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Cost of Living Comparison Calculator
Thinking about moving? See the salary you would need in another city to keep the same standard of living, and how your spending shifts across major categories. Enter your numbers and press Calculate.
Written by TopicDrill Editorial Team·Updated June 2026
Estimated spending by category
Current city Destination
Housing$35,640 / yr
Groceries$14,040 / yr
Transportation$17,280 / yr
Healthcare$8,640 / yr
Utilities$7,560 / yr
Other$24,840 / yr
Category splits use typical US household budget weights and are estimates, not exact local prices.
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How the comparison works
Comparing two cities by salary alone can be misleading because a raise often disappears into higher rent and everyday costs. A cost of living index captures those differences in a single number, so you can see how far your money really goes after a move.
The tool multiplies your current salary by the ratio of the destination index to your current index. If the destination is pricier, you need more to break even. If it is cheaper, you could earn less and still come out ahead. The category breakdown then estimates how your spending spreads across housing, groceries, transport and more.
A quick example
Say you earn $80,000 where the index is 100, and you are eyeing a city with an index of 135. You would need about $108,000 there to maintain the same lifestyle, roughly 35% more. A job offer below that figure is effectively a pay cut once living costs are counted.
Things to keep in mind
Index values are broad averages and do not capture taxes, lifestyle choices or specific neighborhoods. Use this as a starting point, then research local rents and prices for the places you are considering. Pair it with our other free calculators to plan the full picture.
Frequently asked questions
How does the cost of living comparison work?
Each city has a cost of living index, a relative number where a higher value means a more expensive city. The tool multiplies your salary by the ratio of the destination index to your current index to find the salary you would need to keep the same lifestyle.
What is a cost of living index?
It is a single number that summarizes how expensive a place is across housing, food, transport and other essentials. A common baseline sets the national average at 100, so an index of 130 means a city is about 30% more expensive than average.
Where do I find index values for cities?
Many public sources publish cost of living indexes for cities and regions, including government statistics agencies and well known comparison sites. Plug the two index numbers into the tool to compare any pair of locations.
Are the category splits exact local prices?
No. The category breakdown uses typical household budget weights to show where your money tends to go. It is a helpful guide for planning a move, but actual prices for rent, groceries and transport vary by neighborhood.
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