Measuring the Monetary Value of Social Relations: A Hedonic Approach
University of Milan Bicocca Department of Economics, Management and Statistics Working Paper No. 256
25 Pages Posted: 14 Oct 2013
Date Written: October 14, 2013
Abstract
This paper presents an application of the hedonic approach to measure the monetary price of social relations. We use individual-level data for housing and labor markets in 103 Italian cities to estimate the price of relational amenities and construct monetary indexes of quality of relational life. We focus on time spent with friends, active participation in associations and frequency of going out for leisure activities, while controlling for standard amenities such as weather, environment, services, and socio-demographic characteristics. We find that individuals are willing to pay a positive and significant monetary price to live in cities where people spend more time with their friends. A one standard deviation increase in the share of those who meet their friends most frequently is worth an extra €1,150 per year in terms of higher housing costs and foregone wages.
Keywords: A13, C4, D6, I31, R2, Z13
JEL Classification: social relations, social capital, hedonic prices, quality of life, well-being.
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