Australia, Canberra

Country Full Name: Commonwealth of Australia.

Location: Australia is in Oceania, a continent between the Indian Ocean and the South Pacific Ocean.

Country Climate: Generally arid to semiarid; temperate in south and east; tropical in north.

Country Terrain: Mostly low plateau with deserts; fertile plain in southeast.

Major Languages: English.

Major Religions: Christianity.

Population: 0.36 million (2012 est.).

Country Economy: The economy of Australia is a prosperous, free market economy dominated by its services sector, representing 68% of Australian GDP. The agricultural and mining sectors (10% of GDP combined) account for 57% of the nation's exports.

Currency: Australian Dollar (AUD).

Inflation: 3.5% (2011 est.).

City: Canberra is the capital city of Australia and is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth largest Australian city overall.

City Economy: Canberra's main industry is government administration and defence employing over 40% of Canberra's workforce. The unemployment rate in Canberra is well below the national unemployment rate, with labour shortages reported in some sectors. As a result of low unemployment and substantial levels of public sector and commercial employment, Canberra has the highest average disposable income of any Australian capital city.

The cost of living in Canberra in Australia is very high compared to other places. The overall cost of living is determined using the prices for defined quantities of the same goods and services across 13 Basket Groups. Canberra in Australia is currently ranked 33 overall out of 950 places (rank 1 is most expensive: rank 950 is least expensive). The cost of living rank for each of the 13 Basket Groups is as follows:

Alcohol & Tobacco costs are very high compared to other places for items such as alcoholic beverages, alcohol at a bar, beer, locally produced spirit, whiskey, and wine (where alcohol is legally sold) as well as for tobacco products such as cigarettes. There are 30 places that are more expensive, and 919 places that are less expensive for alcohol and or tobacco.

Clothing costs are average compared to other places for items such as clothing and footwear products, business suits, casual clothing, childrens clothing and footwear, coats and hats, evening wear, shoe repairs, and underwear. There are 566 places that are more expensive, and 383 places that are less expensive for clothing.

Communication costs are high compared to other places for various communication costs such as home telephone rental and call charges, internet connection and service provider fees, mobile / cellular phone contract, data, and calls. There are 332 places that are more expensive, and 617 places that are less expensive for communication.

Education costs are very high compared to other places for items such as creche / pre-school fees, high school / college fees, primary school fees, and tertiary study fees. There are 25 places that are more expensive, and 924 places that are less expensive for education.

Furniture & Appliance costs are very high compared to other places for items such as furniture, household equipment and appliances, DVD player, fridge freezer, iron, kettle, toaster, microwave, light bulbs, television, vacuum cleaner, and washing machine. There are 164 places that are more expensive, and 785 places that are less expensive for furniture and appliances.

Grocery costs are very high compared to other places for items such as food, non-alcoholic beverages and cleaning material items such as baby consumables, baked goods, baking, canned foods, cheese, cleaning products, dairy, fresh fruits, fresh vegetables, fruit juices, meat, oil & vinegars, pet food, pre-prepared meals, sauces, seafood, snacks, soft drinks, spices & herbs . There are 53 places that are more expensive, and 896 places that are less expensive for groceries.

Healthcare costs are very high compared to other places for general healthcare, medical and medical insurance, general practitioner consultation rates, hospital private ward daily rate, non-prescription medicine, and private medical insurance / medical aid contributions. There are 16 places that are more expensive, and 933 places that are less expensive for healthcare.

Household Accommodation costs are very high compared to other places for items such as housing, water, electricity, household gas, household fuels, local rates and residential taxes, mortgage, house / flat rental, household electricity consumption, household gas / fuel consumption, household water consumption, and local property rates / taxes / levies. There are 70 places that are more expensive, and 879 places that are less expensive for household accommodation.

Miscellaneous costs are high compared to other places for items such as stationery, linen, general goods and services, domestic help, dry cleaning, linen, office supplies, newspapers and magazines, and postage stamps. There are 350 places that are more expensive, and 599 places that are less expensive for miscellaneous items.

Personal Care costs are very high compared to other places for items such as personal care products and services, cosmetics, hair care, moisturizer / sun block, nappies, pain relief tablets, toilet paper, toothpaste, and soap / shampoo / conditioner. There are 19 places that are more expensive, and 930 places that are less expensive for personal care.

Recreation and Culture costs are very high compared to other places for items such as books, camera film, cinema tickets, DVDs and CDs, sports goods, and theatre tickets. There are 12 places that are more expensive, and 937 places that are less expensive for recreation and culture.

Restaurants, Meals Out and Hotel costs are very high compared to other places for items such as a business dinner, dinner at a restaurant (non fast food), hotel rates, take away drinks and snacks (fast food). There are 44 places that are more expensive, and 905 places that are less expensive for restaurants, meals out and hotels.

Transport costs are very high compared to other places for items such as public transport, vehicle costs, vehicle fuel, vehicle insurance and vehicle maintenance, hire purchase / lease of vehicle, petrol / diesel, public transport service maintenance, tires, vehicle Insurance, and vehicle purchase. There are 53 places that are more expensive, and 896 places that are less expensive for transport.

Personalized cost of living indexes for Canberra in Australia are based on the basket groups and comparison location(s) selected in the Calculators.

In terms of the hardship people are likely to experience, assessed in global terms, Canberra in Australia is ranked as minimal hardship with a hardship index of 10%.

Personalized hardship index premiums for Canberra in Australia are based on the comparison location(s) selected in the Calculators.

Note: Xpatulator.com data is updated quarterly. The latest update is at at 1 January 2012. Create a personalized cost of living comparison report using the calculators:
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