# Can I get info (say a map) on the cost of living in different areas?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-get-info-say-a-map-on-the-cost-of-living-in-different-areas/418987>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [September 12, 2007, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-get-info-say-a-map-on-the-cost-of-living-in-different-areas/418987 "2007-09-12T23:50:29Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![thirdname](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d07c76/32.png) [@thirdname](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thirdname)\
**Post date:** [September 12, 2007, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-get-info-say-a-map-on-the-cost-of-living-in-different-areas/418987/1 "2007-09-12T23:50:29Z")

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I was just doing some thinking about where I might want to be, things like that. I was wondering how much it might cost to live in one area, versus where I am now, and so on. I’m sort of struggling in an expensive area. It would be very helpful if there was a map that showed what the cost of living was in different areas.

Now, there are different aspects of the cost of living. Property value is a huge one, and just that would help. Income levels might be relevant. I’m sure there are some overall cost-of-living indices that are computed. Anyway, is there any place where you can browse a map that is simply color-coded according to costs, something like that? I realize it might depend on whether things are averaged out by county, or neighborhood, or what.

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**Author:** ![Gfactor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9de053/32.png) [@Gfactor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gfactor)\
**Post date:** [September 12, 2007, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-get-info-say-a-map-on-the-cost-of-living-in-different-areas/418987/2 "2007-09-12T23:53:00Z")

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[http://ded.mo.gov/researchandplanning/indicators/cost\_of\_living/index.stm](http://ded.mo.gov/researchandplanning/indicators/cost_of_living/index.stm)

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**Author:** ![ThirdCultureGal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3bc359/32.png) [@ThirdCultureGal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThirdCultureGal)\
**Post date:** [September 12, 2007, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-get-info-say-a-map-on-the-cost-of-living-in-different-areas/418987/3 "2007-09-12T23:53:12Z")

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I think the Economist publishes a yearly survey on the cost of living in different cities all over the world, you might want to check that out.

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**Author:** ![GiantRat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@GiantRat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GiantRat)\
**Post date:** [September 13, 2007, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-get-info-say-a-map-on-the-cost-of-living-in-different-areas/418987/4 "2007-09-13T00:29:13Z")

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[QUOTE=Gfactor]  
[http://ded.mo.gov/researchandplanning/indicators/cost\_of\_living/index.stm](http://ded.mo.gov/researchandplanning/indicators/cost_of_living/index.stm)  
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G -  
That’s an awesome reference. Does anyone know of anything similar that compares at the city level nationwide? I ask because I currently live in the NYC area, but come from Upstate NY, where life is relatively cheap (at least compared to here).