month
Satellite - 300 dinars per month
Phone - 500 dinars per month

Dinner at a nice traditional restaurant with live tamburitza music on the Danube - 1,000 dinars for two with some wine.

Education - Don't have kids, but have been told elementary school is free, but beyond that you have to pay.

Bar of chocolate (had to put this one in - 80 dinars

I live in Malta. I believe Malta is a very expensive country when you compare the salaries and the cost of living. I have heard as well that for tourists it is not exactly cheap.

The prices of clothes and shoes are rocket sky! For instance, a simple cheap dress: 21 euros. Good shoes: 63 euros. Very good shoes: 93 euros. The sandals in the kiosk: 4 euros.

Accommodation prices: That depends on the area, for instance in Buggiba you can find the cheapest prices (120 LM: 280 euros) but in the most expensive areas, the prices vary from 600 to 1,000 euros! 
public transportation fares (tube, bus etc ...) The public transport here is cheap, the fare is 0.46 euros and a bit more for the direct buses. The ferry to Gozo is not expensive either, 7 euros approx or less.
> food prices(per month, how much does it cost you?) 280 euros (2 persons)
> health prices (for those who need medical insurance) A visit to the doctor: 14 euros approx.
> common bills (Internet, television, telephone, mobile phone): 65 euros a month
> prices of a good menu in a traditional restaurant 46 euros (2 persons)
> prices of a beer and of a coffee in a regular pub: 1.40 euros approx.
Six pack of bottles of water: 2.35 euros

Hi,

very nice topic!

@  wendyfb   thanks for the usefull info about Malta, could u please advise me if 650MTL monthly gross is worth relocating there?

I can tell you about Sofia, Bulgaria
Like most capital cities it is twice more expencive than other towns in Bulgaria. Its also overcrowded, but it has its charm.


> accommodation prices - 250EUR is the minimum you can pay for 45 sqm, not furnished. if you are looking for a furnished  place it will cost you at least 300 EUR in a normal neighbourhood (not in the getho).

> public transportation fares (tube, bus etc ...) - very cheap, 0.35 Eur is the ticket for the bus and the subway, taxi is cheaper than in germany and greece.

> food prices(per month, how much does it cost you?)- 150 EUR roughly

> health prices (for those who need medical insurance) one doctor visit is between 7 and 25 EUR
> eduction prices (if you need to pay) not that i know of

> energy prices (oil, electricity) electricity is like 10 EUR monthly , gasoline is 1,20 EUR/liter

> common bills Internet 10EUR broadband connection, television 10 EUR, telephone max 20EUR, mobile phone depend on how much u talk.. but i would say 40 EUR will do.
> prices of a good menu in a traditional restaurant --- a dinner for 2 pers. 50 EUR with a good wine 25 EUR without the wine, but you can have a nice meal for 10 15 EUR in most of the places.


> prices of a beer and of a coffee in a regular pub - beer is 1EUR coffee too.

btw forgot to mention, clothes are cheap in Bulgaria. Well it also depends on where you shop, but basically a pair of good shoes is between 25 and 50 EUR, and a pair of jeans is around the same price

This may be a dumb ?, but why are such beautiful apartments in say Germany so reasonable? I mean, I live in Santa Barbara, CA in a 1br dump for $1,300 a month! But the places I look up on craigslist are much cheaper in price much more like eyecandy. Are there hidden costs besides the base rent price? Please let me know anyone, I am very curious about this.

I recently last October bought a property in Turkey and have been very happy.  However rentals in Turkey are very cheap in comparisons and the cost of living is good and you can work and live comfortably on the Turkish Lira.

Hi all, excellent topic.
What about Bruxelles? I would be really interested in all details as I am about to relocate in 2008.

Thanks.

L