As of September 2024, Mumbai had the highest cost of living among other cities in the country, with an index value of 26.5. Gurgaon, a satellite city of Delhi and part of the National Capital Region (NCR) followed it with an index value of 25.1.  What is cost of living? The cost of living varies depending on geographical regions and factors that affect the cost of living in an area include housing, food, utilities, clothing, childcare, and fuel among others. The cost of living is calculated based on different measures such as the consumer price index (CPI), living cost indexes, and wage price index. CPI refers to the change in the value of consumer goods and services. The wage price index, on the other hand, measures the change in labor services prices due to market pressures. Lastly, the living cost indexes calculate the impact of changing costs on different households. The relationship between wages and costs determines affordability and shifts in the cost of living. Mumbai tops the list Mumbai usually tops the list of most expensive cities in India. As the financial and entertainment hub of the country, Mumbai offers wide opportunities and attracts talent from all over the country. It is the second-largest city in India and has one of the most expensive real estates in the world.

In 2023, the U.S. Consumer Price Index was 309.42, and is projected to increase to 352.27 by 2029. The base period was 1982-84. The monthly CPI for all urban consumers in the U.S. can be accessed here. After a time of high inflation, the U.S. inflation rateis projected fall to two percent by 2027. United States Consumer Price Index ForecastIt is projected that the CPI will continue to rise year over year, reaching 325.6 in 2027. The Consumer Price Index of all urban consumers in previous years was lower, and has risen every year since 1992, except in 2009, when the CPI went from 215.30 in 2008 to 214.54 in 2009. The monthly unadjusted Consumer Price Index was 296.17 for the month of August in 2022. The U.S. CPI measures changes in the price of consumer goods and services purchased by households and is thought to reflect inflation in the U.S. as well as the health of the economy. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics calculates the CPI and defines it as, "a measure of the average change over time in the prices paid by urban consumers for a market basket of consumer goods and services." The BLS records the price of thousands of goods and services month by month. They consider goods and services within eight main categories: food and beverage, housing, apparel, transportation, medical care, recreation, education, and other goods and services. They aggregate the data collected in order to compare how much it would cost a consumer to buy the same market basket of goods and services within one month or one year compared with the previous month or year. Given that the CPI is used to calculate U.S. inflation, the CPI influences the annual adjustments of many financial institutions in the United States, both private and public. Wages, social security payments, and pensions are all affected by the CPI.

In 2025, Luxembourg reached the highest score in the quality of life index in Europe, with 220 points. In second place, The Netherlands registered 211 points. On the opposite side of the spectrum, Albania and Ukraine registered the lowest quality of life across Europe with 104 and 115 points respectively. The Quality of Life Index (where a higher score indicates a higher quality of life) is an estimation of overall quality of life, calculated using an empirical formula. This formula considers various factors, including the purchasing power index, pollution index, house price-to-income ratio, cost of living index, safety index, health care index, traffic commute time index, and climate index.

In 2024, the consumer price index (CPI) was 315.61. Data represents U.S. city averages. The monthly inflation rate for the United States can be found here. United States urban Consumer Price Index (CPI) The U.S. Consumer Price Index is a measure of change in the price of consumer goods and services purchased by households. The CPI is defined by the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics as "a measure of the average change over time in the prices paid by urban consumers for a market basket of consumer goods and services." To calculate the CPI, the Bureau of Labor Statistics considers the price of goods and services from various categories: housing, transportation, apparel, food & beverage, medical care, recreation, education and other/uncategorized. The CPI is a useful measure, as it indicates how the cost of urban living in the United States has changed over time, compared to a base period. CPI is also used to calculate inflation, or change in the purchasing power of money. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the U.S. urban CPI has been rising steadily since 1992. As of 2023, the CPI was 304.7, up from 233 ten years earlier and up from 184 twenty years earlier. This indicates the extent to which, compared to a base period 1982-1984 = 100, the price of various goods and services has risen.

