By Corey Lynn of Corey’s Digs

Polls indicate that inflation and cost of living are at the top of Americans’ list of concerns. The Solari Report addresses this topic in News Trends & Stories, Part I (publishing on October 13, 2026) for the 3rd Quarter 2026 Wrap Up: “Story #4: Cost-of-Goods Inflation Continues to Assault the Western Consumer.”

For statistics on cost-of-goods inflation, we look to the Chapwood Index, which monitors the quarterly price increase or decrease of the most popular 150 items that people use throughout their lifetime (such as tolls, cable TV, gasoline, laundry detergent, pet food, school supplies, toothpaste, mobile phone service, home repairs, light bulbs, fast food restaurants, Internet service, and taxes). The Chapwood Index reflects a more realistic inflation rate being seen across the U.S. as compared to the Consumer Price Index (CPI). (The Chapwood Index website describes the full approach.)

To put this in perspective, the cities listed below experienced some of the highest inflation rates on cost of goods from 2022 to 2025 (compounded). These are merely examples, of course; every city is seeing crazy inflation rates, and some products have more than doubled in price.

• San Francisco: 75.51%
• Boston: 69.64%
• Chicago: 68.73%
• New York: 67.51%
• Miami: 66.51%
• Seattle: 65.07%
• Milwaukee: 63.54%

The aim of this report is to help Solari Report subscribers successfully take action to navigate rising expenses. The report offers tips and resources in the areas of Household Goods & Equipment; Food; Health; Services; Auto & Transportation; Tech Goods; and Money & Savings. The final section addresses historical lessons and what they can teach us.

Solari Report subscribers can read the PDF of Tips on Successfully Navigating Inflation here.

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