Hong Kong's consumer price index CPI is an important economic indicator for the general public. But from the point of view of bankers, the CPI may not capture the expenses they have to incur to maintain a certain lifestyle for themselves and their families.
We addressed this anomaly in 2005 by taking a tongue-in-cheek look at what a banker might realistically be spending. For example, we included the cost of a meal at The Peninsula Hotel, rather than a quick bite at local fast food chain Café de Coral.
We weighted the items to ensure that the index reflects the relative importance of the...