The analysis of real wages has a long tradition in Germany. The focus of the acquisition is on company wages, on wages of certain branches or for categories of workers as well as on the investigation of long term aggregated nominal and real wages. The study of Ashok V. Desai on the development of real wages in the German Reich between 1871 and 1913 is an important contribution to historical research on wages. The study is innovative and methodically on an exemplary level. But mainly responsible for the upswing in the historical research on wages in the 50s and 60s is an extraordinary publication by Jürgen Kuczynski. “The new historical research on wages in Germany is insolubly connected with Jürgen Kuczynski. In his broad researches the history of wages is only one section among many other themes but it is a very important one can be seen as the core piece of his work.” (Kaufhold, K.H., 1987: Forschungen zur deutschen Preis- und Lohngeschichte (seit 1930). In: Historia Socialis et Oeconomica. Festschrift für Wolfgang Zorn zum 65. Geburtstag. Stuttgart: Franz Steiner Verlag, S, 83). In his first study on long series on nominal and real wages in Germany he used a broad empirical basis and encouraged more research in this area. His weaknesses are methodological inconsistencies and a restricted representativeness. For example he includes tariff wages but also actually paid wages. Some important industries like food or textile industry are not taken into account. Wages in agriculture were often estimated but without enough material necessary for a good estimation. Wages for work at home are not regraded in the calculation of the index. The weight of cities in the calculation of the index is relatively too high compared to rural regions and therefor it leaks regional representativeness. In his study Desai uses the reports of trade associations for the Reich´s insurance office on the persons who are insured in the accident insurance and their wages as a basis for the calculation of annual nominal average wages. Desais focusses on industrial wages because only for them long term series are available. As the insurance premiums are calculated according to the income level the documents of the trade associations can be used for the calculation of an index for wages development. Desais study is also very useful regarding the calculation of a new index for costs of living based the model of a typical worker family. „F. Grumbach and H. König have used the same sources to derive indices of industrial earnings. The main differences between their series and ours are: (a) we have adopted the industrial classification followed by the Reichsversicherungsamt, while Grumbach and König have made larger industrial groups, (b) we have calculated average annual earnings, while they claim to have calculated average daily earnings (i.e. to have adjusted the annual figures for the average number of days worked per year per worker), and (c) they have failed to correct distortions in the original data” (Desai, A.V., 1968: Real Wages in Germany 1871–1913. Oxford. Clarendon Press, S. 4).

Register of tables in HISTAT: A. Overviews A.1 Overview: Different estimations of the real and nominal gross wages in the German Reich, index 1913 = 100 (1871-1913) A.2 Overview: Development of costs of living, index 1913 = 100 (1871-1913) A.3 Overview: Development of nominal and real wages, index 1913=100 (1844-1937)

D. Study by Ashok V. Desai D.01 Different estimations of real wages in the German Reich, index 1895 = 100 (1871-1913) D.02 Annual average wage (1871-1886) D.03 Annual gross wages in chosen production segments (1887-1913) D.04 Annual average wage in industry, transportation and trade (1871-1913) D.05 Construction of an index for costs of living, 1895 = 100 (1871-1913) D.06 Real wages, in constant prices from 1895 (1871-1913) D.07 Wheat prices and prices for wheat bread (1872-1913) D.08 Rye prices and prices for rye bread (1872-1913) D.09 Average export prices by product groups, index 1895 = 100 (1872-1913) D.10 Average import prices by product groups, index 1895 = 100 (1872-1913) D.11 Average export prices, import prices and terms of trade, index 1895 = 100 (1872-1913)

O. Study by Thomas J. Orsagh O. Adjusted indices for costs of living and real wages after Orsgah, index 1913 = 100 (1871-1913)

Abstract

The goal of the Household Budget Survey (HBS) is to gather data about the revenues, expenditures and consumption of the households. Except that, the Survey gathers data about certain important data of the living standards (housing conditions, heating of the apartment-house, supply with permanent consumption goods), as well as basic data about the demographic, economic and sociological characteristics of the households.

The gathered data, using the relevant methods, give the opportunity to realize the level and structure of the personal consumption in the households in general and especially by certain socio-economic categories. The distribution of the households in socio-economic categories enables to realize the existing differences in the level and structure of the personal consumption of the households as a significant material component of the living standards of the population.

Additionally, the data of the survey shall be used for drawing up the weights for calculation of the cost of living index, calculation of the personal consumption balance etc. The data of the survey shall also enable to calculate the poverty lines by household types which are bases for the cash benefits and social assistance.

Geographic coverage

The Household Budget Survey is implemented on the entire territory of the Republic of Macedonia.

