Germany, All Areas

Country Full Name: Federal Republic of Germany.

Location: Germany is in Central Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea and the North Sea, between the Netherlands and Poland, south of Denmark.

Country Climate: Temperate and marine; cool, cloudy, wet winters and summers; occasional warm mountain wind.

Country Terrain: Lowlands in north, uplands in centre, Bavarian Alps in south.

Major Languages: German.

Major Religions: Christianity.

Population: 81.8 Mil (2012 est.).

Country Economy: The economy of Germany is the largest national economy in Europe, the fourth largest by nominal GDP in the world. The service sector contributes around 70% of the total GDP, industry 29.1%, and agriculture 0.9%. Most of the country's products are in engineering, especially in automobiles, machinery, metals, and chemical goods. Germany is the leading producer of wind turbines and solar power technology in the world.

Currency: Euro (EUR). Make an international currency transfer to Germany.

Inflation: 2.4% (2011 est.).

The cost of living in All Areas in Germany 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. All Areas in Germany is currently ranked 111 overall out of 780 places (rank 1 is most expensive: rank 780 is least expensive). The cost of living rank for each of the 13 Basket Groups is as follows:

Alcohol & Tobacco costs are low compared to other places for items such as alcohol at a bar, beer, locally produced spirit, whiskey, wine (where alcohol is legally sold) and tobacco related products. There are 542 places that are more expensive, and 237 places that are less expensive for alcohol and or tobacco.

Clothing costs are very high compared to other places for items such as business suits, casual clothing, children's clothing, coats, evening wear, footwear, hats, shoe repairs and underwear. There are 145 places that are more expensive, and 634 places that are less expensive for clothing.

Communication costs are very high compared to other places for various communication costs such as call charges, home telephone rental, internet connection, mobile data costs, mobile phone contract and service provider fees. There are 50 places that are more expensive, and 729 places that are less expensive for communication.

Education costs are low compared to other places for items such as creche / pre-school fees, primary school fees, high school fees and tertiary study fees. There are 555 places that are more expensive, and 224 places that are less expensive for education.

Furniture & Appliance costs are very high compared to other places for items such as DVD player, fridge freezer, furniture, household equipment, iron, kettle, light bulbs, microwave, television, toaster, vacuum cleaner and washing machine. There are 119 places that are more expensive, and 660 places that are less expensive for furniture and appliances.

Grocery costs are average compared to other places for items such as baby consumables, baked goods, baking, canned foods, cheese, cleaning materials, 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 400 places that are more expensive, and 379 places that are less expensive for groceries.

Healthcare costs are average compared to other places for general healthcare, general practitioner consultation rates, healthcare/medical insurance, hospital private ward daily rate and non-prescription medicine. There are 359 places that are more expensive, and 420 places that are less expensive for healthcare.

Household Accommodation costs are average compared to other places for items such as accommodation, apartment, flat, house, villa, rent, electricity, household fuels, household gas, water, and local property rates / residential taxes / levies. There are 382 places that are more expensive, and 397 places that are less expensive for household accommodation.

Miscellaneous costs are very high compared to other places for items such as dry cleaning, general goods, general services, linen, magazines, maid, newspapers, office supplies, postage stamps and stationery. There are 140 places that are more expensive, and 639 places that are less expensive for miscellaneous items.

Personal Care costs are very high compared to other places for items such as cosmetics, hair care, moisturizer, nappies, pain relief tablets, shampoo, soap, sun block, toilet paper and toothpaste. There are 84 places that are more expensive, and 695 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, cinema tickets, fitness/health club membership, sports goods and theatre tickets. There are 129 places that are more expensive, and 650 places that are less expensive for recreation and culture.

Restaurants, Meals Out and Hotel costs are high compared to other places for items such as a business dinner, dinner at a family restaurant (non fast food), 4 star and 5 star hotel rates and take away meal (fast food). There are 256 places that are more expensive, and 523 places that are less expensive for restaurants, meals out and hotels.

Transport costs are very high compared to other places for items such as car hire purchase, car insurance, car lease, car maintenance, car rental, car service, diesel, petrol, tyres and public transport. There are 14 places that are more expensive, and 765 places that are less expensive for transport.

Personalized cost of living indexes for All Areas in Germany 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, All Areas in Germany is ranked as minimal hardship with a hardship index of 10%.

Personalized hardship index premiums for All Areas in Germany are based on the comparison location(s) selected in the Calculators.

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