Cost of Living Index
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COST OF LIVING INDEX QUARTERLY UPDATE
Among the 268 urban areas that participated in the third 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 3, 2018 marks the 50th Anniversary year of the publication.
| The Ten Most and Least Expensive Urban Areas in the Cost of Living Index (COLI) Third Quarter 2018 National Average for 268 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 | 240.6 | 1 | Harlingen TX | 76.5 |
| 2 | San Francisco CA | 191.4 | 2 | McAllen TX | 76.9 |
| 3 | Honolulu HI | 188.9 | 3 | Richmond IN | 79.0 |
| 4 | New York (Brooklyn) NY | 177.3 | 4 | Kalamazoo MI | 79.4 |
| 5 | Washington DC | 161.0 | 5 | Muskogee OK | 79.7 |
| 6 | Seattle WA | 153.6 | 6 | Memphis TN | 81.3 |
| 7 | Oakland CA | 153.5 | 7 | Pryor Creek OK | 81.6 |
| 8 | Arlington VA | 152.3 | 8 | Joplin MO | 82.1 |
| 9 | New York (Queens) NY | 150.7 | 9 | Martinsville-Henry Co VA | 82.4 |
| 10 | Boston MA | 150.4 | 10 | Conway AR | 82.6 |
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.
