Price Tool
Build a Custom Price Mix
Weight the consumer categories that matter to you and compare their relative price levels across two economies.
United States
100
Difference
+18.6 index points
Germany
81.4
Category Contribution
The Custom Weighted Price Index is created from your selected category weights. It is not an official OECD indicator, an actual household budget or a recommendation about where to live.
What this calculator does
This tool builds a custom basket by weighting seven consumer categories (excluding overall consumption) and compares the weighted price level between two OECD economies for one reported year.
Inputs explained
- Country A / Country B — the two economies to compare.
- Year — 2024, 2023 or 2022.
- Category weights — percentages that must total exactly 100%; categories you do not care about can be set to 0%.
Calculation formula
Weighted index A = Σ (category index A × weight ÷ 100) Weighted index B = Σ (category index B × weight ÷ 100) Difference = Weighted index A − Weighted index B (index points)
Worked example
With the default mix (housing 30, food 25, transport 15, health 10, restaurants 8, recreation 7, clothing 5 = 100), the tool weights each category's 2024 index for both countries, sums the contributions and reports the weighted indices and their difference in index points.
How to interpret the result
The result is a personalised relative price level: how your chosen basket would compare between the two economies on the US=100 scale. The contribution table shows which weighted category moves the difference most. Differences are index points, never percent.
Limitations
- Weights reflect your assumption, not measured household spending.
- Category indices cover whole categories, not specific goods.
- Weights must sum to exactly 100% or the tool shows no result.
Data sources
- OECD Purchasing Power Parities / price levels: https://www.oecd.org/en/data/datasets/purchasing-power-parities.html
Missing-data behavior
If either country lacks a reported index for a weighted category in the selected year, the tool shows which category and country are missing and produces no custom index. It does not zero-fill, interpolate or substitute another year.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why must weights total 100%?
The weighted index is a weighted average; without a complete weight budget the result is undefined, so the tool shows no number instead of a misleading one.
Why is a category reported as missing?
That country has no reported price index for that category in the selected year. Lower its weight to 0% or choose another year.
Which country being "above" is better?
Neither — this is a relative price level comparison, not a judgment about living standards.
Can I include overall consumption?
No. The mix weights the seven specific categories; overall consumption is the aggregate view on the price profile pages.
Do weights apply to both countries equally?
Yes. The same basket is applied to both countries so the difference isolates price levels.