Monday, March 14, 2016

Bangalore & Mumbai Cheaper Than Karachi

It costs less to live in Bangalore, India's high-tech capital, and Bombay, India's financial capital, than to live in Pakistan's megacity of Karachi, according to the 2016 Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) report. The survey says Karachi's cost of living index is 44 while Bangalore's is 42 and Mumbai's 43. The survey bases it on New York City's cost of living set at 100. Lusaka, Zambia, is the cheapest with cost of living index measured at 41.

World's Cheapest Cities Source: EIU. Courtesy: Metro

In fact, there are four Indian cities and just one Pakistani city among the cheapest cities in the world, according to the latest EIU survey. The complete list of the World's Cheapest Cities is as follows:

1. Lusaka, Zambia
2. Bengaluru (Bangalore), India
3. Mumbai (Bombay), India
4. Almaty, Kazakhstan
5. Algiers, Algeria
6. Chennai (Madras), India
7. Karachi, Pakistan
8. New Delhi, India
9. Damascus, Syria
10. Caracas, Venezuela

Seven of the world's cheapest cities are in Asia, one in South America and two in Africa.

The EIU surveyed 133 cities and measured the cost of 160 items. These include food, drink, clothing, household supplies and personal care items, home rents, transport, utility bills, private schools, domestic help and recreational costs.

The survey allows for city-to-city comparisons, but for the purpose of this report all cities are compared to a base city of New York, which has an index set at 100. The survey has been carried out for more than 30 years.

EIU ranks Singapore (index 116) as the world's most expensive city. It's followed by Zurich (114), Hong Kong (114), Geneva (108), Paris (107), London (101), New York (100), Seoul (99), Copenhagen (99) and Los Angeles (99). Three of the top 10 most expensive cities are in Asia, 5 in Europe and 2 in the United States, and none in Africa.

Related Links:

Haq's Musings

Live Large for Less in Delhi, Dhaka, Karachi and Mumbai 

Karachi is the World's Fastest Growing Megacity

Eleven Days in Karachi

Indian Visitors Share "Eye Opener" Stories About Pakistan 

Gangs of Karachi

36 comments:

Anonymous said...

Indices Difference Info
Consumer Prices in Bangalore are 12.38% lower than in Karachi
Consumer Prices Including Rent in Bangalore are 5.59% lower than in Karachi
Rent Prices in Bangalore are 27.18% higher than in Karachi
Restaurant Prices in Bangalore are 26.42% lower than in Karachi
Groceries Prices in Bangalore are 7.18% lower than in Karachi
Local Purchasing Power in Bangalore is 123.19% higher than in Karachi

http://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/compare_cities.jsp?country1=Pakistan&city1=Karachi&country2=India&city2=Bangalore

Anonymous said...

Indices Difference Info
Consumer Prices in Karachi are 2.78% higher than in Mumbai
Consumer Prices Including Rent in Karachi are 22.57% lower than in Mumbai
Rent Prices in Karachi are 64.67% lower than in Mumbai
Restaurant Prices in Karachi are 2.19% higher than in Mumbai
Groceries Prices in Karachi are 3.55% lower than in Mumbai
Local Purchasing Power in Karachi is 38.15% lower than in Mumbai

http://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/compare_cities.jsp?country1=India&city1=Mumbai&country2=Pakistan&city2=Karachi

Rks said...

Bangalore is a city where you will find no slums. Very clean, but public transportation is bad. You need a Taxi to go anywhere.

Riaz Haq said...

19640909rk: "Bangalore is a city where you will find no slums. "

With the increase in migration, there is an increase in the number of slums also in Bangalore. According to a report, at least 1.4 million people sleep in slums every night in Bangalore.

According to the Karnataka Slum Development Board, the city has at least 600 slums. However, the Association for Promoting Social Action (APSA) said that the city has over 1,500 non-notified slums which are not counted by the government and said that at least 25% to 35% of the population resides in slums all over Bangalore.

http://www.dnaindia.com/bangalore/report-nearly-14-million-people-live-in-bangalore-slums-says-report-2066294

Mumbaikar said...

