Astana was ranked among 45 world cities based on the cost of public transport by the international e-commerce platform Picodi, QazMonitor reports.
Experts at Picodi studied the cost of public transport in 45 major cities around the world and compared these costs with local wages. The study considered the prices for a single fare and a monthly pass.
According to the results, public transport is free in three of the 45 cities: Luxembourg, Tallinn (Estonia), and Valletta (Malta).
Cities with the highest prices for single fares were London ($5.19), Zurich ($4.75), and Oslo ($3.91). The most expensive monthly tickets were recorded in London ($271), Melbourne ($190), and Dublin ($166).
By comparison, a monthly pass in Astana costs $17 or ₸7,500.
Buying a monthly pass for all forms of public transport is the most expensive for the residents of Sao Paulo. The pass takes up 14.3% of the average salary. Istanbul (7.5% of salary) and London (7.4%) are the second and third most expensive when it comes to the price-to-earnings ratio.
Astana occupies the 21st place in this ranking. An unlimited travel pass costs ₸7,500 a month and equals 2.7% of the salary (after taxes). In Moscow, the ratio is 2.9%; in New York – 2.1%; and in Berlin – 1%.
Methodology
The ranking is based on a comparison of the prices of single-trip tickets and monthly passes according to the current fares of the companies responsible for public transportation as of March 2023. Data on average wages in the cities listed in the rankings were taken from Numbeo. Currency conversions used the average exchange rate according to Google Finance for February 2023.
The monthly passes included in the ranking provide unlimited rides on all forms of public transportation within a given city. The cost reflects the most favorable price for passengers (e.g., a ticket purchased through a mobile app excluding the cost of the transport card).
Picodi excluded cities in which several companies are responsible for the same mode of transport with vastly different prices (e.g., Bangkok, Jakarta, Beijing, Tokyo). The international ranking also excluded cities where it is not possible to buy a monthly ticket.
