Consumer Price Index Changes

[Schraderbrau]

I know around the office I always here guys talking about the "cost of living increase" during Merrit increase time and how our raises dont cover the increase. So I took some time going through Stat Canadas website looking up the Cosumber Pricing Index changes to see how much it has gone up and was surprised to see that Calgary has only gone up 2.9% over the last year and alberta was something like 1.4%. I figured those numbers would be much higher.

Here is what a few others looked like:

Calgary - 2.9%
Edmonton - 1.9%
Toronto - 1.7%
Vancouver - -0.3%
Charlottetown - 2.6%
St.Johns - 1.5%
Quebec - 0.3%
Ottawa - 1.2%
Whitehorse - 2.3%
Winnipeg - 2.1%

Canadian Average - 1.1%
Alberta - 2.4%
ontario - 1.5%
BC - -0.3%
Saskatchewan - 2.3%
Manitoba - 2.2%
PEI - 2.7%
Nova Scotia - 1.3%
Newfoundland - 1.4%
Quebec - 0.4%
New Brunswick - 1.1%

I dont know if CPI is the best way to estimate cost of living increase but it seemed to be the best standard that I could find, I thought it was interesting.

[Simanium]

Originally Posted by Schraderbrau

I know around the office I always here guys talking about the "cost of living increase" during Merrit increase time and how our raises dont cover the increase. So I took some time going through Stat Canadas website looking up the Cosumber Pricing Index changes to see how much it has gone up and was surprised to see that Calgary has only gone up 2.9% over the last year and alberta was something like 1.4%. I figured those numbers would be much higher.

Here is what a few others looked like:

Calgary - 2.9%
Edmonton - 1.9%
Toronto - 1.7%
Vancouver - -0.3%
Charlottetown - 2.6%
St.Johns - 1.5%
Quebec - 0.3%
Ottawa - 1.2%
Whitehorse - 2.3%
Winnipeg - 2.1%

Canadian Average - 1.1%
Alberta - 2.4%
ontario - 1.5%
BC - -0.3%
Saskatchewan - 2.3%
Manitoba - 2.2%
PEI - 2.7%
Nova Scotia - 1.3%
Newfoundland - 1.4%
Quebec - 0.4%
New Brunswick - 1.1%

I dont know if CPI is the best way to estimate cost of living increase but it seemed to be the best standard that I could find, I thought it was interesting.

The Bank of Canada website has an Inflation Calculator that can be used to calculate inflation of prices, based on the Stats Canada CPI Index.

http://www.bankofcanada.ca/rates/rel...on-calculator/

[GGG]

I think that is reasonable. I would say that since the boom and slow down have ended that current;y prices are going up at a non-noticable rate. Even gas hasn't reached its pre-bust levels. So 2.9% seems reasonable.

However my largest expense being home ownership is fixed and will be going down actually whereas those who rent are likely seeing more than 2.9% increases as a result of flood pressure. I can't remember how they consider housing in the CPI calc but the method of calculating it and how that compares with your housing situation would probably make a big difference how much more expensive it is to live in Calgary this year compared to last.