Ask a Hindu if he can buy/rent property in Muslim-dominated areas, or ask a Muslim or a Hindu if he can buy/rent property in Catholic-dominated areas, and you'll have your answer. It's hilarious how blind you are, and how cherry-picking seems to be how you conduct your so-called analysis. It is clear that your (a)musings are nothing but an attempt at feeling better about your obviously bored self; not to mention the low self esteem issues you suffer from

Riaz Haq said...

Mumbaikar: "Ask a Hindu if he can buy/rent property in Muslim-dominated areas, or ask a Muslim or a Hindu if he can buy/rent property in Catholic-dominated areas, and you'll have your answer. It's hilarious how blind you are, and how cherry-picking seems to be how you conduct your so-called analysis. It is clear that your (a)musings are nothing but an attempt at feeling better about your obviously bored self; not to mention the low self esteem issues you suffer from"

The man who wrote this article for NY Times is a Bombay Hindu named Manil Suri.

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/16/opinion/the-segregation-ofindia.html?smid=tw-share&_r=0

And he's no alone. There have many such articles and data points confirming this.


http://thewire.in/2015/06/12/lets-talk-about-housing-discrimination-3726/

r_sundar said...

My sister, when moving to Bangalore, years before, after getting naturalized here, tried to move in a Muslim dominated locality, as it was closer for her husband's place of work.
She was refused many times. So this is extremely common cutting across all religions. As a private home owner/society it is your choice whom you lend your house.

Riaz Haq said...

r_sundar: "So this is extremely common cutting across all religions. As a private home owner/society it is your choice whom you lend your house."

43.5% of Indians, the highest percentage in the world, say they do not want to have a neighbor of a different race, according to a Washington Post report based on World's Values Survey.

http://www.riazhaq.com/2013/05/world-values-survey-finds-indians-most.html

Anonymous said...

"It appears that there is a small but militant minority in Pakistan that is highly intolerant, but the vast majority of people are tolerant. My own experience as a former Karachi-ite is that there is little or no race or religion based housing segregation, the kind that is rampant in India where Muslims are not welcome in most Hindu-dominated neighborhoods. There have been many reports of top Muslim Bollywood stars having difficulty finding housing in Mumbai's upscale neighborhoods. A common excuse used to exclude them is the ostensible requirement to be vegetarian to live there. "

Where did you get this bullshit from?

And yes denying renting house to non vegetarian is a very real issue and not a pretext. The smell of meat cooking lingers! For pure vegetarians it is a real issue compounded by the fact that there are housing societies which are almost completely vegetarian. If one person is cooking non veg, its smells percolates everywhere and it becomes an issue for the house owner. There is also a religious aspect to it. Consider this, as a Muslim will you rent your house to someone who does things which are considered 'Haram' in Islam? Try renting a house in Pakistan as a member of a community which eats Pork regularly and drinks alcohol and you will find many doors slammed at your face.

Lastly it is rich coming from someone who advocates Pakistan, a country which bans a number of things which are against Islam. Does Pakistan tolerates alcohol or Pork? There are laws in Pakistan which deter people from buying and selling Pork and Alcohol. Pakistan has long institutionalize intolerance to the point that they massacred around half of their population leading to partition of their country into two.

r_sundar said...

My Pakistani American friend in Fremont, owns two houses, and he rented them only to Muslims.
When people give out their personal property, that becomes a very personal decision, and people will filter out whom they don't want to give for a variety of reasons. That does not mean they hate them.
I will not give my house to folks who eat Non-Veg, for example. I will gladly lease my property to a Vegan Muslim. That does not mean, I hate non-vegetarians.
Hope that clarifies.

Anonymous said...

It is common in US too where neighborhood are cut across racial lines. it is called gentrification.

