The American Chamber of Commerce Research Association (ACCRA, now the Council for Community and Economic Research) has released the ACCRA Cost of Living Index for the third quarter of 2008. It shows the Tri-Cities leading the way for the lowest cost of living in Washington state. The Tri-Cities' composite index is 88.9, which is down one percent from the previous quarter and 3.7 percent lower than the same period in 2007. The index measures relative price levels for consumer goods and services in participating areas. The average for all participating places in each quarter equals 100, and each participant's index is read as a percentage of the average for all participating places. The composite index for Spokane is 93.5; for Seattle-Bellevue-Everett it's 124.6; for the Vancouver area (i... 11/03/2008