Bahrain climbs the expensive rankings ladder

Nine places to be exact, according to the International Cost of Living Rankings released in April 2010 which using New York as the benchmark and the ranking is for expatriate living.

Bahrain, according to the report, is the most expensive country in the world for clothes, 66th most expensive in the world with only Dubai from the Gulf being more expensive at 26 than Bahrain and Qatar at 41. Dubai is the most expensive for eating out, restaurants and hotels (still).

The currently “happening” place in the Gulf, Abu Dhabi, is at 74, Saudi (Riyadh) at 130th, Kuwait at 134 and Oman is at a comfortable (and best, in this case) at 241st.

Given the huge development happening in both Qatar and Abu Dhabi, I wonder how their rankings are going to be affected next year. I personally think that theirs will actually get better due to the global downturn in the economy, ironically. Qatar’s rents for instance has reduced by 4% this year according to reports, with I daresay a bigger and more substantial drop in Dubai and Abu Dhabi.

Comments

  1. Bahrain Taxi

    Interesting, Mahmood. I hardly even buy clothes here anymore and take advantage of Gulf Air’s baggage allowance to bring them back with me from the UK. I think I’m not the only one going by the number of sales on at the clothes shops at the moment, they’re slashing as much as 70% off but of course, only on a few items.

    As for rents, don’t get me started. The landlords here are very stubborn and shortsighted. Has anyone told them there is an economic crisis going on outside? The landlords in Dubai eventually sat up and took notice, started reducing their rents and properties started getting filled again. When is this going to happen in Bahrain? A drive down Ave 77 reveals many ‘For Rent’ signs, including phone numbers tied to lamp posts. Every week more appear and don’t seem to disappear again. I’m no economist but surely there comes a point where its better to reduce the rent and fill a place than leave it empty of months?

  2. Mandy the Mad Ozzie

    I can’t believe it ! It has to be a papparazi untruth.

    ?? !! Would it surprise you to know that I bring a ‘spare’ suitcase with me to Bahrain when I come up there for a holiday? !! JUST FOR NEW CLOTHES AND SHOES !!
    I can’t believe that Bahrain is supposedly, expensive for these items. Whoever did the survey, very obviously did NOT shop here in West Australia at any time recently.

    Just as a ‘for instance’ I can buy TWO pairs of [good label] shoes in Bahrain for what I would pay for ONE pair here in Perth ! !

  3. Ms Anonymous

    It’s not market economics that has left Bahrain in the position it’s in but rather uncontrolled & unregulated greed, a trait that is ironically considered a sin in Islam.

    Take the ridiculous cost of housing for example where a cement box built on rubble by enslaved migrant workers will set you back 100s of thousands of dinars!

    How do you justify these exorbitant asking prices when slave labour is used throughout the entire supply chain and cement is produced in our own back garden? Not to mention the almost non-existent cost of fuel, water, and electricity as energy is heavily subsidized by the government.

    @Bahrain Taxi, I hope you claim back your 17.5% at the airport. Makes the savings even sweeter!

Comments are closed.