what is variable cost economics
Definition of Variable Cost. Variable costs are expenses that fluctuate proportionally with the quantity of output. Variable costs are directly tied to the activities of producing volume, which rises when these activities increase and falls when activities decrease.This effect can be related to materials, labor, and sales commissions.he formula to calculate variable cost is: Total Variable Cost = Total Quantity of Output * Variable Cost Per Unit of Output. To recognize variable costs, it is important to understand how to categorize costs. Variable costs are those which do not remain constant, specifically when production activities fluctuate.
Variable costs are those costs that vary depending on a company's production volume; they rise as production increases and fall as production decreases. Variable costs differ from fixed costs such as rent, advertising, insurance and office supplies, which tend to remain the same regardless of production output.ariable Costs. Variable costs go up when a company produces more goods or services, and go down when it produces fewer goods or services. This is compared to fixed costs, which do not change in proportion to ... Investing.