Where can you go and get the biggest bang for your buck in terms of human freedom? It’s weird; I would think that the freest places in the world would also have the cheapest cost of living, but that is not the case.
It seems that the cost of living goes up with personal freedom. I am using Numbeo’s Cost of Living Plus Rent Index.
It uses New York City as 100. A single person’s estimated monthly costs are $1,316.50 without rent in NYC. Add a 1 bedroom apartment outside of city center at $2,006.66 and it will cost you $3,323.16 to live in NYC.
The freest country according to Cato’s Human Freedom Index is New Zealand with a cost of living of 52.31. In Christchurch, New Zealand (COL+R 57.43) a single person’s estimated monthly costs are $942.67 (1,328.81NZ$) without rent. Add an apartment (1 bedroom) outside of city center for $811.38 and it come’s out to $1,754.05.
If we go down the Human Freedom ranking 5 places to Canada. It has a COL+R of 48.21. In Quebec City (COL+R 44.51) a single person’s estimated monthly costs are $816.55 (1,047.56C$) without rent. Add a 1 bedroom apartment (506.66) and it comes to $1,323.21.
Down 2 more places, we come to Estonia at #8, with a COL+R of 34.26. In Tartu, Estonia (COL+R 36.83) a single person’s estimated monthly costs are $754.65 (616.72€) without rent. Add an apartment (1 bedroom) for $368.54 and you get $1,123.19.
The US is tied with the UK on the Human Freedom Index at 17th place, with a cost of living of 56.69 (US). El Paso has a COL+R of 39.77, A single person’s estimated monthly costs there are $730.52 without rent. An apartment costs $612.14 for total expenses of $1342.66.
Down 3 more places we come to number 21, Lithuania, (COL 29.56). In Kaunas, Lithuania (31.81) a single person’s estimated monthly costs are $638.14 (521.50€) without rent. An apartment outside of city center costs $331.86 for a tidy sum of $970.
Next #37, down 16 places is Bulgaria. (COL+R of 24.32). In Burgas, Bulgaria (COL+R 25.01) a single person’s estimated monthly costs are $534.02 (855.44лв) without rent. An apartment costs $218.49 for a total of $752.51.
Down 3 more #40, Georgia. (COL+R 20.28) In Batumi, Ajara, Georgia (18.15) a single person’s estimated monthly costs are $375.83 (1,232.73GEL) without rent. An apartment (1 bedroom) outside of city center costs $186.74 for a total of $562.57.
To get cheaper than that we have to go down 15 places to #55, North Macedonia. (COL 19.98) In Skopje where a single person estimated monthly costs are $503.51 without rent, an apartment (1 bedroom) costs $216.38= $719.89.
Next, down 15 places we have Argentina, COL 19.55, and Kyrgystan, COL 16.46. They are tied for #70 in the HFI.
Buenos Aires, Argentina (22.38) is where a single person’s estimated monthly costs are $426.84 (35,489.57ARS) without rent. Plus an apartment (1 bedroom) Outside of Centre $199.41= $626.25.
Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan (16.07) single person estimated monthly costs are $345.81 (27,905.51лв) without rent. Apartment (1 bedroom) Outside of Centre $160.63= $506.44.
If you can’t afford Kyrgyzstan you would have to try #111, India at COL 15.05. Thiruvananthapuram, India (12.38) single person estimated monthly costs are $267.59 (19,824.30₹) without rent. Apartment (1 bedroom) Outside of Centre $77.65 = $345.24.
There are countries cheaper than India, like Pakistan….. But at a COL+R of 12.38 Thiruvananthapuram, India is the cheapest city to live in, in the world according to Numbeo.
Self-Determination Advocates 