Cost of Living Index
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COST OF LIVING INDEX QUARTERLY UPDATE
Among the 259 urban areas that participated in the second quarter 2018 Cost of Living Index, the after-tax cost for a professional/managerial standard of living ranged from more than twice the national average in New York (Manhattan) NY to almost 25 percent below the national average in Harlingen, TX. The Cost of Living Index is published quarterly by C2ER – The Council for Community and Economic Research. Quarter 2, 2018 marks the 50th Anniversary year of the publication.
| The Ten Most and Least Expensive Urban Areas in the Cost of Living Index (COLI) Second Quarter 2018 National Average for 259 Urban Areas = 100 |
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| Most Expensive | Least Expensive | ||||
| Ranking | Urban Areas | COL Index | Ranking | Urban Areas | COL Index |
| 1 | New York (Manhattan) NY | 238.3 | 1 | Harlingen TX | 75.7 |
| 2 | San Francisco CA | 190.0 | 2 | McAllen TX | 78.0 |
| 3 | Honolulu HI | 185.5 | 3 | Kalamazoo MI | 79.5 |
| 4 | New York (Brooklyn) NY | 177.4 | 4 | Memphis TN | 79.9 |
| 5 | Washington DC | 156.6 | 5 | Richmond IN | 80.2 |
| 6 | Oakland CA | 152.2 | 6 | Knoxville TN | 81.1 |
| 7 | Seattle WA | 152.2 | Conway AR | 81.5 | |
| 8 | New York (Queens) NY | 150.9 | 8 | Wichita Falls TX | 82.3 |
| 9 | Boston MA | 149.8 | 9 | Gulfport-Biloxi MS | 83.1 |
| 10 | Arlington VA | 149.6 | 10 | Sherman-Denison TX | 83.2 |
The Cost of Living Index measures regional differences in the cost of consumer goods and services, excluding taxes and non-consumer expenditures, for professional and managerial households in the top income quintile. It is based on more than 90,000 prices covering almost 60 different items for which prices are collected three times a year by chambers of commerce, economic development organizations or university applied economic centers in each participating urban area. Small differences in the index numbers should not be interpreted as significant.
The composite index is based on six components: housing, utilities, grocery items, transportation, health care, and miscellaneous goods and services.
