Cost of Living Index
A composite index where 100 equals the national average, measuring relative expenses across housing, groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare.
The Cost of Living Index compares overall expenses in a city to the national average (100). A value of 110 means the city is 10% more expensive than average; 90 means 10% less expensive.
WhereAtHome uses cost-of-living data as an adjustment factor in the Purchasing Power scoring component. When available, it adjusts the income-based score to account for local purchasing power. When unavailable for a city, the adjustment is omitted (disclosed in the methodology).
See Also
Used in These Articles
- How WhereAtHome Compares Cities: Our Data, Scores, and Limitations
- Hidden Costs of Moving to a New City: What the Estimate Doesn't Include
- Cost of Living by City: What $80,000 Is Really Worth Where You Live
- City Rankings Explained: Why San Francisco Scores Lower Than Liberal, Kansas
- Moving to a New City Checklist: A Week-by-Week Plan From Research to Move-In