USA, Detroit MI

Country Full Name: United States of America.

Location: The United States of America (USA) is in North America, bordering both the North Atlantic Ocean and the North Pacific Ocean, between Canada and Mexico.

Country Climate: Mostly temperate, but tropical in Hawaii and Florida, arctic in Alaska, semiarid in the great plains west of the Mississippi River, and arid in the Great Basin of the southwest; low winter temperatures in the northwest are ameliorated occasionally in January and February by warm chinook winds from the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains.

Country Terrain: Vast central plain, mountains in west, hills and low mountains in east; rugged mountains and broad river valleys in Alaska; rugged, volcanic topography in Hawaii.

Major Languages: English.

Major Religions: Christianity.

Population: 4.3 Mil (2012 est.).

Country Economy: The economy of the United States is a capitalist mixed economy, fuelled by abundant natural resources, a well-developed infrastructure, and high productivity. The U.S. economy is the largest national economy in the world, with an estimated gross domestic product (GDP) equal to a quarter of nominal global GDP and a fifth of global GDP at purchasing power parity.

Currency: US Dollar (USD).

Inflation: 2.9% (2011 est.).

Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the seat of Wayne County.

Detroit is a major port city on the Detroit River. Detroit and the surrounding region constitute a major manufacturing centre, most notably as home to the Big Three automobile companies, General Motors, Ford, and Chrysler.

The cost of living in Detroit MI in the USA is 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. Detroit MI in the USA is currently ranked 469 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 561 places that are more expensive, and 218 places that are less expensive for alcohol and or tobacco.

Clothing costs are average 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 314 places that are more expensive, and 465 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 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 236 places that are more expensive, and 543 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 515 places that are more expensive, and 264 places that are less expensive for furniture and appliances.

Grocery costs are average 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 433 places that are more expensive, and 346 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 320 places that are more expensive, and 459 places that are less expensive for healthcare.

Household Accommodation costs are low 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 520 places that are more expensive, and 259 places that are less expensive for household accommodation.

Miscellaneous costs are average 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 387 places that are more expensive, and 392 places that are less expensive for miscellaneous items.

Personal Care costs are average 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 347 places that are more expensive, and 432 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 553 places that are more expensive, and 226 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 359 places that are more expensive, and 420 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 383 places that are more expensive, and 396 places that are less expensive for transport.

Personalized cost of living indexes for Detroit MI in the USA 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, Detroit MI in the USA is ranked as minimal hardship with a hardship index of 10%.

Personalized hardship index premiums for Detroit MI in the USA 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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