Private consumption capabilities form only one facet of comprehensive living standards assessments, but they are an important facet whose measurement should be done well. Measurement is complex due to a multitude of methodological choices, which often interact with imperfect data and a desire for comparability through time. This chapter outlines ideas underpinning these choices with particular attention to the tensions between consistency and specificity. It also highlights a series of limitations associated with typical cost of basic needs approaches. Finally, it reaffirms that a ‘sensibly eclectic’ approach, employing multiple methods, is the best available mode for addressing these limitations. A first fundamental choice is whether to estimate an absolute poverty line at all. Consumption-based poverty metrics provide only a partial view into the welfare of individuals or households, which may or may not accord with other important facets of welfare.