Our Mission

About Costelloq

We believe financial transparency is a global right. Costelloq was built to give anyone — anywhere — an honest view of what life actually costs in different parts of the world.

Research and analysis team
Who We Are

An independent platform for global cost intelligence

Costelloq was founded by a team of economists, data journalists, and software engineers who shared a frustration: most cost-of-living information online is either superficial, outdated, or skewed by advertising relationships.

We set out to build something different — a platform that is transparent about its sources, honest about uncertainty, and free for everyone to use without a subscription or paywall.

All information on Costelloq is strictly for informational and educational purposes. We do not offer financial advice, relocation consulting, or any paid services.

Our Principles

What guides our work

Independence

We accept no advertising, sponsored content, or affiliate arrangements. Our rankings and data are never influenced by commercial relationships.

Transparency

Every data point on our platform is accompanied by its source. We are explicit about methodology, data age, and any limitations in our analysis.

Global Perspective

We cover economies at every income level — from high-cost cities in Western Europe to rapidly developing markets in Africa and Southeast Asia.

Open Access

Costelloq is and will remain free to use. We believe access to economic information should not be gated by geography or income.

Accuracy First

We would rather publish fewer countries with solid data than fill gaps with guesswork. Every figure we publish has passed our editorial review process.

Community Informed

Local contributors and readers help us stay current. User-submitted data is reviewed and cross-referenced before it influences our published figures.

How We Work

Our data methodology

Understanding where our numbers come from is part of responsible data consumption. Here is how we build and maintain our datasets.

We draw on national statistical offices, the International Monetary Fund (IMF), World Bank open data, Eurostat, and OECD databases as our authoritative primary sources. These are supplemented with peer-reviewed economic research and verified journalism.
All figures are presented in USD for cross-country comparability, using the official exchange rate at time of publication. Where relevant, we also apply Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) adjustments to reflect the local cost reality more accurately. Both figures are displayed when available.
Core datasets are reviewed and updated on a quarterly basis. Individual data points may be updated more frequently when significant economic changes occur, such as currency shifts or policy changes affecting transport or energy prices.
Cost of living is inherently variable — it depends on lifestyle, neighbourhood, household size, and spending habits. All figures on Costelloq represent mid-range estimates for a typical adult in an urban setting. They should be used as a reference point, not a guarantee. Always consult local sources when making real financial decisions.
80+
Countries in our database
500+
Data points per country
Quarterly
Data review cycle
$0
Cost to access our platform

Have a question or suggestion?

We welcome feedback from researchers, educators, and the public. Reach out anytime.

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