The Real Cost Index

Frequently asked questions

What is the Real Cost Index?

A free, continuously updated view of what event services actually cost, by category and city, built from real bookings made on EventTodo.

Where does this pricing data come from?

Every range is computed nightly from accepted quotes, paid invoices, and confirmed bookings made through EventTodo. We publish the 25th, 50th, and 75th percentile for each category, region, event type, and guest-count band — and only once at least five separate bookings support that cell, so no individual vendor's pricing is ever identifiable.

Why is a category or city missing?

We publish a range only once at least five separate bookings support it. Newer markets and niche categories stay hidden until the data is solid.

Is the Real Cost Index free?

Yes. Every category and city page is free and requires no account.

Methodology

Every range is computed nightly from accepted quotes, paid invoices, and confirmed bookings made through EventTodo. We publish the 25th, 50th, and 75th percentile for each category, region, event type, and guest-count band — and only once at least five separate bookings support that cell, so no individual vendor's pricing is ever identifiable.

• Sources: accepted quotes, paid invoices, and confirmed bookings completed on EventTodo — never advertised rate cards or survey estimates.
• Statistics: we report the median (50th percentile) and the typical range (25th–75th percentile) rather than an average, so a handful of outlier events can't skew the number.
• Segmentation: cells are split by category, region, event type, and guest-count band, then matched to you from most to least specific.
• Privacy: a cell is suppressed until at least five separate bookings support it, so no single vendor's pricing can be reverse-engineered.
• Freshness: the index is recomputed nightly as new bookings close.

Prices are shown in USD and exclude taxes, gratuity, and travel unless a vendor bundles them. Use them as a planning benchmark, not a quote.