Riaz Haq said...

r_sundar: "I will not give my house to folks who eat Non-Veg, for example. "


Being an owner of apartments that I rent out, I know that what you are saying would be a clear violation of US federal and state fair housing laws. You could easily end up in court if you refuse to rent to meat-eaters in California. You could be fined or jailed by a judge if you insisted on it.

The reasons you and other Indians offer for not renting to Muslims in India remind me of all the arguments for Jim Crowe South where racial segregation was common. Such arguments have been thoroughly debunked.

Riaz Haq said...

Anon: "Does Pakistan tolerates alcohol or Pork? There are laws in Pakistan which deter people from buying and selling Pork and Alcohol."

Alcohol is available in Pakistan but it's sale and consumption is regulated.

Unlike India's rapidly spreading beef ban that criminalizes sale, possession and consumption of beef, there are no laws against the sale and consumption of pork in Pakistan.

Anonymous said...

http://www.minotdailynews.com/page/blogs.detail/display/11361/Kudos-to-the-vegetarian-landlord.html

r_sundar said...

"Being an owner of apartments that I rent out, I know that what you are saying would be a clear violation of US federal and state fair housing laws. You could easily end up in court if you refuse to rent to meat-eaters in California. You could be fined or jailed by a judge if you insisted on it. "

I am referring to India here.

Comparing pork & beef is like comparing apples and oranges.
Pork is not considered "sacred" in Islam.

Non-Veg is not in the legal clause, btw.

California law also prohibits discrimination based on any of the following:

1. A person's medical condition or mental or physical disability; or
2. Personal characteristics, such as a person's physical appearance or sexual orientation that are not related to the responsibilities of a tenant; or
3. A perception of a person's race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, national origin, ancestry, familial status, source of income, disability or medical condition, or a perception that a person is associated with another person who may have any of these characteristics.


Riaz Haq said...

#Pakistanis (rank 92) are happier than people in #India (ranked 118) #SDGs #WorldHappinessReport http://toi.in/KqQ6nY39 via The Times of India

India did not make any improvement in its happiness quotient, ranking 118th out of 156 countries in a global list of the happiest nations, down one slot from last year on the index and coming behind China, Pakistan and Bangladesh.
Denmark takes the top spot as the happiest country in the world, displacing Switzerland, according to The World Happiness Report 2016, published by the Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN), a global initiative for the United Nations.
The report takes into account GDP per capita, life expectancy, social support and freedom to make life choices as indicators of happiness.
Switzerland was ranked second on the list, followed by Iceland (3), Norway (4) and Finland (5).
India ranked 118th, down from 117th in 2015.
The report said that India was among the group of 10 countries witnessing the largest happiness declines along with Venezuela, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Yemen and Botswana.

Riaz Haq said...

#Denmark happiest, #Burundi unhappiest among 156 nations. #Pakistan 92, #India 118. #WorldHappinessReport http://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/17/world/europe/denmark-world-happiness-report.html?_r=0 …

Denmark topped the list in the first report, in 2012, and again in 2013, but it was displaced by Switzerland last year. In this year’s ranking, Denmark was back at No. 1, followed by Iceland, Norway, Finland, Canada, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Australia and Sweden. Most are fairly homogeneous nations with strong social safety nets.

At the bottom of the list of more than 150 countries was Burundi, where a violent political crisis broke out last year. Burundi was preceded by Syria, Togo, Afghanistan, Benin, Rwanda, Guinea, Liberia, Tanzania and Madagascar. All of those nations are poor, and many have been destabilized by war, disease or both.

Of the world’s most populous nations, China came in at No. 83, India at No. 118, the United States at No. 13, Indonesia at No. 79, Brazil at No. 17, Pakistan at No. 92, Nigeria at No. 103, Bangladesh at No. 110, Russia at No. 56, Japan at No. 53 and Mexico at No. 21. The United States rose two spots, from No. 15 in 2015.

From 2005 to 2015, Greece saw the largest drop in happiness of any country, a reflection of the economic crisis that began there in 2007.

