United Kingdom, Reading

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: 0.233 Mil (2012 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). Make an international currency transfer to the United Kingdom.

Inflation: 3.6% (2011 est.).

Reading is a large town and unitary authority area in England.

Reading is a commercial centre, with involvement in information technology and insurance. The town is also a retail centre serving a large area of the Thames Valley, and is home to the University of Reading.

The cost of living in Reading in the United Kingdom 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. Reading in the United Kingdom is currently ranked 233 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 347 places that are more expensive, and 432 places that are less expensive for alcohol and or tobacco.

Clothing costs are high 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 279 places that are more expensive, and 500 places that are less expensive for clothing.

Communication costs are 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 272 places that are more expensive, and 507 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 306 places that are more expensive, and 473 places that are less expensive for education.

Furniture & Appliance costs are very 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 677 places that are more expensive, and 102 places that are less expensive for furniture and appliances.

Grocery costs are 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 471 places that are more expensive, and 308 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 very 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 125 places that are more expensive, and 654 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 163 places that are more expensive, and 616 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 163 places that are more expensive, and 616 places that are less expensive for personal care.

Recreation and Culture costs are average compared to other places for items such as books, camera, cinema tickets, fitness/health club membership, sports goods and theatre tickets. There are 436 places that are more expensive, and 343 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 294 places that are more expensive, and 485 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 223 places that are more expensive, and 556 places that are less expensive for transport.

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

Personalized hardship index premiums for Reading 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 as at 1 April 2012. Create a personalized cost of living comparison report using the calculators:
Salary Purchasing Power Parity Calculator
Cost of Living Index Calculator
Cost of Living Allowance Calculator