The Cost of Living Index quarterly update for the third quarter has been released. More than 260 urban areas participate in surveys conducted by local chambers of commerce as well as other entities. Each quarter, particular products and services are compiled and tabulated and compared with the previous quarter to compare, as well as check for movement.
Texarkana, in the previous two quarters this year, has placed consistently just outside the 10 least expensive areas on the list, regarded as an ideal location by the Texarkana Chamber of Commerce. This quarter, Texarkana finds itself hugging the area just outside the 10 least expensive areas at 86.2. By comparison, the cheapest place listed is McAllen, Texas, at 76.7. Others in the 10 least expensive include Knoxville and Memphis, Tenn., and Hattiesburg, Miss.
At the other end, the most expensive area is once again New York (Manhatten), N.Y., at 242.9. Others in the 10 most expensive list include San Francisco, Honolulu and Washington, D.C.
These numbers provide a measure of how expensive it is to live and work in those areas and how far a dollar can go in each.