Last updated: January 2026
MetroCityLife indicators are designed to be decision-useful: comparable across cities, conservative in interpretation, and refreshed on a regular cycle.
Sources
- National statistical agencies and city open-data portals.
- Public cost-of-living databases (crowd-sourced indices, normalised against an internal NYC=100 baseline).
- Public salary surveys and labour market reports.
- Climate and air-quality datasets from meteorological and environmental agencies.
Indices
- Cost of Living Index — 100 = New York City baseline.
- Scoring (0–100) — applied to safety, healthcare, education, transport, jobs, lifestyle, climate, air quality, and livability.
- Rent & costs — USD/month, city-centre averages for typical units.
Update cadence
Cost and rent figures are reviewed quarterly. Livability scores are reviewed at least annually.
Limitations
City-level indices smooth over substantial intra-city variation. Always consult our suburb guides for neighbourhood detail and verify critical numbers against local sources before making major decisions.
Reference: /methodology