True or False: Per diem costs are easily comparable among various institutions.

Per diem costs refer to the daily expenses associated with housing and caring for laboratory animals. These costs can include a variety of factors such as feed, bedding, veterinary care, and facility maintenance. The variability in these costs arises from differences in institutional resources, geographic location, animal care facility standards, and levels of animal care provided.

Because these factors can differ significantly between institutions, per diem costs are not easily compared. For example, a facility in a high-cost living area may have higher expenses related to labor and supplies than one in a less expensive region. Furthermore, institutions might employ different methods of animal care or provide varying levels of care, which can further skew comparative costs. Thus, the characterization that per diem costs are easily comparable among various institutions is false.