Nairobi among cheapest cities to shop

Fashion Kenya

Out of 73 major cities worldwide, Tokyo has the most expensive clothing prices, with Manila and Kuala Lumpur the cheapest places to get dressed, according to the “2009 Prices and Earnings” report published by banking giant UBS on August 19.

New York City was used as the standardized mean in the survey, with each city indexed against the “Big Apple” for comparison.

Clothes in Tokyo were a whopping 35 percent more costly than even the next expensive city, Vienna. In Tokyo the price of a women’s outfit, consisting of a two-piece suit, jacket, skirt, pantyhose and pair of fashionable shoes, cost $1,310, with a complete men’s outfit, comprising a suit, blazer/jacket, shirt, jeans, socks and a pair of shoes, running $1,440.

The average worldwide cost of the standardized outfits was $500 for women and $680 for men, while the same list of items cost $760 and $1,010, respectively in New York City.

Even though Tokyo is close geographically to Kuala Lumpur and Manila, the two are worlds apart when it comes to clothing costs, as a women’s ensemble costs a mere $120 in both the latter cities.

USB is a Swiss-based banking firm that releases its “Prices and Earnings” report every three years.

Most Expensive Rank City Women’s Clothes ($) Men’s Clothes ($) Index: NYC=100
1 Tokyo 1,310 1,440 155.6
2 Vienna 930 1,110 115.6
3 Zurich 980 1,020 113.3
4 – tie Athens 860 1,110 111.9
4 – tie

Geneva

930 1,050 111.9
6 Paris 780 1,070 105.2
7 Copenhagen 890 950

104.4

8 Helsinki 890 940 103.7
9 Oslo 670 1,140 102.2
10 – tie Amsterdam 780 980 100.0
10 – tie New York City 760 1,010 100.0
Notable Cities
Beijing 650 1,090 98.5
Chicago 670 950 91.9
Dubai 510 720 69.6
Sydney 500 640 64.4
Berlin 470 640 63.0
Montreal 440 630 60.7
Taipei 460 560 57.8
London 420 580 56.3
Ljubljana 370 590 54.1
Santiago 300 440 42.2
Cheapest Cities
69 Nairobi 210 300 28.9
70 Mumbai 170 260 24.4
71 Johannesburg 160 260 23.7
72 Kuala Lumpur 120 210 18.5
73 Manila 120 200 17.8

 

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