What Is The Concept Of Opportunity Cost In Economics?

by | Last updated on January 24, 2024

, , , ,

is

the value of the next-best alternative when a decision is made; it's what is given up

,” explains Andrea Caceres-Santamaria, senior economic education specialist at the St. Louis Fed, in a recent Page One Economics: Money and Missed Opportunities.

Who gave the concept of opportunity cost?

The idea of an opportunity cost was first begun by

John Stuart Mill

. The utility has to be more than the opportunity cost for it to be a good choice in economics. For example, opportunity cost is how much leisure time we give up to work.

What is opportunity cost explain with example?

When economists refer to the “opportunity cost” of a resource, they

mean the value of the next-highest-valued alternative use of that resource

. If, for example, you spend time and money going to a movie, you cannot spend that time at home reading a book, and you can't spend the money on something else.

Why opportunity cost is an important concept for economists?

As a representation of the relationship between scarcity and choice, the objective of opportunity cost is

to ensure efficient use of scarce resources

. It incorporates all associated costs of a decision, both explicit and implicit.

What is an opportunity cost How is this concept used?

Explanation. Verified. Opportunity cost is benefit foregone. In the topic of time value of money, the benefit foregone is the rate of return of similar alternative investments. This concept is used

to help make wise decisions in choosing investments of different prices and rate of returns

.

What is opportunity cost easy definition?

What Is Opportunity Cost? Opportunity costs

represent the potential benefits an individual, investor, or business misses out on when choosing one alternative over another

. … Understanding the potential missed opportunities foregone by choosing one investment over another allows for better decision-making.

What are the types of opportunity cost?

  • Explicit Cost: This is an opportunity cost that involves a money payment and usually a market transaction. …
  • Implicit Cost: This is an opportunity cost that DOES NOT involve a money payment or market transaction.

What is an example of opportunity cost in your life?


A player attends baseball training to be a better player instead of taking a vacation

. The opportunity cost was the vacation. Jill decides to take the bus to work instead of driving. It takes her 60 minutes to get there on the bus and driving would have been 40, so her opportunity cost is 20 minutes.

What is another name for opportunity cost in economics?

The alternative name of opportunity cost is

Economic cost

.

Is opportunity cost a real cost?

Opportunity Cost Definition

Opportunity cost is the value of what you lose when you choose from two or more alternatives. … “

The real cost of any purchase isn't the actual dollar cost

. Rather, it's the opportunity cost—the value of the investment you didn't make, because you used your funds to buy something else.”

Why is opportunity cost important in decision making?

Since consumers' resources such as time, attention, and money are limited, they must choose how to best allocate them by making tradeoffs. The concept of trade-offs due to scarcity is formalized by the concept of opportunity cost. The opportunity cost of a choice is

the value of the best alternative forgone

.

How is opportunity cost related to scarcity?

This concept of scarcity leads to the idea of opportunity cost. The opportunity cost of an action is

what you must give up when you make that choice

. … Opportunity cost is a direct implication of scarcity. People have to choose between different alternatives when deciding how to spend their money and their time.

What are the principles of opportunity cost?

The idea behind opportunity cost is that

the cost of one item is the lost opportunity to do or consume something else

; in short, opportunity cost is the value of the next best alternative.

What is opportunity cost in time value of money?

This is the time value of money. The opportunity cost of money is

the difference between the value of one option that is given up for another option

. Let's take an example. You have invested Rs 1 lakh in the stock market with the hope that you would be able to get at least 10% return on your investment.

What is opportunity cost equation?

The Formula for Opportunity Cost is:

Opportunity Cost = Total Revenue – Economic Profit

.

Opportunity Cost = What One Sacrifice / What One Gain

.

What is the difference between an economic cost and an opportunity cost?

Economic costs include

accounting

costs, but they also include opportunity costs. Opportunity costs are the benefits you could have received if you had chosen one course of action, but that you didn't because you went with another option.

Ahmed Ali
Author
Ahmed Ali
Ahmed Ali is a financial analyst with over 15 years of experience in the finance industry. He has worked for major banks and investment firms, and has a wealth of knowledge on investing, real estate, and tax planning. Ahmed is also an advocate for financial literacy and education.