Bureau of Labor Statistics Handbook

Describes history and methodology of collecting consumer price index, producer price index, international price index, and consumer expenditures. In HTML and Adobe Acrobat formats
Consumer price indexes measure the rate of change of the cost of living, or inflation/deflation rate in goods purchased directly by consumers; they do not compare living expenses between cities
Cost of living indicators are comparative between cities or countries
Producer price indexes measure the rate of change in the selling price of goods by the producer in manufacturing, mining, agriculture, forestry fisheries, services, etc; they may predict a rise in consumer prices