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U.S. Department of State July 1999 Quarterly Report Introduction | Quarters Allowances | Hardship Differentials | Technical Notes   Table 1: Indexes of Living Costs Abroad (Washington, D.C. = 100) New Surveys since the April 1999 publication are in bold face type.     Country and City     Survey Date Exchange Rate1 Local2 U.S. Government3 Foreign Unit Number per US$ Relative Index Relative Index Algeria: Algiers Jul-94 Dinar 37.7 84 89 81 91 Angola: Luanda Aug-98 Kwanza 369,2356 171 179 129 132 Argentina: Buenos Aires Dec-97 Peso 1.00 130 142 114 127 Armenia: Yerevan May-97 Dram 480 97 103 90 97 Australia: Canberra Oct-98 Dollar 1.69 111 112 105 106 Austria: Vienna Mar-98 Schilling 12.6 156 147 130 126 Azerbaijan: Baku Jul-98 Manat 3760 120 126 106 111 Azores: Ponta Delgada Mar-97 Escudo 171 105 106 95 95 Bahamas: Grand Bahama Is. Mar-99 Dollar 1.00 130 135 120 123              Freeport Dec-97 Dollar 1.00 123 132 116 125              Nassau Feb-99 Dollar 1.00 147 149 135 137 Bahrain: Manama Apr-97 Dinar 0.3769 103 112 94 103 Bangladesh: Dhaka Mar-98 Taka 46.3 95 101 88 92 Barbados: Bridgetown Apr-99 Dollar 2.00 144 149 128 131 Belarus: Minsk Feb-96 Ruble 11,500 103 106 98 100 Belgium: Brussels Jan-99 Franc 34.3 154 150 128 127                 Shape/Chievres Jun-97 Franc 35 130 132 106 107 Belize: Belize City Jun-98 Dollar 1.99 108 119 96 106 Benin: Cotonou Apr-98 CFA Franc 612 87 91 85 90 Bermuda Feb-99 Dollar 1.00 166 167 143 143 Bolivia: La Paz May-97 Boliviano 5.23 84 90 78 84 Botswana: Gaborone Jan-98 Pula 3.82 86 91 83 88 Brazil: Brasilia Mar-99 Real 1.85 105 108 97 100 Brunei: Bandar Seri Begawan Jul-98 Dollar 1.63 101 116 97 112 Bulgaria: Sofia Jun-98 Leva 1753 93 101 87 95 Burkina: Ouagadougou Jun-97 CFA Franc 575 99 106 86 92 Burma: Rangoon Feb-99 Kyat 311.67 107 113 101 107 Burundi: Bujumbura Feb-99 Franc 508 139 144 120 118 Cambodia: Phnom Penh Feb-94 Riel 2,500 86 87 82 83 Cameroon: Yaounde Nov-98 CFA Franc 542 139 146 121 126 Canada: Halifax Mar-96 Dollar 1.35 108 108 101 101                 Ottawa Jan-99 Dollar 1.51 97 98 95 96                 Toronto Jul-97 Dollar 1.38 110 110 104 104                 Vancouver Oct-98 Dollar 1.53 109 110 103 103 Cape Verdi: Praia Jul-93 Escudo 81.1 94 101 85 91 Central African Republic: Bangui May-98 CFA Franc 602 115 119 107 107 Chad: N'Djamena Nov-98 CFA Franc 542 146 154 121 126 Chile: Santiago Apr-98 Peso 446 120 131 107 117 China: Beijing Feb-98 Remnimbi 8.27 1214 1274 103 109              Guangzhou Feb-96 Remnimbi 8.29 115 107 108 100              Shanghai Jan-99 Remnimbi 8.27 113 104 110 101 Colombia: Bogota Mar-98 Peso 1348 99 102 93 96 Congo: Brazzaville Oct-96 CFA Franc 514 165 176 126 135 Congo: Dem. Republic of Feb-99 New Zaire 3 169 180 140 149 Costa Rica: San Jose Jun-98 Colon 251 92 99 87 94 Cote d'Ivoire: Abidjan Jan-99 CFA Franc 558 137 145 114 121 Croatia: Zagreb Apr-99 Kuna 6.9 120 119 116 116 Cuba: Havana Mar-99 Dollar 1.00 1434 1544 124 132 Cyprus: Nicosia Apr-98 Pound 0.532 112 113 96 96 Czech Republic: Prague Sep-96 Koruna 26.6 110 106 99 96 Denmark: Copenhagen Feb-99 Kroner 6.35 163 156 132 132 Djibouti: Djibouti City Nov-98 Franc 177 149 160 128 138 Dominican Republic: Santo Domingo Apr-98 Peso 14.9 113 121 103 110 Ecuador: Quito Feb-99 Sucre 7193 94 96 86 88 Egypt: Cairo Jun-96 Pound 3.40 82 99 73 91 El Salvador: San Salvador Jun-97 Colon 8.75 90 96 83 89 Eritrea: Asmara Oct-97 Birr 7.2 98 104 88 94 Estonia: Tallinn Sep-98 Kroon 13.6 97 96 93 93 Ethiopia: Addis Ababa Mar-97 Birr 6.24 102 111 96 95 Fiji: Suva Mar-98 Dollar 1.91 