South Africa, Bloemfontein

Country Full Name: Republic of South Africa.

Location: South Africa is at the southern tip of the continent of Africa.

Country Climate: Mostly semiarid; subtropical along east coast; sunny days, cool nights.

Country Terrain: Vast interior plateau rimmed by rugged hills and narrow coastal plain.

Major Languages: 11 official languages including English, Afrikaans, Sesotho, Setswana, Xhosa and Zulu.

Major Religions: Christianity, Islam, indigenous beliefs.

Population: 0.329 Mil (2012 est.).

Country Economy: The economy of South Africa is a two tiered economy; one rivalling other developed countries and the other with only the most basic infrastructure. It is therefore a productive and industrialised economy that exhibits many characteristics associated with developing countries, including a division of labour between formal and informal sectors and an uneven distribution of wealth and income. The primary sector, based on manufacturing, services, mining, and agriculture, is well developed.

Currency: South African Rand (ZAR). Make an international currency transfer to South Africa.

Inflation: 6.1% (2011 est.).

Bloemfontein is the capital city of the Free State Province.

Bloemfontein is an administrative centre with many private hospitals and educational institutions and is also the seat for the Supreme Court Of Appeal of South Africa.

The cost of living in Bloemfontein in South Africa 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. Bloemfontein in South Africa is currently ranked 341 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 423 places that are more expensive, and 356 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 705 places that are more expensive, and 74 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 468 places that are more expensive, and 311 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 217 places that are more expensive, and 562 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 329 places that are more expensive, and 450 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 656 places that are more expensive, and 123 places that are less expensive for groceries.

Healthcare costs are 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 559 places that are more expensive, and 220 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 193 places that are more expensive, and 586 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 473 places that are more expensive, and 306 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 586 places that are more expensive, and 193 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 165 places that are more expensive, and 614 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 641 places that are more expensive, and 138 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 Bloemfontein in South Africa 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, Bloemfontein in South Africa is ranked as some hardship with a hardship index of 20%.

Personalized hardship index premiums for Bloemfontein in South Africa 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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