Annaba vs Mascara Cost of Living Comparison

Executive summary: Annaba leads on CPI (12.4 vs 12.5, NYC=100), Annaba leads on rent index, and Mascara leads on purchasing power. Validate neighbourhood rents before relocating — city-wide winners can reverse at district scale.

Overall Cost Winner

Annaba

Lower overall CPI; largest measurable gaps: Housing (3% gap, Annaba ahead); Utilities (3% gap, Annaba ahead).

Monthly Cost Difference

Estimated monthly housing+utilities+internet basket is about $4 lower in Annaba than in Mascara (~3% gap; converted via exchange rates).

Estimated monthly difference: $4 (favoring Annaba).

Category Winners

CategoryWinnerNote
Overall CPIAnnabaCPI 12.4 vs 12.5 (lower is better)
HousingAnnabaRent index 3.4 vs 3.5 (lower is better)
FoodAnnabaGroceries index 19.8 vs 20.1 (lower is better)
TransportAnnabaOne-way ticket 22.71 vs 23.1 (lower is better)
UtilitiesAnnabaUtilities (85m²) 918 vs 945 (lower is better)
InternetAnnabaInternet 1436.4 vs 1455.3 (lower is better)
RestaurantsAnnabaRestaurant index 10.8 vs 10.8 (lower is better)
SalaryMascaraAvg net salary 99603 vs 96255 (higher is better)
Purchasing PowerMascaraPP index 11.9 vs 11.5 (higher is better)

Biggest Difference

Housing: Annaba leads with a 3% gap.

Rent index 3.4 vs 3.5 (lower is better)

Quick Decision

  • Students: Annaba — Lower housing / rent index (3% gap).
  • Families: Annaba — Housing is typically the largest household line; rent index favors Annaba; purchasing power favors Mascara.
  • Remote Workers: Annaba — Everyday cost index (CPI) favors Annaba (~1% gap).
  • Budget Living: Annaba — Lowest overall consumer-price index in this pair.

Key Takeaways

  • Annaba is the overall cost winner on CPI (~1% lower everyday-cost index than Mascara).
  • Housing: Annaba leads on rent index (3% gap).
  • Food / groceries: Annaba is lower (2% gap).
  • Purchasing power: Mascara scores higher (3% gap).
  • Sample monthly basket (1BR + utilities + internet) is ~$4 cheaper in Annaba.

Analysis

Detailed breakdown uses only paired indices: CPI 12.4/12.5, rent 3.4/3.5, purchasing power 11.5/11.9. Category winners can diverge — a city may win rent while losing CPI. No GDP, climate, or industry claims are invented for either city.

City pages

  • Annaba, Annaba
  • Mascara, Mascara

Country pages

  • Algeria

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Trust & data transparency

Last updated: 2026-08-25

Data Sources

This page uses CityCost index inputs. Platform sources (see also Data sources):

  • Regional
  • Regional

On-page labels for this view: Regional · Regional.

Methodology

Each indexed city is associated with a reference basket of common living costs (for example rent, groceries samples, transport tickets, utilities, restaurant meals, and net salary where available). From those items, the platform derives relative indices such as CPI, rent, groceries, restaurants, and local purchasing power, using New York City = 100 as the familiar baseline convention for relative comparison.

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