Analysis unit

Households and Individuals

Universe

All household members

Kind of data

Sample survey data [ssd]

Sampling procedure

The selection framework has been divided in 16 stratums. The stratification is territorial according to the eight NUTSZ regions and according to types (urban and other). The census circles and households were randomly selected within these stratums. Using this methodology, 5040 households have been randomly selected and they are distributed throughout the entire territory of the Republic of Macedonia.

Mode of data collection

Face-to-face [f2f]

This table contains data on the living wage and the percent of families with incomes below the living wage for California, its counties, regions and cities/towns. Living wage is the wage needed to cover basic family expenses (basic needs budget) plus all relevant taxes; it does not include publicly provided income or housing assistance. The percent of families below the living wage was calculated using data from the Living Wage Calculator and the U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey. The table is part of a series of indicators in the Healthy Communities Data and Indicators Project of the Office of Health Equity. The living wage is the wage or annual income that covers the cost of the bare necessities of life for a worker and his/her family. These necessities include housing, transportation, food, childcare, health care, and payment of taxes. Low income populations and non-white race/ethnic have disproportionately lower wages, poorer housing, and higher levels of food insecurity. More information about the data table and a data dictionary can be found in the About/Attachments section.

The Regional Price Index contrasts the cost of a common basket of goods and services at a number of regional locations to the Perth metropolitan area. The RPIs were commissioned to assist with the calculation of the Western Australian State Government’s regional district allowance, and it has been used to assist in policy decision-making. Show full description

Key information about Sri Lanka Consumer Price Index CPI growth

• Sri Lanka Consumer Price Index (CPI) growth was measured at -4.0 % YoY in Jan 2025, compared with a rate of -2.0 % in the previous month.
• Sri Lanka Consumer Price Index growth data is updated monthly, available from Jan 1960 to Jan 2025, with an averaged number of 7.1 % YoY.
• The data reached an all-time high of 73.7 % YoY in Sep 2022 and a record low of -4.2 % YoY in Jul 1960.

CEIC calculates Consumer Price Index Growth from monthly Consumer Price Index. The Department of Census and Statistics provides Consumer Price Index with base 2021=100. Consumer Price Index Growth prior to January 2023 is calculated from Consumer Price Index with base 2013=100. Consumer Price Index Growth prior to January 2015 is sourced from the International Monetary Fund.

At 8.07 U.S. dollars, Switzerland has the most expensive Big Macs in the world, according to the July 2024 Big Mac index. Concurrently, the cost of a Big Mac was 5.69 dollars in the U.S., and 6.06 U.S. dollars in the Euro area. What is the Big Mac index? The Big Mac index, published by The Economist, is a novel way of measuring whether the market exchange rates for different countries’ currencies are overvalued or undervalued. It does this by measuring each currency against a common standard – the Big Mac hamburger sold by McDonald’s restaurants all over the world. Twice a year the Economist converts the average national price of a Big Mac into U.S. dollars using the exchange rate at that point in time. As a Big Mac is a completely standardized product across the world, the argument goes that it should have the same relative cost in every country. Differences in the cost of a Big Mac expressed as U.S. dollars therefore reflect differences in the purchasing power of each currency. Is the Big Mac index a good measure of purchasing power parity? Purchasing power parity (PPP) is the idea that items should cost the same in different countries, based on the exchange rate at that time. This relationship does not hold in practice. Factors like tax rates, wage regulations, whether components need to be imported, and the level of market competition all contribute to price variations between countries. The Big Mac index does measure this basic point – that one U.S. dollar can buy more in some countries than others. There are more accurate ways to measure differences in PPP though, which convert a larger range of products into their dollar price. Adjusting for PPP can have a massive effect on how we understand a country’s economy. The country with the largest GDP adjusted for PPP is China, but when looking at the unadjusted GDP of different countries, the U.S. has the largest economy.

Abstract

The goal of the Household Budget Survey (HBS) is to gather data about the revenues, expenditures and consumption of the households. Except that, the Survey gathers data about certain important data of the living standards (housing conditions, heating of the apartment-house, supply with permanent consumption goods), as well as basic data about the demographic, economic and sociological characteristics of the households.

The gathered data, using the relevant methods, give the opportunity to realize the level and structure of the personal consumption in the households in general and especially by certain socio-economic categories. The distribution of the households in socio-economic categories enables to realize the existing differences in the level and structure of the personal consumption of the households as a significant material component of the living standards of the population.

