Cost of Living Calculator
Thinking about a move or a job offer in another city? Pick where you live now and where you are going, enter your salary, and see the salary that buys the same lifestyle there, plus how housing, groceries, transportation, utilities and healthcare compare.
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Dining out, clothing, entertainment, personal care.
How to use the Cost of Living Calculator
- Pick your current city and the city you are comparing with.
- Enter your yearly salary (or the budget you spend each year).
- Adjust the budget shares if your spending differs, for example a smaller housing share if you own your home outright.
- Press Compare to see the equivalent salary, the overall difference and each category.
- Use the category table to see where the move costs or saves the most.
The cost of living formula
Equivalent salary = current salary × (new city index ÷ current city index)
Each city's composite index is a weighted average of its category indices: (30 × housing + 12 × groceries + 16 × transportation + 8 × utilities + 8 × healthcare + 26 × other) ÷ 100 with the default budget shares.
Example: with the default shares Houston's composite is about 95.6 and Seattle's about 147.3, so a $75,000 salary in Houston corresponds to $75,000 × 147.28 ÷ 95.56 ≈ $115,600 in Seattle. Most of the gap comes from housing (index 90 vs 220); groceries and utilities differ far less.
Typical price gaps between cities
| Category | Typical spread across US metros | What drives it |
|---|---|---|
| Housing | About 70 to 480 (largest) | Land prices, zoning, job demand |
| Groceries | About 90 to 140 | Shipping distance (Hawaii, Alaska), local wages, competition |
| Transportation | About 90 to 135 | Gas taxes, insurance rates, commute length, transit options |
| Utilities | About 90 to 165 | Electricity prices, climate (heating and cooling needs) |
| Healthcare | About 90 to 140 | Provider prices and local insurance markets |
Before you relocate
- Price your actual housing. Look up rents for the size and neighborhood you want; the index is an average.
- Add the tax difference. State income, sales and property taxes vary widely between states.
- Count one-time moving costs such as movers, deposits and travel; they can equal a month or two of the salary difference.
- Consider commute and car needs. A city with transit may let you drop a car, worth several thousand dollars a year.
- Compare salaries for your field in the new city, not only living costs.
Frequently asked questions
How does a cost of living calculator work?
Each city has a price index for several spending categories, where 100 is the US average. The calculator weights those indices by the share of your budget in each category to get one composite index per city. The equivalent salary is your salary × new city index ÷ current city index.
Why is housing weighted so heavily?
Housing is the largest expense for most households, about a third of spending, and it varies the most between cities: rents and home prices in the most expensive coastal metros can be four to five times those of low-cost Midwestern and Southern cities, while grocery prices usually differ by only 10% to 30%.
Where do the index numbers come from?
They are rounded approximations of relative metro price levels in the style of published cost-of-living indexes and regional price parities, for quick planning. They are not an official dataset and do not capture differences between neighborhoods, so check local rents and prices before deciding.
Does the comparison include taxes?
No. State and local income taxes can change take-home pay by several percent, for example moving from Texas (no income tax) to California or New York. Use the state income tax calculator to add that difference.
How do I change the budget shares?
The defaults (housing 30%, groceries 12%, transportation 16%, utilities 8%, healthcare 8%, other 26%) reflect a typical household. If you rent cheaply, drive little or have large healthcare costs, change the percentages; they do not have to add up to exactly 100 because they are used as relative weights.
Should I ask for the full equivalent salary?
It is a strong reference point in a salary negotiation for a relocation, but employers often pay by local market rates rather than cost of living. Remote workers usually keep the same salary, which makes a move to a cheaper city a real raise in purchasing power.
Are all the tools on FreeToolCabin tested for quality and accuracy?
Yes! Every tool on our site undergoes automated Q/A testing in real browser environments to ensure high precision, correct output, and zero errors. If you happen to spot a bug or have a suggestion, please contact us at [email protected] and our team will review it right away.