Indian cities among world’s cheapest

Life is cheap in India, but so is living, according to a new survey by the Economist Intelligence Unit.

Mumbai ranked second only to Karachi among the world's cheapest cities, according to the report, while New Delhi came in fourth.

The survey compared over 400 individual prices across 160 products and services. They include food, drink, clothing, household supplies and personal care items, home rents, transport, utility bills, private schools, domestic help and recreational costs, according to the Times of India.

The article was not clear about whether it included the cost of beer and cocktails, which range about $10 a pop in city #4, but I'm going to guess no.  It seems like the cost of living survey is no better than the expatriate living survey when it comes to gauging the cost for yours truly.

Apparently, it's good for doing business, too. 

"With cheap labour and land costs making India and Pakistan incredibly attractive to those bargain hungry visitors or investors willing to brave some of the security risks that accompany such low prices, especially in Pakistan," the paper quoted the EIU as saying.

I believe that's called damning with faint praise.