Well, the argument is the same with respect to most consumer goods. The new XPS 13 is the same price in Wyoming and San Fransisco. Adjusting the electronics budget of a household for cost of living generally doesn't make sense, which was my actual point.
What kind of household is spending enough on consumer goods for that to matter? I am not exactly thrifty or a Luddite, but electronics, clothes, etc. have never been more than 5% of my spending. I don’t feel comfortable spending on travel at all given the Herculean savings targets needed for an emergency fund or down payment here. Rent is 67% of my outflows, followed by food (my main luxury purchase is not having to cook).
Regardless, good cost of living calculators don’t just take the ratio of housing prices, they use a typical consumer’s basket of goods, some of which may be the same price.