102 107 99 104 Finland: Helsinki Apr-97 Markka 5.14 150 149 123 123 France: Paris Apr-99 Franc 5.8 164 153 145 137 Gabon: Libreville Mar-98 CFA Franc 610 145 160 119 131 Gambia: Banjul Apr-96 Dalasi 9.8 103 110 92 99 Georgia: Tblisi Dec-98 Lari 1.33 123 129 107 112 Germany: Berlin May-99 Mark 1.8 138 135 123 123                   Bonn Dec-98 Mark 1.64 148 147 123 123                   Frankfurt Mar-99 Mark 1.69 143 141 118 117                   Munich Dec-98 Mark 1.64 153 150 130 131 Ghana: Accra Feb-99 Cedi 2370 125 134 113 121 Greece: Athens Feb-99 Drachmaa 280 127 127 110 110                Kavala Relay Station Apr-98 Drachma 299 109 110 94 95                Thessaloniki Dec-95 Drachma 237 124 126 106 107 Grenada Oct-95 Dollar 2.70 111 120 97 107 Guatemala: Guatemala City Dec-97 Quetzal 6.21 96 105 93 101 Guinea: Conakry Feb-99 Franc 1296 136 147 108 116 Guinea-Bissau: Bissau Jan-97 Peso 34,391 1074 1124 94 100 Guyana: Georgetown May-97 Dollar 144 74 78 75 80 Haiti: Port-au-Prince Feb-98 Gourde 17.4 107 114 95 101 Honduras: Tegucigalpa Jan-97 Lempira 13.05 74 79 71 76 Hong Kong Oct-98 Dollar 7.74 159 138 132 121 Hungary: Budapest Apr-97 Forint 176 102 98 92 89 Iceland: Keflavik-Grindvik Oct-98 Kronur 69.2 165 167 119 119                Reykjavik May-99 Kronur 73 178 180 131 131 India: New Delhi Dec-97 Rupee 39.3 84 87 87 89 Indonesia: Jakarta Jan-98 Rupiah 5366 93 106 86 99                     Surabaya Aug-97 Rupiah 2594 87 97 82 92 Ireland: Dublin Apr-98 Pound 0.7308 134 129 113 112 Israel: Tel Aviv Apr-97 New Shekel 3.4 161 163 120 121 Italy: Milan May-98 Lira 1,769 153 146 131 128           Naples Feb-99 Lira 1662 125 122 111 111           Rome May-98 Lira 1792 153 147 133 128 Jamaica: Kingston Apr-98 Dollar 36.7 120 126 107 113 Japan: Fukuoka Jan-97 Yen 111 177 172 151 149              Osaka-Kobe Aug-98 Yen 137 159 152 140 136              Okinawa Jan-98 Yen 127 159 159 123 123              Sapporo Apr-97 Yen 119 179 176 160 158              Tokyo Apr-99 Yen 118 181 173 144 142              Yokohama Sep-97 Yen 116 175 168 133 132              Yokosuka Jan-99 Yen 113 169 167 134 134              Yokota Feb-98 Yen 128 141 138 119 117 Jerusalem Apr-96 New Shekel 3.09 139 142 119 121 Jordan: Amman May-98 Dinar 0.7101 105 113 92 100 Kazakhstan: Almaty Mar-98 Tenge 76.3 134 141 106 114 Kenya: Nairobi Aug-98 Shilling 59 116 125 103 114 Korea: Seoul Jun-98 Won 1357 119 118 102 103 Kuwait: Kuwait City Apr-98 Dinar 0.2993 103 116 92 106 Kyrgyzstan: Bishkek Nov-96 Som 14.6 113 121 101 108 Laos: Vientiane Jan-99 Kip 42.13 105 114 100 109 Latvia: Riga Feb-99 Lats 0.5682 123 130 112 119 Lebanon: Beirut Oct-92 Pound 2,335 85 94 80 90 Lesotho: Maseru Apr-99 Maton 6.21 78 80 78 80 Liberia: Monrovia Aug-97 Dollar 1.00 132 140 102 108 Lithuania: Vilnius Mar-98 Litas 3.98 105 112 93 99 Luxembourg: Luxembourg Feb-99 Franc 35.4 137 138 126 127 Macedonia, The Former Yugoslav Republic of: Skopje Feb-98 Denar 56.1 97 97 87 88 Madagascar: Antananarivo Jan-97 Franc 4.353 94 101 80 86 Malawi: Lilongwe Feb-98 Kwacha 22.1 89 94 83 86 Malaysia: Kuala Lumpur Apr-98 Ringgit 3.55 98 109 87 98 Mali: Bamako Dec-98 CFA Franc 570 132 143 106 116 Malta Oct-98 Lira 0.368 116 117 109 109 Marshall Islands: Majuro Mar-96 Dollar 1.00 117 120 112 115 Mauritania: Nouakchott Dec-98 Ouguiya 204 123 133 106 112 Mauritius: Port Louis Jan-97 Rupee 19.8 98 105 85 92 Mexico: Mexico, D.F. May-98 Peso 8.6 96 100 92 95                 Monterrey Jan-94 Peso 3.10 106 112 99 105 Micronesia: Pohnpei Sep-98 Dollar 1.00 96 99 91 94 Moldova: Chisinau May-98 Leu 4.69 99 103 93 96 Morocco: Casablanca Sep-94 