Enter how much each spending category differs in a new city and get the salary that keeps your standard of living the same.
How cost of living is worked out
A single headline cost-of-living index hides what actually matters, because housing dominates most household budgets while other categories barely move. This calculator weights each category by its typical share of spending, so a 40% housing increase moves the answer far more than a 40% jump in healthcare.
The default weights follow the broad pattern of US consumer spending — housing around a third, transport a sixth, food an eighth. Adjust them to match your own budget if it looks different.
Using the calculator
- Enter your current salary.
- For each category, enter how much more or less it costs in the new city.
- Adjust the budget weights if your spending differs from the default.
The formula
Worked example
Worked through, a current salary of 80,000 produces a equivalent salary of $80,000. Underneath, Overall cost difference comes out at +0% and Cost index at 100. Change any field and every figure updates as you type.