In Mars 1997 we (Lars Engebeck and I) published a study of housing construction costs in the Nordic countries. In it we try to separate three components, by which we can describe changes in real cost of construction: a quality index, an index of real factor prices and an index of effeciency. Part of the study contains an international comparison of building costs, mainly Western European countries. In December 1997 we began a study construction costs in Western Europe. The ultimate purpose is to compare the organization of building activities in different societies. Among other things we will try to relate housing policy to construction costs.