Additionally, the data of the survey shall be used for drawing up the weights for calculation of the cost of living index, calculation of the personal consumption balance etc. The data of the survey shall also enable to calculate the poverty lines by household types which are bases for the cash benefits and social assistance.

Geographic coverage

The household consumption survey is conducted on the entire territory of the Republic of Macedonia FYR.

Analysis unit

Households and Individuals

Universe

All household members.

Kind of data

Sample survey data [ssd]

Sampling procedure

The survey is conducted on sample of 5040 households on the whole territory of the country, which is about 1% of the total number of households in the country. The frame of the selection are all enumeration districts that contain above 20 households, from Census 2002. The sample is two-stage stratified. Primary sampling units are the enumeration districts and secondary sampling units are the adresses of households.

For the needs of the sample stratification on two levels with the total 16 strata was made: - Eight geographical regions, NUTS 3; - Two contingents- urban and rural areas.

In the sample were 210 enumeration districts. The allocation of the sample in the stratas for the first stage is proportionally to the number of households in the region, and in the second stage for each selected enumeration district each quarter 6 households were selected randomly with equal probability. Each quarter were interviewed 1260 households, or 5040 different households on annual level.

Mode of data collection

Face-to-face [f2f]

Research instrument

The survey is conducted through 4 basic forms: 1. Form APD-1 (15-day Diary) 2. Form APD-2 (Questionnaire-replacement for a Diary) 3. Form APD-3 (Household Questionnaire) 4. Form APD-4 (Non-response Questionnaire)

Key information about Nepal Consumer Price Index CPI growth

• Nepal Consumer Price Index (CPI) growth was measured at 4.2 % YoY in Feb 2025, compared with a rate of 5.4 % in the previous month.
• Nepal Consumer Price Index growth data is updated monthly, available from Jul 1964 to Feb 2025, with an averaged number of 7.9 % YoY.
• The data reached an all-time high of 30.4 % YoY in May 1966 and a record low of -11.5 % YoY in May 1967.

CEIC extends history for Consumer Price Index Growth. Nepal Rastra Bank provides Consumer Price Growth with base 2023-2024=100. Consumer Price Index Growth prior to August 2021 is calculated from Consumer Price Index with base 2014-2015=100. Consumer Price Index Growth prior to August 2013 is calculated from Consumer Price Index with base 2005-2006=100 and prior to August 1974 is from Consumer Price Index sourced from the International Monetary Fund. The Nepalese calendar begins approximately on 16th of the previous month and ends on 15th of the reference month.

Measures of monthly UK inflation data including CPIH, CPI and RPI. These tables complement the consumer price inflation time series dataset.

In February 2025, the Consumer Price Index including owner occupiers' housing costs (CPIH) inflation rate of the United Kingdom was 3.7 percent, unchanged from the previous month. The inflation rate fell noticeably after the COVID-19 pandemic, but rose sharply between Spring 2021 and Autumn 2022. After peaking at 9.6 percent in October 2022, CPIH inflation declined throughout 2023 and into 2024, falling to 2.6 percent by September of that year, before increasing again in recent months. Cost of living problems persist into 2025 Although it is likely that the worst of the recent inflation surge may have passed, the issues caused by it look set to linger into 2025 and beyond. While the share of households experiencing living cost rises has fallen from 91 percent in August 2022, to 45 percent in July 2024, this share rose towards the end of the year, with more than half of households reporting rising costs in December. Even with lower inflation, overall consumer prices have already increased by around 20 percent in the last three years, rising to almost 30 percent for food prices, which lower income households typically spend more of their income on. The significant increase in people relying on food banks across the UK, is evidence of the magnitude of this problem, with approximately 3.12 million people using food banks in 2023/24. Other measure of inflation While the CPIH inflation rate displayed here is the preferred index of the UK's Office of National Statistics, the Consumer Price Index (CPI) is often more prominently featured in the media in general. An older index, the Retail Price Index (RPI) is also still used by the government to calculate certain taxes, and rail fare rises. Other metrics include the core inflation rate, which measures prices increases without the volatility of food and energy costs, while price increases in goods and services can also be tracked separately. The inflation rate of individual sectors can also be measured, and as of December 2024, prices were rising fastest in the communications sector, at 6.1 percent, with costs falling in the transport and furniture sectors.

