Unexpected Expenses

Employment Conditions Abroad, a British trade association, recently compiled a list of comparative costs of daily expenses for travelers in major cities around the world.

For example, a businessman visiting London can expect to pay at least $200 a day for a hotel room, and a meal in a first-class restaurant averages about $48.

The association said Tokyo is the most expensive city in the world. Two days in Japan can cost five times as much as a similar stay in Nigeria or Venezuela. Sydney also has become expensive, moving from 50th most expensive in 1987 to 19th in 1988.

Because of exchange-rate fluctuations and a weak dollar, New York City has dropped--from fourth most expensive to 14th.

This kind of information can be useful in planning trips. Even with such figures to guide you, however, the trip can end up a lot more expensive.

Intangibles Add Up

The reasons are intangibles such as impulsive purchases, business or traveling delays and unexpected high prices. In any case, there’s an additional area to consider to reflect trip costs more accurately.

How much is a bar of soap in Athens? A tube of toothpaste in Nairobi? Deodorant in Chicago? Or a quarter-pound cheeseburger in Stockholm? How much for a shirt laundered in Riyadh? A haircut in Sydney?

These costs, specifically travel related, are generally ignored. They add up, however, and, depending on your destination, may be the biggest bargain in the world (literally) or can ruin your trip altogether.

Recently Runzheimer International, a management-consulting firm in Rochester, Wis., did a survey for major corporate clients of comparative costs for personal hygiene and service items, as well as on fast-food prices around the world.

To compile the survey Neil Krupp, Runzheimer vice president for international services, had the firm’s pricing agents survey comparative items and services around the world.

Costly Cleaning

For example, a man’s dirty shirt in Caracas, Venezuela, costs 39 cents to launder. Need a shirt laundered in Stockholm? The same service costs $3.19.

A tube of toothpaste in Jakarta will cost $3.66. The same toothpaste costs $1.47 in Cairo and $1.70 in London.

While toothpaste may be high in Jakarta, a woman’s haircut and blow-dry in that city is $8.35. In London it averages $28.87.

Then there are deodorants. It’s no sweat in Caracas, where roll-on deodorant costs 69 cents. But if you perspire in Paris, the same deodorant will cost $7.27. In Chicago i will be $2.17.

If you happen to find yourself in Abidjan in Ivory Coast with a lot of laundry, it might be cheaper to stay dirty for an extra day and afterward leave the country. A 42-ounce box of laundry soap costs $6.11. (In London it’s $1.78.) In fact, just about anywhere laundry soap is cheaper than Ivory Coast.

And whatever you do, let your hair grow out in Abidjan. A woman’s haircut costs $52.80, a man’s haircut runs $27.41.

The Lowest Prices

Caracas probably has the lowest prices anywhere. Not only is deodorant cheap but laundry soap is 56 cents, toothpaste 60 cents. A man’s haircut runs $3.10.

Abidjan, Stockholm, Tokyo and Paris are the undisputed high-cost cities.

“What we’ve found,” Krupp said, “is that the prices for these items and services are indicative of other travel costs in the same cities. They give a true picture of the cost of living in these countries.

“In many cases, when it comes to personal hygienic items it’s just good sense to buy American and take it with you.”

Another interesting cost discovery was in fast food. Runzheimer surveyed worldwide prices at McDonald’s restaurants at 17 international sites as well as some U.S. cities.

In Stockholm the cost of a quarter-pound cheeseburger, a large order of French fries and a medium soft drink costs $6.01. The same meal in Hong Kong costs $1.81, in Cairo it’s $1.96 and in Manila $1.98.

Prices at Home

What about the United States?

The most expensive place for that McDonald’s cheeseburger, French fries and soft drink is New York City at $3.90. Second place goes to Tampa, Fla., $3.38, followed by San Francisco, $3.26. However, the same meal costs $2.92 in Cincinnati.