Use our free Cost of Living Comparison Calculator to find out how far your salary goes in different U.S. cities. Quickly compare expenses, adjust custom cost indexes, and see the equivalent income needed to maintain your lifestyle when relocating. Scroll down to try the calculator and explore detailed breakdowns with charts.
Compare Cost of Living Between Two U.S. Cities
Thinking about relocating or curious how far your salary would stretch in another city? This free cost of living comparison calculator helps you estimate the income you’d need to maintain your lifestyle when moving between two U.S. cities. It supports both predefined city indexes and custom values for maximum flexibility.
How to Use This Calculator
- Select City A – your current location.
- Select City B – the city you’re considering moving to.
- Enter your current annual income in City A.
- Optional: check “Use custom city indexes” if your cities are not listed, and manually enter cost of living indexes for both.
- Optional: check “Show detailed category breakdown” to adjust how much of your expenses go toward housing, food, transportation, healthcare, and other categories.
- Click Compare to see the equivalent salary required in City B, along with a bar chart and optional expense breakdown pie chart.
Understanding the Cost of Living Index
The Cost of Living Index is a relative scale that compares overall expenses between locations. A baseline of 100 usually represents the U.S. national average.
- An index of 120 means the city is 20% more expensive than average.
- An index of 85 means the city is 15% cheaper than average.
This calculator scales your income using these indexes to estimate the equivalent salary needed in another city.
Example Calculation
If you earn $60,000/year in Dallas (index 100) and want to move to San Francisco (index 160), you would need about $96,000/year to maintain the same lifestyle.
Why Cost of Living Comparison Matters
Living expenses vary dramatically across the U.S. — even between cities in the same state. Key factors include:
- Housing – Rent and home prices
- Groceries – Everyday essentials
- Healthcare – Medical and insurance costs
- Transportation – Gas, public transit, and car expenses
- Other essentials – Entertainment, childcare, and utilities
This tool makes it easier to plan your move, compare job offers, or evaluate the financial impact of remote work in different locations.
Common Use Cases
- Planning a move for work or education
- Comparing salaries across U.S. cities
- Budgeting lifestyle changes
- Evaluating relocation packages
Cost of Living Comparison – FAQs
How accurate is this cost of living calculator?
The calculator uses cost of living index values to compare cities. While it provides a good estimate of lifestyle differences, actual expenses may vary based on personal lifestyle, housing choices, and city neighborhoods.
What is a cost of living index?
A cost of living index is a relative measure of how expensive it is to live in one city compared to another. A baseline index of 100 represents the U.S. national average. Cities with a higher index are more expensive, while those with a lower index are more affordable.
Can I compare cities that are not listed?
Yes. Use the “custom city indexes” option to manually enter cost indexes for any city, even if it is not in the predefined list.
What expenses are included in the breakdown?
The detailed breakdown covers housing, food, transportation, healthcare, and other essentials. You can adjust the percentages to reflect your actual spending habits.
When should I use this calculator?
This tool is useful when planning a move, comparing job offers, budgeting for remote work, or evaluating the lifestyle impact of relocating to a new city.
Our calculator is updated regularly with U.S. regional cost indexes and also supports custom entries for unique comparisons.