Numbers released by the Council for Community and Economic Research for the 1st quarter of 2019 rank the Temple metro area as the most affordable city in the nation to buy groceries. With an index of 76, grocery costs in Temple are 24 percent lower than the national average of 100. Each quarter, the Council for Community and Economic Research collects more than 90,000 prices from communities across the U.S. for the Cost of Living Index.
| Composite Index | Grocery Items | Housing | Utilities | Transportation | Healthcare | Misc. Goods | |
| Temple Metro | 87.7 | 76.0 | 74.5 | 100.1 | 93.3 | 112.5 | 94.7 |
Temple has significant comparative advantages in all six component categories measured by the Cost of Living Index – housing, utilities, grocery items, transportation, health care, and miscellaneous goods and services. But spending less doesn’t have to mean fewer choices. From housing to entertainment, Temple offers a diverse range of options for individuals and families to choose from, while benefiting from housing costs more than 25% below the national average and a general cost of living 13% below the national average.