Wasatch Front cost of living falls

The overall cost of living along the Wasatch Front fell last month by a tenth of a percent, thanks largely to falling gasoline prices.

The cost of transportation went down 6.5 percent, utilities also dipped 0.3 percent, and education and communication went down 0.5 percent, according to the Wells Fargo Consumer Price Index issued Wednesday.

But apartment dwellers saw their rents rise 1.4 percent in October alone. Restaurant prices grew 2.4 percent, and clothing cost 3.9 percent more.

Groceries make up the biggest additional chunk of change residents are shelling out since February. Those costs are up 1.7 percent in October and 9.8 percent in the eight months Wells Fargo has tracked the numbers.

Food costs are linked to gas prices, considering food is trucked from farmers to plants and grocery stores nationwide. But even though gas prices have fallen from more than $4 a gallon in June to under $2 a gallon now, food prices aren't budging, Wells Fargo economist and executive vice president Kelly Matthews said.

Also, Utah inflation is much worse than the national average. Utah's October cost of living fell 0.1 percent, but nationally, it's down 1 percent for the month (non-seasonally adjusted numbers). Inflation here also is up 3.7 percent cumulatively in the past eight months; nationally, it's up 2.3 percent.

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E-mail: jtcook@desnews.com