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Local cost-of-living data comes from three sources: (i) retail prices of a basket of goods and services, (ii) housing costs incurred by staff members in the duty station, and (iii) monthly/annual expenditures of duty station staff members.

 

Prices for a basket of goods and services are gathered from retail outlets and stores within the duty station. The retail outlets are identified by the duty station’s appointed Survey Coordinator as establishments patronized by UN professional staff. Prices are recorded by independent pricing agents identified by the Survey Coordinator. Pricing agents personally visit the stores and manually record the prices of a large basket of goods and services generally purchased by UN professional staff. Survey Coordinators also gather and record various other prices. The prices of these goods and services are ultimately compared with the prices of a similar basket of items in New York City, the statistical base of the system.

 

Housing costs are provided by staff members themselves, as are monthly and annual expenditures. This information comes from the questionnaires staff members are asked to complete on a periodic basis.