The happiness ranking was based on individual responses to a global poll conducted by Gallup. The poll included a question, known as the Cantril Ladder: “Please imagine a ladder, with steps numbered from 0 at the bottom to 10 at the top. The top of the ladder represents the best possible life for you and the bottom of the ladder represents the worst possible life for you. On which step of the ladder would you say you personally feel you stand at this time?”

The scholars found that three-quarters of the variation across countries could be explained by six variables: gross domestic product per capita (the rawest measure of a nation’s wealth); healthy years of life expectancy; social support (as measured by having someone to count on in times of trouble); trust (as measured by perceived absence of corruption in government and business); perceived freedom to make life choices; and generosity (as measured by donations).

The report was prepared by the Sustainable Development Solutions Network, an international panel of social scientists that includes economists, psychologists and public health experts convened by the United Nations secretary general, Ban Ki-moon.

Though the findings do not represent the formal views of the United Nations, the network is closely tied to the Sustainable Development Goals, which the organization adopted in September, aiming, among other things, to end poverty and hunger by 2030, while saving the planet from the most destructive effects of climate change.

The field of happiness research has grown in recent years, but there is significant disagreement about how to measure happiness. Some scholars find people’s subjective assessments of their well-being to be unreliable, and they prefer objective indicators like economic and health data. The scholars behind the World Happiness Report said they tried to take both types of data into account.

In a chapter of the report on the distribution of happiness around the world, three economists — John F. Helliwell, of the University of British Columbia; Haifang Huang of the University of Alberta; and Shun Wang of the Korea Development Institute — argued against a widely held view that changes in people’s assessments of their lives are largely transitory. Under this view, people have a baseline level of contentment and rapidly adapt to changing circumstances.

The three economists noted research showing that people’s evaluations of their lives “differ significantly and systematically among countries”; that within countries, subgroups differ widely in their levels of happiness; that unemployment and major disabilities have lasting influences on well-being; and that the happiness of migrants approximates that of their new country, instead of their country of origin.

Anonymous said...

Wow, there are more miserable nations than Indians? I bet most of the people who are happy in India are from upper casts of a particular religion.

Back to the topic of this blog, there is a difference when you don't want a vegan living next to you verses not wanting to live with anyone from another race. There is something wrong when your nation is on of the three most racist countries of the world.

To the person who wrote that there are no slums in Banglore, welcome to planet earth, planning to visit for long?

Zamir

Singh said...

Sure you guys are the happiest people in the whole wide world. One would be very happy if one doesn't get blown up
for the year 2016

Riaz Haq said...

Singh: "Sure you guys are the happiest people in the whole wide world. One would be very happy if one doesn't get blown up
for the year 2016"


And yet, the premature death rate in Pakistan is significantly lower than in India, according to WHO.

http://www.riazhaq.com/2013/04/world-health-day-in-pakistan-premature.html


And, unlike Indian farmers killing themselves one ene every 30 minutes, Pakistani farmers are not committing suicides.

http://www.riazhaq.com/2015/04/farmer-suicides-continue-unabated-in.html

Mumbaikar said...

Mumbai has a lot more high-rise buildings and projects than Karachi. No comparison.

Riaz Haq said...

Mumbaikar: "Mumbai has a lot more high-rise buildings and projects than Karachi. No comparison."


Mumbai land area of 600 sq km is one-sixth of Karachi land area of 3600 sq km. Mumbai is among the world's dirtiest and most crowded cities. Karachi is far bigger, much less crowded and cleaner.

Jaidhankar said...

Yeah, but Pakistanis are known to kill themselves and others in the process. It's called terrorism. Sure the promise of 72 virgins will make you happy.

Riaz Haq said...

Jaidhankar: "Pakistanis are known to kill themselves and others in the process"

Look at the real stats of how many more Indians kill themselves and each other in much larger numbers than Pakistanis. The biggest factor in premature deaths in India is "intentional harm", according to WHO stats.

