Explicit cost

An explicit cost is a direct payment made to others in the course of running a business, such as wage, rent and materials,¹ as opposed to implicit costs, where no actual payment is made.² It is possible still to underestimate these costs, however: for example, pension contributions and other "perks" must be taken into account when considering the cost of labor.²

Explicit costs are taken into account along with implicit ones when considering economic profit. Accounting profit only takes explicit costs into account.¹

References

Carbaugh, Robert J. (January 2006). Contemporary economics: an applications approach. Cengage Learning. p. 94. ISBN 978-0-324-31461-8. Retrieved 3 October 2010.
Lipsey, Richard G. (1975). An introduction to positive economics (fourth ed.). Weidenfeld & Nicolson. pp. 214–7. ISBN 0-297-76899-9.

[carbaurgh-1] Carbaugh, Robert J. (January 2006). Contemporary economics: an applications approach. Cengage Learning. p. 94. ISBN 978-0-324-31461-8. Retrieved 3 October 2010.

[lipsey-2] Lipsey, Richard G. (1975). An introduction to positive economics (fourth ed.). Weidenfeld & Nicolson. pp. 214–7. ISBN 0-297-76899-9.

1

2