Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Kingstown

Country Full Name: Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.

Location: Saint Vincent and the Grenadines are islands between the Caribbean Sea and North Atlantic Ocean, north of Trinidad and Tobago.

Country Climate: Tropical; little seasonal temperature variation; rainy season (May to November).

Country Terrain: Volcanic, mountainous.

Major Languages: English.

Major Religions: Christianity.

Population: 0.025 Mil (2012 est.).

Country Economy: The economy of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is largely based on agriculture which is dominated by banana production. The services sector, based mostly on a growing tourist industry, is also important.

Currency: East Caribbean Dollar (XCD).

Inflation: 1.6% (2011 est.).

Kingstown is the chief port of Saint Vincent, and the capital of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.

Kingstown is a centre for the island's agricultural industry and a port of entry for tourists. Exports include bananas, coconuts, and arrowroot.

The cost of living in Kingstown in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 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. Kingstown in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is currently ranked 195 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 average 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 316 places that are more expensive, and 463 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 553 places that are more expensive, and 226 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 108 places that are more expensive, and 671 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 370 places that are more expensive, and 409 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 69 places that are more expensive, and 710 places that are less expensive for furniture and appliances.

Grocery costs are 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 270 places that are more expensive, and 509 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 406 places that are more expensive, and 373 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 250 places that are more expensive, and 529 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 306 places that are more expensive, and 473 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 271 places that are more expensive, and 508 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 62 places that are more expensive, and 717 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 434 places that are more expensive, and 345 places that are less expensive for restaurants, meals out and hotels.

Transport costs are average 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 331 places that are more expensive, and 448 places that are less expensive for transport.

Personalized cost of living indexes for Kingstown in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 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, Kingstown in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is ranked as some hardship with a hardship index of 20%.

Personalized hardship index premiums for Kingstown in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 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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