"Two causes that appeared in the 10 leading causes of DALYs in 2010 and not 1990 were road injury and self-harm"

http://www.healthdata.org/sites/default/files/files/country_profiles/GBD/ihme_gbd_country_report_india.pdf

Anonymous said...

At the end, people like many including you have to come to hospitals like these in Mumbai for treatment from pakistan

Riaz Haq said...

Anon: "At the end, people like many including you have to come to hospitals like these in Mumbai for treatment from pakistan"

A few for-profit hospitals do nothing to help the vast majority of Indians who suffer the worst disease burdens in the world

India in healthcare hall of shame, ranked worst among peers and neighbours--Times of India

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/India-in-healthcare-hall-of-shame-ranked-worst-among-peers-and-neighbours/articleshow/18805659.cms

David Rubin said...

Karachi is cheap because Pakistan is lower in value addition industries in the global market. What is so good about this?

India has a far superior manufacturing and service sector industry and it is no surprise that its mega cities are more expensive to live by.

Wait for something real to be proud of?

Nitin B said...

http://data.worldbank.org/indicator/VC.IHR.PSRC.P5

The homicide rate of Pakistan is twice that of India and much higher than the US. The above link is from the World Bank. FYI.

Riaz Haq said...

NBRX: "The homicide rate of Pakistan is twice that of India and much higher than the US. The above link is from the World Bank. FYI."

It's well-known that most of the violent crimes in India go unreported.

http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/india-officially-undercounts-all-crimes-including-rape/article5121114.ece


Unlike India's homicide rate of 3 per 100,000, Pakistan's 8 per 100,000 appears to be a more accurate & reliable stat.

Besides, 8 per 100,000 is still a single digit and well below most of the rest of the developing world...comparing it to Brazil's 27 per 100,000 and South Africa's 32 and Mexico's 19.

Riaz Haq said...

David Rubin: "Karachi is cheap because Pakistan is lower in value addition industries in the global market. What is so good about this? India has a far superior manufacturing and service sector industry and it is no surprise that its mega cities are more expensive to live by."

Your reading comprehension is truly amazing. Where did you learn to read? India?

http://www.riazhaq.com/2011/12/pisa-timss-confirm-low-quality-of.html

Riaz Haq said...

"India is home to over 340 million destitute people and is the second poorest country in South Asia after war-torn Afghanistan...In South Asia, Afghanistan has the highest level of destitution at 38%. This is followed by India at 28.5%. Bangladesh (17.2%) and Pakistan (20.7%) have much lower levels" Colin Hunter, Center for Research on Globalization

http://www.riazhaq.com/2014/10/multi-dimensional-poverty-index.html

Anonymous said...

@Haq "Colin Hunter, Center for Research on Globalization"

No one in the world gives shit to some unknown shitty pseudo scientific research centre from Canada of all places. They come dime a dozen with their shitty research worth the same. Last time I heard, you also rejected 'synthetic indices' like HDI. Why do you quote some substandard research then? Dare to quote UN or World Bank data?


Lastly, Indian poverty problem is easy to solve. Just kick out all the Muslims and throw them in the ocean. They breed like rabbits, infact they are the fastest growing religion in India. They are around 300 million in India and are mostly poor and uneducated. They usually take part in Jihad. So, just throw them out of India, problem solved! It will increase India's GDP, reduce poverty and will bring harmony in the country.

Riaz Haq said...

#India Home to World's Highest Number Without Clean #Water - ABC News - #Modi #BJP http://abcn.ws/1PhwAmQ via abc

India has the world's highest number of people without access to clean water — imposing a major financial burden for some of the country's poorest people, according to a report released Tuesday.

The international charity Water Aid says 75.8 million Indians — or 5 percent of the country's 1.25 billion population — are forced to either buy water at high rates or use supplies that are contaminated with sewage or chemicals. That accounts for more than a tenth of the 650 million people worldwide without clean water access — more any single country in Africa or in China, where 63 million have no access.

