OK, Hootie (and whoever else wants to listen), here is my theory:
In NYC the cost of living is much higher than many other areas. However, people also make more money. For example, the job I work now would probably pay me half of what I am making if I was in Michigan. So, a 1 carat diamond in most towns is XX amount of dollars. In NYC, XX is equal to one weeks pay, in Kalamazoo, MI, XX is equal to 3 weeks to a month's pay. So when looking at rings men in NYC can say, "Oh, that's only __% of my salary" but in other areas it would be a greater percentage. Does that make any sense at all? It does in my head!!!
