Repost This ArticleSan Francisco – USA
Photo by Billy Gast
According to Rudyard Kipling, “San Francisco has only one drawback. ‘Tis hard to leave.” On the verge of buying her own condo, writer and photographer Cheri Lucas might agree.
Two bedroom apartment: $2000-3000 per month depending on area
Local dinner: $15 for a single dish
Public transport: $2 for a bus with unlimited transfers for 2 hours
One liter of gas: $1
Doctor’s visit: $25 for a routine visit (via insurance)
Electricity: $20 per month
Internet: $40 per month
Salta – Argentina
Photo by Paul Campbell
Salta, in northwestern Argentina at the foothills of the Andes, is currently home for Matador Life Editor Leigh Shulman and her family.
Two bedroom apartment: $200-500 per month
Local dinner: $15 for a steak dinner
Public transport: 50 cents
One liter of gas: $1
Doctor’s visit: $15
Electricity: $10 per month but can go up to $100+ in non-gas heated buildings during winter
Internet: $40-50 per month
Vancouver – Canada
Photo by Jenn
Home of Matador’s Network Architect Ian MacKenzie, Vancouver is still ranked as one of the most highly livable cities worldwide, despite some of the most expensive real estate in North America.
Two bedroom apartment: $1800+ per month
Local dinner: $6 for sushi
Public transport: $5, or $10 for a whole day pass
One liter of gas: $1.30
Doctor’s visit: Free, however healthcare costs $60 per month
Electricity: $50 per month
Internet: $60 per month
Cairo – Egypt
Photo by Mike Slagter
Matador Life Editor Nick Rowlands has lived in Cairo for more than four years, and although he keeps trying to leave, he keeps getting drawn back to the delicious chaos of life in the crazy Egyptian capital.
Two bedroom apartment: Expats will normally pay around $250-700 depending on the area
Local dinner: $5 though can go much more expensive, and street food less than $1
Public transport: 16 cents for the Metro
One liter of gas: 30 cents
Doctor’s visit: Starting around $8
Electricity: around $16 per month
Internet: $25 per month
La Linea de la Concepcion – Spain
Photo by Gerry Balding
Located at the southern tip of Spain, neighbouring the Rock of Gibraltar, La Linea is where Matador intern Jason Wire enjoys around 3000 hours of sunlight per year, on some of the cleanest beaches in the country.
Two bedroom apartment: $700
Local dinner: $20
Public transport: $1.50-3
One liter of gas: $1.50
Doctor’s visit: Free healthcare if you are contributing to the Spanish Social Security system
Electricity: $80 per month
Internet: $40 per month
Chiang Mai – Thailand
Photo by Daniel Nahabedian
The laid back vibes and ridiculously cheap lifestyle are what attracted me to Chiang Mai. A very popular city for expats in Thailand, and just an hour away by plane to the islands.
Two bedroom apartment: $300
Local dinner: $1-2
Public transport: 65 cents for a songthaew (pick up truck-bus)
One liter of gas: $1.15
Doctor’s visit: $8
Electricity: $20-30 per month
Internet: $12 per month
Ulsan – South Korea
Photo of Seoul by Ian Muttoo
With insane Internet speeds and amazing food, South Korea is a favorite destination for English teaching expats like Matador Life intern Anne Merritt.
Two bedroom apartment: $600-1000
Local dinner: $7 for Korean barbecued beef
Public transport: 80 cents
One liter of gas: $1.40
Doctor’s visit: $7
Electricity: $45 per month
Internet: $26 per month
Melbourne – Australia
Photo by Robert Michalski
Travel Blogger Dave Dean explains it himself: “Melbourne is simply one of the most ‘livable’ cities I’ve ever been to – incredible places to eat and drink, a wonderful quirky culture and a population as diverse as its weather!”
Two bedroom apartment: $1800 and above depending on the area
Local dinner: $10 in pubs
Public transport: $3.90 for a 2 hour train/tram pass
One liter of gas: $1.20
Doctor’s visit: $30 for permanent residents
Electricity: $60per month
Internet: $40 per month 
COMMUNITY CONNECTION
What is the cost of living in your own city compared to the examples above? Please share your thoughts in the comments section below.
Daniel Nahabedian
Daniel left behind his cubicle in 2009 to start a RTW journey & follow his true passion: photography. He is currently settling down in Thailand to work on his Travel Photo Blog Canvas of Light & become a full time freelance Travel Photographer.
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I agree it’s pretty meaningless without knowing what people earn. I live in a small city (about 130,000 people) in France and for a 2 bedroom apartment (including rent, electricity, water and internet) it costs about US $1300 a month. My salary is slightly under US $2000 a month (this is with social security payments taken out, but before tax – they are considered two different things). Considering this is for a job where a Masters degree is a requirement, it’s not exactly amazing pay, but you can live on it.
My 72 square-metre apartment in absolutely central Berlin is “warm” ie. heating included €650 or 930 US dollars. We have three-paned windows so it’s very quiet. We have windows in both directions with our bedroom looking right at the German government’s Reichstag. I just had a €2 pizza with my boy. Did I mention the govt. gives one full year parental support (of one of the parents) after the birth? Rent normally represents about one third to one quarter of rent for one working person even though the apartment can handle two.
Oh, don’t come here and wreck it!!
Excellent post – I love how the discussion in the comments reveals so much more information about the cost of living in different cities around the world.
Well, thanks for reminding me why I don’t, and probably never will live in San Francisco. Someone pass the Prozac please.
Jakarta – capital of Indonesia
Two-bedroom house (cheaper than apartments): around $3000 per year (cheaper than if you rent by the month)
Local dinner: $1-2 for street food, around $20 for mid range restaurants
Public transport: less than $1 for public regular or air conditioned buses and minivans, $5-10 for taxi within the city (I once got stuck in traffic for 3 HOURS and the meter was just a few cents above $10)
One liter of gas: currently around $0.50 (petrol)
Doctor’s visit: $5-10 (public health centers)
Electricity: $50 (average household with average use)
Internet: $35 (1.5 meg line with unlimited use, no caps)
Other utilities
Water: $20 (average household with average use)
Gas: $20 (for cooking, average household with average use)
The average monthly income is around $300, although I’ve heard lots of people make way less.
Denton, Texas, USA (45 minutes north of Dallas, almost like a miniature Austin/college town)
2 Bedroom Apartment – ours is $690 per month
Electricity – $45
Internet – $40
Dinner – $12-18 if you’re going out to a sit down place
Doctors visit – no idea, probably $50-$70?
One Gallon of Gas – $3.65 last time I filled up
City buses – Free with UNT student ID (UNT buses are free for everyone)
Moscow, Russia
2 bedroom apartment-1200$-5000$ depending on location
electricity-50$
internet-40$
1 litre of petrol-0,9$(keep in mind,Russia is petrol exporting country!!!)
metro-1$
I live in Ulsan. That is not Ulsan.