Sao Tome and Principe, Sao Tome

Country Full Name: The Democratic Republic of Sao Tome and Principe.

Location: Sao Tome and Principe is in Western Africa, islands in the Gulf of Guinea, straddling the Equator, west of Gabon.

Country Climate: Tropical; hot, humid; one rainy season (October to May).

Country Terrain: Volcanic, mountainous.

Major Languages: Portuguese.

Major Religions: Christianity.

Population: 0.058 Mil (2012 est.).

Country Economy: The economy of Sao Tome and Principe, while traditionally dependent on cocoa, is experiencing considerable changes due to investment in the development of its oil industry its territorial waters in the oil-rich waters of the Gulf of Guinea.

Currency: Sao Tome/Principe Dobra (STD).

Inflation: 12.9% (2011 est.).

Sao Tome is the capital city of Sao Tome and Principe and is the largest town.

Sao Tome is an important port and centre of the island's road and bus networks.

The cost of living in Sao Tome in Sao Tome and Principe 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. Sao Tome in Sao Tome and Principe is currently ranked 169 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 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 748 places that are more expensive, and 31 places that are less expensive for alcohol and or tobacco.

Clothing costs are very 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 689 places that are more expensive, and 90 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 744 places that are more expensive, and 35 places that are less expensive for communication.

Education costs are high compared to other places for items such as creche / pre-school fees, primary school fees, high school fees and tertiary study fees. There are 296 places that are more expensive, and 483 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 5 places that are more expensive, and 774 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 237 places that are more expensive, and 542 places that are less expensive for groceries.

Healthcare costs are high 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 309 places that are more expensive, and 470 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 318 places that are more expensive, and 461 places that are less expensive for household accommodation.

Miscellaneous costs are very 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 84 places that are more expensive, and 695 places that are less expensive for miscellaneous items.

Personal Care costs are very 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 120 places that are more expensive, and 659 places that are less expensive for personal care.

Recreation and Culture costs are low compared to other places for items such as books, camera, cinema tickets, fitness/health club membership, sports goods and theatre tickets. There are 540 places that are more expensive, and 239 places that are less expensive for recreation and culture.

Restaurants, Meals Out and Hotel costs are 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 241 places that are more expensive, and 538 places that are less expensive for restaurants, meals out and hotels.

Transport costs are very 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 78 places that are more expensive, and 701 places that are less expensive for transport.

Personalized cost of living indexes for Sao Tome in Sao Tome and Principe 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, Sao Tome in Sao Tome and Principe is ranked as high degree of hardship with a hardship index of 30%.

Personalized hardship index premiums for Sao Tome in Sao Tome and Principe 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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