Kosovo, All Areas

Country Full Name: Kosovo. Status: Declared itself independent 17 February 2008. Serbia refuses to recognize declaration. UN-administered in the meantime.

Location: Kosovo is in South East Europe, between Serbia and Macedonia

Country Climate: Influenced by continental air masses resulting in relatively cold winters with heavy snowfall and hot, dry summers and autumns; Mediterranean and alpine influences create regional variation; maximum rainfall between October and December.

Country Terrain: Flat fluvial basin with an elevation of 400-700 m above sea level surrounded by several high mountain ranges with elevations of 2,000 to 2,500 m.

Major Languages: Albanian, Serbian.

Major Religions: Islam, Christianity.

Population: 1.73 Mil (2012 est.).

Country Economy: The economy of Kosovo is one of the poorest in Europe. Despite substantial development subsidies Kosovo was the poorest province of the former Yugoslavia. Over the course of the 1990s, poor economic policies, international sanctions, weak access to external trade and finance, and ethnic conflict severely damaged the already weak economy.

Currency: Euro (EUR).

Inflation: 4.2% (2011 est.).

The cost of living in All Areas in Kosovo is very low 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 Kosovo is currently ranked 694 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 474 places that are more expensive, and 305 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 473 places that are more expensive, and 306 places that are less expensive for clothing.

Communication costs are low 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 497 places that are more expensive, and 282 places that are less expensive for communication.

Education costs are very 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 652 places that are more expensive, and 127 places that are less expensive for education.

Furniture & Appliance costs are low 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 619 places that are more expensive, and 160 places that are less expensive for furniture and appliances.

Grocery costs are very low 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 738 places that are more expensive, and 41 places that are less expensive for groceries.

Healthcare costs are very 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 686 places that are more expensive, and 93 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 464 places that are more expensive, and 315 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 483 places that are more expensive, and 296 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 606 places that are more expensive, and 173 places that are less expensive for personal care.

Recreation and Culture costs are very low compared to other places for items such as books, camera, cinema tickets, fitness/health club membership, sports goods and theatre tickets. There are 700 places that are more expensive, and 79 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 709 places that are more expensive, and 70 places that are less expensive for restaurants, meals out and hotels.

Transport costs are low 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 472 places that are more expensive, and 307 places that are less expensive for transport.

Personalized cost of living indexes for All Areas in Kosovo 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 Kosovo is ranked as extreme hardship with a hardship index of 40%.

Personalized hardship index premiums for All Areas in Kosovo 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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