Dirham 8.92 108 109 94 96                    Rabat Jul-96 Dirham 8.76 108 109 89 89 Mozambique: Maputo Jan-99 Metical 11955 115 120 100 104 Namibia: Windhoek Oct-96 Rand 4.52 94 95 90 90 Nepal: Kathmandu Feb-98 Rupee 62.2 99 107 89 97 Netherlands: The Hague Feb-99 Guilder 1.93 140 139 124 124                         Brunssum Jan-96 Guilder 1.61 137 139 105 105                        Rotterdam Feb-98 Guilder 2.05 120 118 113 112 Netherlands Antilles: Aruba Mar-94 Florin 1.78 109 113 105 108                                     Curacao Jul-97 Florin 1.78 115 117 103 104 New Zealand: Wellington Nov-96 Dollar 1.43 124 125 110 111 Nicaragua: Managua Feb-99 Cordoba 11.38 115 123 97 103 Niger: Niamey Dec-98 CFA Franc 570 116 126 103 111 Nigeria: Abuja Dec-96 Naira 80.1 109 113 97 101                Lagos Oct-98 Naira 94.1 107 115 96 103 Norway: Oslo Jan-99 Kroner 7.56 176 175 147 147 Oman: Muscat Nov-97 Rial 0.3849 108 118 102 111 Pakistan: Islamabad Apr-98 Rupee 44.2 85 98 76 89 Palau, Republic of: Koror Jul-97 Dollar 1.00 101 105 101 104 Panama: Panama City Dec-97 Balboa 1.00 97 102 90 93 Papua New Guinea: Port Moresby May-98 Kina 2.05 105 115 95 104 Paraguay: Asuncion Jan-99 Guarani 2837 118 123 100 105 Peru: Lima Jan-99 New Sol 3.12 120 126 107 111 Philippines: Manila Feb-99 Peso 38.5 90 94 86 93 Poland: Warsaw Jul-98 New Zloty 3.43 108 107 95 94 Portugal: Lisbon Mar-99 Escudo 183 113 113 102 103 Qatar: Doha Dec-98 Riyal 3.64 116 122 110 115 Romania: Bucharest Jun-97 Leu 7000 1065 1095 98 101 Russia: Moscow Jul-97 Ruble 57326 152 153 117 118              St. Petersburg Feb-99 Ruble 23.026 118 120 108 108              Vladivostok Jun-98 Ruble 6.16 115 116 103 103              Yekaterinburg Sep-96 Ruble 5,300 112 118 98 103 Rwanda: Kigali May-97 Franc 306 117 126 94 103 Saudi Arabia: Al Kohbar Aug-98 Riyal 3.75 120 138 108 124                           Jeddah Dec-98 Riyal 3.75 114 131 102 121                           Riyadh Jun-97 Riyal 3.75 125 143 105 125 Senegal: Dakar Feb-99 CFA Franc 576 122 129 109 115 Serbia-Montenegro: Belgrade May-98 New Dinar 10.94 99 96 91 89 Seychelles Oct-95 Rupee 4.91 140 159 107 102 Sierra Leone: Freetown Jan-97 Leone 960 115 124 101 110 Singapore Apr-98 Dollar 1.68 114 122 97 107 Slovakia: Bratislava Sep-98 Korun 35.3 106 102 96 92 Slovenia: Ljubljana Jan-97 Tolar 141 118 118 104 103 South Africa: Cape Town Oct-95 Rand 3.65 93 95 85 86                          Johannesburg Feb-99 Rand 6.21 91 91 86 86                          Pretoria Nov-95 Rand 3.666 97 97 95 94 Spain: Barcelona May-98 Peseta 153 135 129 120 116              Madrid Feb-99 Peseta 142 149 144 125 124 Sri Lanka: Colombo Mar-98 Rupee 61.7 102 106 89 94 Sudan: Khartoum Feb-95 Pound 430 107 118 92 104 Suriname: Paramaribo Feb-99 Guilder 750 106 114 96 102 Swaziland: Mbabane Sep-97 Rand 4.69 79 85 76 83 Sweden: Stockholm Aug-98 Kroner 8.07 168 162 130 128 Switzerland: Geneva Jan-99 Franc 1.34 197 196 174 174 Syria: Damascus Dec-97 Pound 45.0 112 122 98 107 Taiwan: Kaohsiung Mar-93 Dollar 26.0 130 135 118 124                 Taipei Mar-98 Dollar 32.7 140 140 115 116 Tajikistan: Dujshanbe Oct-97 Ruble 850 93 98 86 90 Tanzania: Dar es Salaam Feb-98 Shilling 633 119 130 94 103 Thailand: Bangkok Feb-99 Baht 37 103 110 92 99 Togo: Lome Jan-99 CFA Franc 558 115 125 103 113 Trinidad and Tobago: Port of Spain Aug-93 Dollar 5.58 94 100 85 92 Tunisia: Tunis Feb-98 Dinar 1.16 111 114 101 105 Turkey: Istanbul Feb-99 Lira 331,333 129 126 112 111 Turkmenistan: Ashgabat Mar-97 Manat 5,250 102 109 102 108 Uganda, Kampala Aug-98 Shilling 1240 138 150 104 114 Ukraine: Kiev Feb-99 Hryvnia 