Cost of Living Comparison
Find the salary you need in a new city to maintain your current standard of living. Enter the cost of living index for both cities.
Your current city (baseline)
The city you're moving to
Equivalent salary needed
$104,000
Extra income needed
$24,000
New city is 30% more expensive
Cost of living difference
+30%
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How to compare salaries across cities
A $100,000 salary in Austin, TX goes much further than the same salary in San Francisco, CA. Cost of living indices capture this difference by comparing the relative cost of goods, services, housing, and transportation in different locations.
This calculator lets you enter two cost of living indices to find the salary equivalent. If City A has an index of 100 (the baseline) and City B is 130, you need 30% more income to maintain the same standard of living in City B.
Where to find cost of living indices
Numbeo, Bestplaces.net, and the Council for Community and Economic Research (C2ER) all publish cost of living data. Common US reference cities: New York City ~187, San Francisco ~175, Los Angeles ~155, Chicago ~107, Austin ~100, Atlanta ~95, Kansas City ~88.
Beyond the index
Cost of living indices capture averages, but your personal situation matters. If you own your home in the current city, rents elsewhere may not apply. Tax rates, commute costs, and healthcare availability also affect the real comparison. Use this as a starting point, not the final answer.