According to latest figures published by the National Bureau of Statistics of China, the average annual inflation rate in China ranged at around 0.2 percent in 2024 compared to the previous year. This was lower than formerly expected by the IMF. For 2025, projections by the IMF published in October 2024 expected the inflation rate to reach around 1.7 percent. The monthly inflation rate in China dropped to negative values in the second half of 2023 and remained comparatively low in 2024. Calculation of inflation The inflation rate is calculated based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for China. The CPI is computed using a product basket that contains a predefined range of products and services on which the average consumer spends money throughout the year. Included are expenses for groceries, clothes, rent, power, telecommunications, recreational activities, and raw materials (e.g. gas, oil), as well as federal fees and taxes. The product basked is adjusted every five years to reflect changes in consumer preference and has been updated in 2020 for the last time. The inflation rate is then calculated using changes in the CPI. As the inflation of a country is seen as a key economic indicator, it is frequently used for international comparison. China's inflation in comparison Among the main industrialized and emerging economies worldwide, China displayed comparatively low inflation in 2023 and 2024. In previous years, China's inflation ranged marginally above the inflation rates of established industrialized powerhouses such as the United States or the European Union. However, this changed in 2021, as inflation rates in developed countries rose quickly, while prices in China only increased moderately. According to IMF estimates for 2024, Zimbabwe was expected to be the country with the highest inflation rate, with a consumer price increase of about 561 percent compared to 2023. In 2023, Turkmenistan had the lowest price increase worldwide with prices actually decreasing by about 1.7 percent.

The statistic shows the inflation rate in India from 1987 to 2023, with projections up until 2029. The inflation rate is calculated using the price increase of a defined product basket. This product basket contains products and services, on which the average consumer spends money throughout the year. They include expenses for groceries, clothes, rent, power, telecommunications, recreational activities and raw materials (e.g. gas, oil), as well as federal fees and taxes. In 2023, the inflation rate in India was around 5.36 percent compared to the previous year. See figures on India's economic growth for additional information. India's inflation rate and economy Inflation is generally defined as the increase of prices of goods and services over a certain period of time, as opposed to deflation, which describes a decrease of these prices. Inflation is a significant economic indicator for a country. The inflation rate is the rate at which the general rise in the level of prices, goods and services in an economy occurs and how it affects the cost of living of those living in a particular country. It influences the interest rates paid on savings and mortgage rates but also has a bearing on levels of state pensions and benefits received. A 4 percent increase in the rate of inflation in 2011 for example would mean an individual would need to spend 4 percent more on the goods he was purchasing than he would have done in 2010. India’s inflation rate has been on the rise over the last decade. However, it has been decreasing slightly since 2010. India’s economy, however, has been doing quite well, with its GDP increasing steadily for years, and its national debt decreasing. The budget balance in relation to GDP is not looking too good, with the state deficit amounting to more than 9 percent of GDP.

The inflation rate for the Retail Price Index (RPI) in the United Kingdom was 3.4 percent in February 2025, down from 3.6 percent in the previous month. From 2021 onwards, prices in the UK rose rapidly, with the RPI inflation rate peaking at 14.2 percent in October 2022. Although inflation fell in subsequent months, it wasn't until July 2023 that inflation fell below double digits, and as of late 2024, the RPI rate was still above three percent. The CPI and CPIH While the retail price index is still a popular method of calculating inflation, the consumer price index (CPI) is the current main measurement of inflation in the UK. There is also an additional price index, which includes some extra housing costs, known as the Consumer Price Index including homer occupiers' costs (CPIH) index, which is seen by the UK's Office of National Statistics as the official inflation rate. As of December 2024, the CPI inflation rate stood at 2.5 percent, while the CPIH rate was 3.5 percent. Core inflation down in 2024 Another way of measuring inflation is to strip out the volatility of energy and food prices and look at the underlying core inflation rate. As of December 2024, this was 3.2 percent, slightly higher than the overall CPI rate, but more aligned with the overall figure than it was in 2022 and 2023. When inflation peaked at 11.2 percent in October 2022, for example, core inflation stood at just 6.5 percent. After energy prices in 2023 fell relative to 2022, the overall inflation rate in the UK declined quite rapidly, with core inflation overtaking the overall rate in July 2023. During the most recent period of high inflation, core inflation peaked at 7.1 percent in May 2023, and while taking longer to fall than the overall figure, has generally been declining since then.