Guam, All Areas

Country Full Name: Guam. Status: US overseas territory.

Location: Guam is an island in the North Pacific Ocean, about three-quarters of the way from Hawaii to the Philippines.

Country Climate: Tropical marine; generally warm and humid, moderated by northeast trade winds; dry season (January to June), rainy season (July to December); little seasonal temperature variation.

Country Terrain: Volcanic origin, surrounded by coral reefs; relatively flat coralline limestone plateau (source of most fresh water), with steep coastal cliffs and narrow coastal plains in north, low hills in centre, mountains in south.

Major Languages: English, Chamorro (both official).

Major Religions: Christianity.

Population: 0.178 Mil (2012 est.).

Country Economy: The economy of Guam is supported by its principal industry, tourism, which is primarily composed of visitors from Japan. Guam?s second-largest source of income is the United States military.

Currency: US Dollar (USD).

Inflation: 3.7% (2011 est.).

The cost of living in All Areas in Guam is 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 Guam is currently ranked 298 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 high 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 283 places that are more expensive, and 496 places that are less expensive for alcohol and or tobacco.

Clothing costs are low 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 583 places that are more expensive, and 196 places that are less expensive for clothing.

Communication costs are average 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 361 places that are more expensive, and 418 places that are less expensive for communication.

Education costs are average compared to other places for items such as creche / pre-school fees, primary school fees, high school fees and tertiary study fees. There are 358 places that are more expensive, and 421 places that are less expensive for education.

Furniture & Appliance costs are 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 275 places that are more expensive, and 504 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 350 places that are more expensive, and 429 places that are less expensive for groceries.

Healthcare costs are low 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 505 places that are more expensive, and 274 places that are less expensive for healthcare.

Household Accommodation costs are high 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 303 places that are more expensive, and 476 places that are less expensive for household accommodation.

Miscellaneous costs are low 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 600 places that are more expensive, and 179 places that are less expensive for miscellaneous items.

Personal Care costs are low 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 548 places that are more expensive, and 231 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 140 places that are more expensive, and 639 places that are less expensive for recreation and culture.

Restaurants, Meals Out and Hotel costs are average 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 316 places that are more expensive, and 463 places that are less expensive for restaurants, meals out and hotels.

Transport costs are 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 220 places that are more expensive, and 559 places that are less expensive for transport.

Personalized cost of living indexes for All Areas in Guam 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 Guam is ranked as high degree of hardship with a hardship index of 30%.

Personalized hardship index premiums for All Areas in Guam 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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