These are the most precious places

In February, consumer product prices were eight percent higher than last year. For us "thrifty Dutchmen," this is of course a bitter pill. But it can always be worse; MASTERS lists a number of countries where the cost of living is even a bit higher.

maandag 6 maart 2023
16:56
Door: Fleur De Jong

The list was published by Numbeo. This is a crowdsourced and global database that tracks consumer prices, crime rates and health care statistics, among other things.

5. Barbados

Barbados is an island state on the eastern end of the Caribbean. On the island, payment is made with the Barbadian dollar which is currently equivalent to €0.46. According to Numbeo, the cost of living index is 88.8. In comparison, for the Netherlands it is 68.6. However, the local purchasing power index is much higher in the Netherlands at 107.8 and in Barbados at 36.8.

4. Bahamas

In case you think you are cheaper one island away, you are wrong. The Bahamas is, in fact, a popular tourist destination. Many of these tourists are American, so prices are relatively high because of this. The cost of living index for the archipelago is 90.9.

3. Cayman Islands

The Cayman Islands is a British overseas territory in the Caribbean Sea and is best known as a tax haven. The cost of living index is 103.4. Should you be looking for a nice place to live; unfortunately you will be more expensive here than in the Netherlands... The rent index is 75.7 and in the Netherlands 33.4.

2. Switzerland

That prices in Switzerland are a bit higher than in the Netherlands probably comes as no surprise. The index for this country is set at 114.2. A cheap cup of coffee is probably not in the cards here either, as the so-called restaurant price index is 109.5.

1. Bermuda

At the top, Bermuda graces Numbeo's list. With an index of 141.8, the country is ranked number one. Only a very small portion of the land is available for agriculture so almost all food has to be imported. So this makes the cost of living quite high. Due to the mild tax climate, the island is home to many financial companies. The headquarters of Bacardi is also located here.