Need help in deciding whether that new job offer in another city is actually better than what you have now? Managing employee salaries for multiple cities? Need reliable cost of living comparisons?

The Cost of Living Index is the most reliable source of city-to-city comparisons of key consumer costs available anywhere. COLI data is recognized by the U.S. Census Bureau, US Bureau of Labor Statistics, CNN Money, and the President's Council of Economic Advisors. Our data and methodology are described in detail and completely transparent to users. Both data and methodology are reviewed by an Advisory Board composed of academic researchers and government officials. The Cost of Living Index is referenced in the US Census Bureau's Statistical Abstract of the US.

Feel better about your decision to move. Negotiate a fair salary with your employer or employee. Be an informed researcher about local pricing. Tap the Cost of Living Index today as the “gold standard” source for comparing prices and the overall cost of living in more than 300 cities.

Click to Compare the Cost of Living Index in Your Cities of Choice

Make accurate and reliable cost of living comparisons between your area and any other participating cities across the United States.

Each detailed comparison can be made for just $7.95, but if you make multiple comparisons "From" the same place, all comparisons after the first are only $4.95 !

You can recall your comparison data for 30 days after your date of purchase by entering your Order id #.

Compare Your Cities of Choice | Recall Your Comparison | Sample Comparison Report

County Cost of Living Index

Since 1968, the Council for Community and Economic Research (C2ER) has collected and published cost of living index data at the local level. However, the voluntary nature of the index means that not every area is covered. Increasingly, customers are seeking to better assess the pricing differences for their local area. In response to this demand for more localized data, C2ER has developed a county-level cost of living index for the United States based on an econometric model that identifies key determinants of an area’s cost of living.

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State Cost of Living Index

Based on the estimated County Cost of Living Index, the Council for Community and Economic Research (C2ER) has created a statewide index using the population weighted index numbers for each county within a state.

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Purchase COLI

The Index report is available quarterly in either hard copy or electronic form. A hard copy of the index is a magazine-style publication that is mailed to the shipping address provided. PDF or Excel formats are available for immediate download after the credit card transaction is approved.

Single printed copy of reports may be purchased for $82.5 each or $165 for four (4) consecutive quarters. The price for a single PDF report is $75 and four consecutive quarter is $150. The price for a single Excel report is $95 and four consecutive quarters is $250. Subscriptions begin with the current issue unless a subscriber specifies otherwise.

Back issues are available since 1980. Issues from 1980-1989 are available in PDF format only and issues from 1990 to current are available in Excel format.

Purchase Current Index - 2015 Annual Report | Purchase Back Issues | Sample Data

Cost of Living Adjusted Median Household Income

The Council for Community and Economic Research (C2ER) has created the County Cost of Living adjustment to standardize the Census MHI data to factor in cost of living differentials.

The United States Census Bureau publishes vast amounts of county level economic data used in making policy decisions. Of particular importance is the Census Median Household Income (MHI) data, providing information on incomes in every county in the USA. However, using it for comparing living costs in regions that have higher or lower than average cost of living means that these data need to be used in conjunction with a cost of living adjustor.

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Licensing Cost of Living Data for Your Own Website

We are pleased to announce that you can now license the Cost of Living calculator for use on your website.

C2ER announces the availability of an exciting new web-based cost of living calculator that can be easily adapted for your own website! The Cost of Living Index (COLI) Web Calculator allows your web visitors to make their very own cost of living comparisons between U.S. cities. An annual license would allow your site's visitors to compare the prices in your city to those in many others. They can also enter their after-tax income and “calculate” how much they would need to make in a new city to maintain their current standard of living.

Please call Erol Yildirim 703-522-4980 ext. 1014 for pricing options and demo of the calculator.