Cost of Living Comparison
Compare monthly expenses between two cities, auto-filled with real government cost-of-living data for major U.S. metros
Type a major U.S. city above (or its ZIP code, if the city name doesn't match -- useful for smaller towns not directly on our list, since it resolves to the nearest of the 127 metros we cover) to auto-fill estimates from real cost-of-living data, or enter your own numbers directly below.
$3,060/mo
Current City Total
$3,060/mo
New City Total
+0.0%
Difference
To maintain the same standard of living in New City, you'd need roughly
$70,000/year
What is this tool?
Compares your actual monthly expenses against a new city, then calculates the difference and the equivalent salary needed to maintain the same standard of living. When you enter a recognized major U.S. metro area (by city name or ZIP code), estimates are auto-filled using real government cost-of-living data, and a state-level tax and housing comparison appears below — everything stays fully editable, so you can adjust any number to match your actual situation.
How to use it
Type a current and new city, or their ZIP codes if the city name doesn't match directly (useful for smaller towns not on our list of 127 covered metros -- the ZIP resolves to the nearest one). Category estimates and a state tax/housing comparison auto-fill from real data, adjustable to match your own research, then enter your salary to see the equivalent needed in the new city.
Auto-filled estimates come from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis's Regional Price Parities (2023, the most recent available) — a real government cost-of-living index, not a crowdsourced or made-up number, but still a metro-area-wide average, not neighborhood-specific, and about a year old like every free cost-of-living source. State tax and property figures come from Tax Foundation and Census Bureau data, and are state-level averages, not metro-specific -- property tax rates and home values in particular can vary a lot by county. Treat all of this as a solid starting point, then adjust with real listings and your specific target county for anything that matters to your decision.
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