Kiribati, South Tarawa

Country Full Name: The Republic of Kiribati.

Location: Kiribati is in Oceania, a group of 33 coral atolls in the Pacific Ocean, straddling the Equator; the capital Tarawa is about half way between Hawaii and Australia.

Country Climate: Tropical; marine, hot and humid, moderated by trade winds.

Country Terrain: Mostly low-lying coral atolls surrounded by extensive reefs.

Major Languages: English, Gilbertese.

Major Religions: Christianity.

Population: 0.0403 Mil (2012 est.).

Country Economy: The economy of the Republic of Kiribati's is one of the poorest in the world. In one form or another, Kiribati gets a large portion of its income from abroad. Fishing fleets from South Korea, Japan, Taiwan, and the United States pay a licensing fee in order to operate in Kiribati's territorial waters.

Currency: Australian Dollar (AUD).

Inflation: 2% (2011 est.).

South Tarawa is the official capital of the Republic of Kiribati.

Bairiki is a village and an islet now part of South Tarawa, and at one time itself the centre of government (and therefore, capital) of Kiribati.

The cost of living in South Tarawa in Kiribati 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. South Tarawa in Kiribati is currently ranked 268 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 very 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 13 places that are more expensive, and 766 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 532 places that are more expensive, and 247 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 113 places that are more expensive, and 666 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 387 places that are more expensive, and 392 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 36 places that are more expensive, and 743 places that are less expensive for furniture and appliances.

Grocery costs are very high 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 39 places that are more expensive, and 740 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 364 places that are more expensive, and 415 places that are less expensive for healthcare.

Household Accommodation costs are low 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 605 places that are more expensive, and 174 places that are less expensive for household accommodation.

Miscellaneous costs are very 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 635 places that are more expensive, and 144 places that are less expensive for miscellaneous items.

Personal Care costs are 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 209 places that are more expensive, and 570 places that are less expensive for personal care.

Recreation and Culture costs are high compared to other places for items such as books, camera, cinema tickets, fitness/health club membership, sports goods and theatre tickets. There are 205 places that are more expensive, and 574 places that are less expensive for recreation and culture.

Restaurants, Meals Out and Hotel costs are very low 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 768 places that are more expensive, and 11 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 253 places that are more expensive, and 526 places that are less expensive for transport.

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

Personalized hardship index premiums for South Tarawa in Kiribati 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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