United Kingdom, Birmingham

Country Full Name: United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

Location: The United Kingdom is in Western Europe, and consists of islands including the northern one-sixth of the island of Ireland between the North Atlantic Ocean and the North Sea, northwest of France.

Country Climate: Temperate; moderated by prevailing southwest winds over the North Atlantic Current; more than one-half of the days are overcast.

Country Terrain: Mostly rugged hills and low mountains; level to rolling plains in east and southeast.

Major Languages: English.

Major Religions: Christianity.

Population: 61.3 million (2008 est.) 61.5 million (2009 est.).

Country Economy: The economy of the United Kingdom is that of a major developed capitalist economy. The United Kingdom is one of the world's most globalised countries. The British economy is made up of the economies of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. In 1973, the UK acceded to the European Economic Community which is now known as the European Union after the ratification of the Treaty of Maastricht in 1993. The UK economy had been one of the strongest EU economies in terms of inflation, interest rates and unemployment, all of which remained relatively low until the 2008-09 recession, when unemployment rose dramatically, and interest rates fell to 0.5%.

Currency: British Pound (GBP).

Inflation: 4.2% (2011 est.).

City: Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England and is the most populous British city outside the capital London.

City Economy: Birmingham grew to international prominence in the 18th century at the heart of Industrial Revolution, which saw the town at the forefront of worldwide developments in science, technology and economic organisation, producing a series of innovations that laid many of the foundations of modern industrial society. Today Birmingham is a major international commercial centre, dominated by the service sector. Birmingham is the largest centre for employment in public administration, education and health in Great Britain.

The cost of living in Birmingham in the United Kingdom is very 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. Birmingham in the United Kingdom is currently ranked 177 overall out of 950 places (rank 1 is most expensive: rank 950 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 alcoholic beverages, alcohol at a bar, beer, locally produced spirit, whiskey, and wine (where alcohol is legally sold) as well as for tobacco products such as cigarettes. There are 296 places that are more expensive, and 653 places that are less expensive for alcohol and or tobacco.

Clothing costs are high compared to other places for items such as clothing and footwear products, business suits, casual clothing, childrens clothing and footwear, coats and hats, evening wear, shoe repairs, and underwear. There are 294 places that are more expensive, and 655 places that are less expensive for clothing.

Communication costs are high compared to other places for various communication costs such as home telephone rental and call charges, internet connection and service provider fees, mobile / cellular phone contract, data, and calls. There are 267 places that are more expensive, and 682 places that are less expensive for communication.

Education costs are average compared to other places for items such as creche / pre-school fees, high school / college fees, primary school fees, and tertiary study fees. There are 483 places that are more expensive, and 466 places that are less expensive for education.

Furniture & Appliance costs are low compared to other places for items such as furniture, household equipment and appliances, DVD player, fridge freezer, iron, kettle, toaster, microwave, light bulbs, television, vacuum cleaner, and washing machine. There are 743 places that are more expensive, and 206 places that are less expensive for furniture and appliances.

Grocery costs are average compared to other places for items such as food, non-alcoholic beverages and cleaning material items such as baby consumables, baked goods, baking, canned foods, cheese, 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 503 places that are more expensive, and 446 places that are less expensive for groceries.

Healthcare costs are high compared to other places for general healthcare, medical and medical insurance, general practitioner consultation rates, hospital private ward daily rate, non-prescription medicine, and private medical insurance / medical aid contributions. There are 232 places that are more expensive, and 717 places that are less expensive for healthcare.

Household Accommodation costs are very high compared to other places for items such as housing, water, electricity, household gas, household fuels, local rates and residential taxes, mortgage, house / flat rental, household electricity consumption, household gas / fuel consumption, household water consumption, and local property rates / taxes / levies. There are 92 places that are more expensive, and 857 places that are less expensive for household accommodation.

Miscellaneous costs are very high compared to other places for items such as stationery, linen, general goods and services, domestic help, dry cleaning, linen, office supplies, newspapers and magazines, and postage stamps. There are 176 places that are more expensive, and 773 places that are less expensive for miscellaneous items.

Personal Care costs are very high compared to other places for items such as personal care products and services, cosmetics, hair care, moisturizer / sun block, nappies, pain relief tablets, toilet paper, toothpaste, and soap / shampoo / conditioner. There are 159 places that are more expensive, and 790 places that are less expensive for personal care.

Recreation and Culture costs are average compared to other places for items such as books, camera film, cinema tickets, DVDs and CDs, sports goods, and theatre tickets. There are 424 places that are more expensive, and 525 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 restaurant (non fast food), hotel rates, take away drinks and snacks (fast food). There are 288 places that are more expensive, and 661 places that are less expensive for restaurants, meals out and hotels.

Transport costs are very high compared to other places for items such as public transport, vehicle costs, vehicle fuel, vehicle insurance and vehicle maintenance, hire purchase / lease of vehicle, petrol / diesel, public transport service maintenance, tires, vehicle Insurance, and vehicle purchase. There are 183 places that are more expensive, and 766 places that are less expensive for transport.

Personalized cost of living indexes for Birmingham in the United Kingdom 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, Birmingham in the United Kingdom is ranked as minimal hardship with a hardship index of 10%.

Personalized hardship index premiums for Birmingham in the United Kingdom are based on the comparison location(s) selected in the Calculators.

Note: Xpatulator.com data is updated quarterly. The latest update is at at 1 January 2012. Create a personalized cost of living comparison report using the calculators:
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