A novel RANCOM-RAM-based framework for city assessment based on cost of living

Evaluating cities based on cost of living and quality of life can be a complex task without the support of a structured decision-making framework. To address this challenge, various methods from the Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) domain can be utilized to assist in solving such decision problems. In this paper, we propose a novel RANCOM-RAM (RANking COMparison - Root Assessment Method) framework, enhanced with a fuzzy ranking approach, to provide a robust tool for city evaluation in terms of living costs. To demonstrate the framework, we present a case study evaluating selected European Union capitals using criteria such as average prices of everyday goods, rent, and income levels. The results show that, under the identified weights, Luxembourg, Brussels, and Berlin occupy the top three positions in the ranking. However, the fuzzy ranking approach reveals that cities like Sofa or Budapest can achieve high rankings under alternative weighting scenarios, highlighting the flexibility of the proposed method.