The situation worldwide has improved since 1990, with 2.6 billion people gaining access to clean water since then. But the report urged more action in "a world where one in 10 people are trapped in a cycle of poverty and disease for want of a safe, affordable water supply of their own."

Poor Indians without water access are forced to spend an average of about 72 U.S. cents to buy 50 liters of water a day, the amount recommended by the World Health Organization, according to the report. That's nearly 20 percent of their typical daily income, according to the report. By comparison, people in Britain spend just about 10 U.S. cents a day for 50 liters.

The alternative to buying supplies — using dirty water — comes with sober consequence, sickening countless people every year. About 315,000 children die from diarrheal diseases each year, with 140,000 those deaths happening in India.

"Poor management of water resources is the biggest problem holding India back," the report said. "Misappropriation in planning and execution of water supply projects is another key factor. And projects often use inadequate sources, or pipelines do not reach habitations."

India already faces chronic water shortages, as rivers become increasingly polluted and groundwater reserves rapidly decline thanks to the unchecked use of water pumps by farmers and villagers. The problem is set to worsen as global temperatures rise with climate change and water sources become scarce in many parts of the world.

Within 15 years, the country is expected to have only half the water it needs to meet competing demands from cities, agriculture and industry.

While India has the most people lacking clean water access, the much smaller countries of Papua New Guinea, Equatorial Guinea, Angola, Chad and Mozambique topped the list of countries with the highest population percentages lacking clean water. And in Papua New Guinea, the 4.5 million without access — or 60 percent of the Southwest Pacific island country's population — spend more than 50 percent of their typical income on average on water each day, according to the report.

Rising seas and more frequent extreme weather events — both consequences of ongoing climate change — "will make water supplies, and life in general, ever more fragile," it said.

Unknown said...

haha. Comparing Pakistan and India? I can understand your predicament given the fact that Pakiland is worse than India now on almost all economic, development and human indices parameters. Be it GDP per capita (nominal & PPP), GNI per capita, hunger and malnutrition, HDI (human development index), standard of living, literacy rate, prosperity index, competitiveness index etc. Go look inwards and pull your nation out of the shithole it is in before commenting on India. Keep ridiculing India and you would continue heading into that shithole.I hope you stay alive till 2030 when the Indian economy would be almost 20 times that of Pakistan. I hope you live in peaceful slumber forever after seeing an average Indian almost thrice as rich as an average Paki. All the best

Riaz Haq said...

AB: "Comparing Pakistan and India? I can understand your predicament given the fact that Pakiland is worse than India now on almost all economic, development and human indices parameters."

India s home to the world's largest population of poor, hungry and illiterates. It's a country where most of the population still defecates in the open in this day and age.

http://www.riazhaq.com/2010/08/63-years-after-independence-india.html

"India is home to over 340 million destitute people and is the second poorest country in South Asia after war-torn Afghanistan...In South Asia, Afghanistan has the highest level of destitution at 38%. This is followed by India at 28.5%. Bangladesh (17.2%) and Pakistan (20.7%) have much lower levels" Colin Hunter, Center for Research on Globalization

http://www.riazhaq.com/2014/10/multi-dimensional-poverty-index.html

Riaz Haq said...

BBC News - #India #Kolkata flyover collapse: At least 20 dead, many buried in rubble. Rescuers using bare hands. http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-35933452 …

A flyover under construction in the Indian city of Kolkata (Calcutta) has collapsed, killing at least 20 people and injuring nearly 100.
More are feared trapped under the concrete and steel bridge, and rescue efforts are continuing all night.
Images show residents using their bare hands to help find victims.
Safety issues such as lack of inspections and the use of substandard materials have plagued construction projects in the country.
The accident took place in an area near Girish Park, one of Kolkata's most densely populated neighbourhoods, with narrow lanes, and shops and houses built close together.
The 2km-long (1.2 mile) flyover had been under construction since 2009 and missed several deadlines for completion.
The causes of the disaster were not immediately clear but the company in charge of the construction, IVRCL, said it would cooperate with investigators.