Country Full Name: The Kingdom of Swaziland.Location: Swaziland is in Southern Africa, between Mozambique and South Africa.Country Climate: Varies from tropical to near temperate.Country Terrain: Mostly mountains and hills; some moderately sloping plains.Major Languages: Swazi, English (both official).Major Religions: Christianity, indigenous beliefs.Country Population: 1.0 million (2008 est.) 1.0 million (2009 est.).Country Economy: The economy of Swaziland is fairly diversified, with agriculture, forestry and mining accounting for about 13% of GDP, manufacturing (textiles and sugar-related processing) representing 37% of GDP. The majority of the population ? about 75%?is employed in subsistence agriculture.Currency: Swaziland Lilangeni (SZL).Country Inflation: 13.1% (2008 est.) 7.8% (2009 est.).City: Mbabane is the capital and largest city of Swaziland.City Economy: Mbabane, and Swaziland itself, depend on tourism and sugar exports.
Mbabane has an overall cost of living index which equates it with low cost of living locations. The overall cost of living index is comprised of the prices for defined quantities of the same goods and services across all 13 Basket Groups. Mbabane is currently ranked 265 overall, most expensive place in the world for expatriates to live, out of 282 international locations. The cost of living overview for each of the 13 Basket Groups is as follows: Alcohol & Tobacco costs for alcoholic beverages such as alcohol at bar, beer, locally produced spirit, whiskey, and wine as well as tobacco products such as cigarettes is relatively less expensive compared to other cities with a rank of 258 out of 282.Clothing costs for clothing and footwear products such as business suits, casual clothing, childrens clothing and footwear, coats and hats, evening wear, shoe repairs, and underwear is relatively less expensive compared to other cities with a rank of 253 out of 282.Communication costs for various communication costs such as home telephone rental and call charges, internet connection and service provider fees, mobile / cellular phone contract and calls is relatively more expensive compared to other cities with a rank of 2 out of 282.Education costs such as creche / pre-school fees, high school / college fees, primary school fees, and tertiary study fees is relatively less expensive compared to other cities with a rank of 194 out of 282.Furniture & Appliance costs for furniture, household equipment and household appliances such as dvd player, fridge freezer, iron, kettle, toaster, microwave, light bulbs, television, vacuum cleaner, and washing machine is relatively less expensive compared to other cities with a rank of 203 out of 282.Grocery costs for 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 is relatively less expensive compared to other cities with a rank of 265 out of 282.Healthcare costs for general healthcare, medical and medical insurance such as general practitioner consultation rates, hospital private ward daily rate, non-prescription medicine, and private medical insurance / medical aid contributions is relatively less expensive compared to other cities with a rank of 280 out of 282.Household costs for housing, water, electricity, household gas, household fuels, local rates and residential taxes such as house / flat mortgage, house / flat rental, household electricity consumption, household gas / fuel consumption, household water consumption, and local property rates / taxes / levies is relatively less expensive compared to other cities with a rank of 276 out of 282.Miscellaneous costs related to stationary, linen and general goods and services such as domestic help, dry cleaning, linen, office supplies, newspapers and magazines, and postage stamps is relatively less expensive compared to other cities with a rank of 218 out of 282.Personal Care costs for personal care products and services such as cosmetics, hair care, moisturizer / sun block, nappies, pain relief tablets, toilet paper, toothpaste, and soap / shampoo / conditioner is relatively less expensive compared to other cities with a rank of 241 out of 282.Recreation and Culture costs such as books, camera film, cinema ticket, DVD and CDs, sports goods, and theatre tickets is relatively less expensive compared to other cities with a rank of 225 out of 282.Restaurants, Meals Out and Hotel costs such as business dinner, dinner at a restaurant (non fast food), hotel rates, take away drinks and snacks (fast food) is relatively less expensive compared to other cities with a rank of 273 out of 282.Transport costs for public transport, vehicle costs, vehicle fuel, vehicle insurance and vehicle maintenance such as hire purchase / lease of vehicle, petrol / diesel, public transport service maintenance, tires, vehicle Insurance, and vehicle purchase is equally expensive on average compared to other cities with a rank of 123 out of 282. Your exact customized cost of living index for Mbabane is based on which of the above basket groups as well as the comparison location you select in the Calculators. In terms of the hardship people are likely to experience, assessed in global terms, Mbabane is ranked as a high degree of hardship location with a hardship index of 30%. Your exact customized hardship index premium for Mbabane is based on the comparison location that you select in the Calculators.
