Japan, Yokohama

Country Full Name: Japan.

Location: Japan is an island chain between the North Pacific Ocean and the Sea of Japan, east of the Korean Peninsula.

Country Climate: Varies from tropical in south to cool temperate in north.

Country Terrain: Mostly rugged and mountainous.

Major Languages: Japanese.

Major Religions: Shintoism, Buddhism.

Population: 127.7 million (2008 est.) 127.6 million (2009 est.).

Country Economy: The economy of Japan is the second largest in the world, after the United States at around $5 trillion USD in terms of nominal GDP and third after the United States and China when adjusted for purchasing power parity. Banking, insurance, real estate, retailing, transportation, telecommunications and construction are all major industries. Japan has a large industrial capacity and is home to some of the largest, leading and most technologically advanced producers of motor vehicles, electronic equipment, machine tools, steel and nonferrous metals, ships, chemicals, textiles and processed foods. The service sector accounts for three quarters of the gross domestic product.

Currency: Japanese Yen (JPY).

Inflation: 0.0% (2011 est.).

City: Yokohama is the second largest city in Japan.

City Economy: Yokohama has a strong economic base, especially in the shipping, biotechnology, and semiconductor industries.

The cost of living in Yokohama in Japan 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. Yokohama in Japan is currently ranked 4 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 average 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 479 places that are more expensive, and 470 places that are less expensive for alcohol and or tobacco.

Clothing costs are high 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 223 places that are more expensive, and 726 places that are less expensive for clothing.

Communication costs are very 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 120 places that are more expensive, and 829 places that are less expensive for communication.

Education costs are low 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 695 places that are more expensive, and 254 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 123 places that are more expensive, and 826 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 10 places that are more expensive, and 939 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 5 places that are more expensive, and 944 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 2 places that are more expensive, and 947 places that are less expensive for household accommodation.

Miscellaneous costs are very 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 97 places that are more expensive, and 852 places that are less expensive for miscellaneous items.

Personal Care costs are 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 267 places that are more expensive, and 682 places that are less expensive for personal care.

Recreation and Culture costs are high compared to other places for items such as books, camera film, cinema tickets, DVDs and CDs, sports goods, and theatre tickets. There are 297 places that are more expensive, and 652 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 140 places that are more expensive, and 809 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 98 places that are more expensive, and 851 places that are less expensive for transport.

Personalized cost of living indexes for Yokohama in Japan 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, Yokohama in Japan is ranked as high degree of hardship with a hardship index of 30%.

Personalized hardship index premiums for Yokohama in Japan 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:
Salary Purchasing Power Parity Calculator
Cost of Living Index Calculator
Cost of Living Allowance Calculator