Premiere Plus Realty Co.
Jennifer Johansen, Premiere Plus Realty Co.Phone: (239) 450-0822
Email: [email protected]

What Exactly is the Cost of Living Index?

by Jennifer Johansen 10/06/2019

You hear about this magic "cost-of-living index" number, but where does it come from and how can you use it to improve your real estate experience? The cost of living index is a numerical measurement of the relative cost to live in a specific geographic region. There are a lot of economic formulas out there, but it basically adds up and compares the cost of goods and services that are part of ordinary living expenses. These include clothing, utilities, health care, transportation, groceries, restaurants, building materials and more. The index is relative and not an exact measurement, so you always want to compare with the actual cost of living you're familiar with to get an idea of the comparative costs where you want to move.

What’s the Math?

To begin, researchers collect a representative sample of goods and services and then compare prices. To determine what goods and services to include in the formula, they use a "typical family budget." When comparing the cost of living, remember that your budget may not be "typical." While they may sound similar, the cost of living index and the consumer price index aren't the same thing.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics sets the consumer price index—and the US government uses it to measure inflation in day-to-day-purchases, changes in interest rates and taxes. To make the CPI and Cost of living index more easily relatable, the CPI now measures housing costs using "owners' equivalent rent" instead of mortgage payments which allows them to remove the investment part of homeownership from the cost of living index and make it more equivalent for renters and owners.

Different companies use different market values and various products and services to make their calculations. One example, the Council for Economic Research, actually divides goods and services into six different categories, then chooses 60 items to represent the whole, gets the prices all at once and uses that to compare costs between locations. 

Other sources take a variety of goods and service cost comparisons and combine them for a broader cost comparison between locations.

The US Department of State provides links to a lot of this information along with some great tools like the "Cost of Living and Salary Comparison Wizard." It combines information on goods, services, real estate, and average salaries to create a short 3-step process: enter your current base salary, the nearest metropolitan area to where you live and work, and the most adjacent metro area to where you want to move. The wizard will spit out not only cost of living comparisons, but what you can or should expect your salary difference to be, and whether that salary will actually be workable in the new area.

How do I Use it?

For example, if you have an annual salary of $50,000 in Dallas, Texas and you move to San Diego, California in a similar position, you can expect a 5.8% salary increase, which brings you to about $53,000. That $3,000 seems like a lot, but now you must look at the cost of living difference between the two areas. According to all these calculators, the average cost of living increase between Dallas and San Diego is roughly 36%. That calculates out to $15,000 less in disposable income. So now you can compare, do you really HAVE $15,000 you can give up in order to move to San Diego? If not, it might just be time to start looking elsewhere or trying to find a San Diego job with a salary of at least $68,000 to maintain the same lifestyle.

What If I Have no Choice?

Sometimes you don't have a choice about moving. Maybe you're being transferred by your company, or you need to be near a school, university or family. If you are stuck moving anyway, use the cost-of-living numbers to help you plan for your new budget and negotiate for a better salary.

Your real estate professional is familiar with the cost of living index for the area, and they will be able to help you find the right place for your budget.

About the Author
Author

Jennifer Johansen

Jennifer is passionate about the Real Estate business, and has been involved in related family businesses in construction, architectural millwork, and finance for 20 years. She and her husband relocated to Naples, from New York, 10 years ago, although her family has owned property on Marco Island since the 1980's. She has a Bachelor's Degree in Psychology and a Dual Master's Degree in Counseling and Education. She has acquired many necessary skills that are useful in Real Estate from being in the field of Counseling for many years. She holds the belief that building rapport is vital to helping her clients have a positive experience, while achieving their goals. She is very thorough and detail oriented, and has formed many close relationships with professionals in related fields, such as law, title insurance, home inspectors and other contractors. She aims to offer concierge- level service to her clients at every price point. When time permits, she enjoys spending time with family and friends. Having grown up on the South Shore of Long Island, and enjoying her summers on Fire Island, she loves any activity related to salt water, boating and the beach. Additional hobbies include gardening, art, and studying nutrition, wellness and naturopathy. She is knowledgeable about Naples and Marco Island Real Estate, in estate areas, golf/gated communities, and waterfront properties. She is a member of The Naples Board of Realtors and Marco Island Area Association of Realtors.