An index is a ratio describing the relative change in a variable (e.g. price, volume or value) compared to a certain base period (e.g. one year). The index point figure for each point in time tells what percentage the given examined variable is of its respective value or volume at the base point in time. The mean of the index point figures for the base period is 100. For example, an index below 100 means the region has a lower cost of living, whereas above 100 means it is more expensive to live.

Cost of living index by city

#	City	Cost of Living Index	Rent Index	Cost of Living Plus Rent Index	Groceries Index	Restaurant Price Index	Local Purchasing Power Index
1	Berlin, Germany	69.7	38.3	54.6	56.6	60.3	98.0
2	Buenos Aires, Argentina	31.6	9.0	20.8	25.7	27.3	33.4
3	Cairo, Egypt	24.1	5.6	15.2	21.0	20.9	22.9
4	Cologne, Germany	66.1	27.5	47.6	53.3	58.6	88.9
5	Dusseldorf, Germany	68.1	30.3	50.0	58.2	61.3	107.8
6	Frankfurt, Germany	70.1	34.8	53.2	55.3	63.2	108.0
7	Hamburg, Germany	70.4	33.2	52.6	54.8	62.6	106.2
8	Kazan, Russia	28.5	9.1	19.3	24.9	23.2	47.7
9	Leipzig, Germany	60.9	18.9	40.8	48.6	51.8	94.5
10	Marseille, France	65.5	21.7	44.5	64.3	61.4	96.8
11	Melbourne, Australia	77.9	38.0	58.8	75.8	76.0	111.8
12	Moscow, Russia	36.1	20.9	28.9	32.2	34.2	71.7
13	Munich, Germany	73.1	41.4	57.9	63.0	66.6	101.6
14	Nuremberg, Germany	59.9	21.2	41.4	47.7	52.9	121.9
15	Paris, France	76.1	43.7	60.6	74.2	69.8	77.9
16	Rome, Italy	66.1	32.3	49.9	57.3	68.2	55.4
17	Saint Petersburg, Russia	31.8	13.1	22.9	28.7	26.9	58.4
18	Samara, Russia	28.2	7.4	18.3	24.3	25.6	43.6
19	Stuttgart, Germany	64.1	29.8	47.7	51.5	61.0	121.7
20	Sydney, Australia	81.5	53.2	67.9	73.9	75.1	110.6
21	Tokyo, Japan	73.7	33.5	54.5	80.6	42.5	90.0
22	Turin, Italy	61.2	18.7	40.8	53.9	59.1	68.1
23	Ufa, Russia	27.8	5.7	17.3	25.0	23.5	49.1
24	Yekaterinburg, Russia	29.1	9.8	19.9	26.6	23.9	51.1