Kuwait, All Areas

Country Full Name: The State of Kuwait.

Location: Kuwait is in the Middle East, bordering the Arabian Gulf, between Iraq and Saudi Arabia.

Country Climate: Dry desert; intensely hot summers; short, cool winters.

Country Terrain: Flat to slightly undulating desert plain.

Major Languages: Arabic.

Major Religions: Islam.

Population: 3.57 Mil (2012 est.).

Country Economy: The economy of Kuwait is a small, relatively open economy with proven crude oil reserves of about 96 billion barrels, i.e. about 10% of world reserves. Petroleum accounts for nearly half of GDP, 90% of export revenues, and 95% of government income.

Currency: Kuwaiti Dinar (KWD). Make an international currency transfer to Kuwait.

Inflation: 4.2% (2011 est.).

The cost of living in All Areas in Kuwait is in the middle 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 Kuwait is currently ranked 324 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 299 places that are more expensive, and 480 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 137 places that are more expensive, and 642 places that are less expensive for clothing.

Communication costs are very 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 648 places that are more expensive, and 131 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 720 places that are more expensive, and 59 places that are less expensive for education.

Furniture & Appliance costs are average 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 412 places that are more expensive, and 367 places that are less expensive for furniture and appliances.

Grocery costs are 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 495 places that are more expensive, and 284 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 very 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 113 places that are more expensive, and 666 places that are less expensive for household accommodation.

Miscellaneous costs are 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 310 places that are more expensive, and 469 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 238 places that are more expensive, and 541 places that are less expensive for personal care.

Recreation and Culture costs are average compared to other places for items such as books, camera, cinema tickets, fitness/health club membership, sports goods and theatre tickets. There are 396 places that are more expensive, and 383 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 family restaurant (non fast food), 4 star and 5 star hotel rates and take away meal (fast food). There are 144 places that are more expensive, and 635 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 616 places that are more expensive, and 163 places that are less expensive for transport.

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

Personalized hardship index premiums for All Areas in Kuwait 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:
Salary Purchasing Power Parity Calculator
Cost of Living Index Calculator
Cost of Living Allowance Calculator