3.57 115 122 102 108 United Arab Emirates: Abu Dhabi Mar-97 Dirham 3.65 99 112 94 108                                          Dubai Jun-96 Dirham 3.65 109 118 102 111 United Kingdom: Belfast May-96 Pound 0.6438 141 142 126 125                                Bristol Aug-95 Pound 0.6317 132 132 112 113                                Gatwick Feb-95 Pound 0.6186 144 145 133 134                                London May-98 Pound 0.5814 162 151 137 132                                Loudwater Apr-97 Pound 0.6012 153 155 127 129                                Oxfordshire May-98 Pound 0.5848 139 140 122 122                                Rochester Mar-97 Pound 0.5976 154 155 140 141 Uruguay: Montevideo Nov-98 Peso 10.59 152 163 127 137 Uzbekistan: Tashkent Jan-99 Som 108.9 136 138 113 115 Venezuela: Caracas Mar-99 Bolivar 576 130 140 112 122 Vietnam: Hanoi Oct-97 N Dong 11.640 103 103 96 96 Yemen: Sanaa Mar-96 Riyal 129.0 90 97 80 88 Zambia: Lusaka Dec-98 Kwacha 2200 106 118 100 110 Zimbabwe: Harare Mar-98 Dollar 16.29 73 74 72 74 New surveys since the April 1999 publication are in bold faced type. 1 The exchange rates shown are those used to calculate the indexes. They are usually the rates available to American citizens during the survey month. Current exchange rates may differ from the rates shown. Interim indexes adjusted for new exchange rates are not published. See Technical Notes for an explanation of how the local indexes may be adjusted for changes in exchange rates. 2 The local relative and local index measure living costs for private American citizens. The local relative is a comparison of the prices of goods and services at the foreign post and in Washington, D.C., with the price ratios weighted by the pattern of expenditure in Washington, D.C. Consequently, the local relative is a comparison of price levels at the post and in Washington, D.C., but not necessarily a comparison of the cost of living abroad. The local index is a comparison of prices at the foreign post and in Washington, D.C., with the price ratios weighted by the expenditure pattern of American employees living at the foreign post. It is, thereby, a measure of the cost of living for Americans at the foreign post compared with the cost of living in Washington, D.C. This is the index most appropriate for use by business firms and other private organizations to establish cost of living allowance for their American employees stationed abroad. 3 The U.S. Government relative and index include prices of goods imported to the post and price advantages available only to U.S. Government employees. The U.S. Government relative is a comparison of price levels but not necessarily of living costs abroad because the expenditure weights reflect only the Washington, D.C. expenditure pattern. The U.S. Government index reflects Federal employee foreign expenditure patterns and is used to compute foreign post allowances for Federal employees. 4 Local relative and local index comparisons include prices in hard currency or diplomatic stores. 5 Insufficient local retail price data to develop meaningful local relative and local index living cost comparisons. 6 Most prices were reported in U.S. dollars. 7 There are no U.S. Government employees in Taiwan. The figures listed in this column represent a living cost comparison for American employees of the American Institute in Taiwan, who have some duty-free and other special benefits that may not be available to other Americans in Taiwan.   Introduction | Quarters Allowances | Hardship Differentials | Technical Notes Office of Allowances | State Department