Choose Country

Cost of Living Calculator

Compare the cost of living between any two US cities. Enter your salary to see what you'd need to earn to maintain your standard of living.

$

Popular City Comparisons

Click any pair to instantly compare cost of living, salary equivalents, housing costs, and more.

New York, NY vs Los Angeles, CA San Francisco, CA vs Austin, TX Chicago, IL vs Houston, TX Seattle, WA vs Denver, CO Miami, FL vs Atlanta, GA Boston, MA vs Nashville, TN San Diego, CA vs Phoenix, AZ Dallas, TX vs Charlotte, NC Portland, OR vs Raleigh, NC Washington, DC vs Philadelphia, PA

United States Averages

National baseline values for 31,568 US cities with cost of living data. The index base is 100 (US metro average).

100.0 COL Index (Base)
$73,903 Avg. Median Income
$1,109 Avg. Median Rent
$252,880 Avg. Home Value

Most Expensive US Cities

Large US cities (population over 200,000) with the highest cost of living index. Index above 100 means more expensive than the national average.

# City COL Index Median Income Median Rent Median Home Value Population
1 Los Angeles, CA 110.7 $80,366 $1,879/mo $879,500 3,857,897
2 San Diego, CA 110.7 $104,321 $2,223/mo $848,500 1,385,061
3 San Jose, CA 110.7 $141,565 $2,617/mo $1,187,800 990,054
4 San Francisco, CA 110.7 $141,446 $2,419/mo $1,380,500 836,321
5 Fresno, CA 110.7 $66,804 $1,324/mo $348,500 543,615
6 Sacramento, CA 110.7 $83,753 $1,694/mo $484,600 524,802
7 Long Beach, CA 110.7 $83,969 $1,803/mo $762,200 458,491
8 Oakland, CA 110.7 $97,369 $1,917/mo $924,700 438,072
9 Bakersfield, CA 110.7 $77,397 $1,371/mo $347,300 408,366
10 Anaheim, CA 110.7 $90,583 $2,082/mo $771,700 344,553

Most Affordable US Cities

Large US cities (population over 200,000) with the lowest cost of living index. Index below 100 means less expensive than the national average.

# City COL Index Median Income Median Rent Median Home Value Population
1 Little Rock, AR 86.9 $60,583 $1,067/mo $221,200 202,739
2 Oklahoma City, OK 87.8 $66,702 $1,083/mo $215,100 688,693
3 Tulsa, OK 87.8 $58,407 $998/mo $189,600 412,322
4 Des Moines, IA 87.8 $63,966 $1,054/mo $183,700 212,464
5 New Orleans, LA 88.2 $55,339 $1,211/mo $296,400 376,035
6 Baton Rouge, LA 88.2 $49,944 $1,044/mo $224,500 223,699
7 Huntsville, AL 88.8 $70,778 $1,078/mo $263,100 218,814
8 Omaha, NE 90.1 $72,708 $1,150/mo $230,100 488,197
9 Wichita, KS 90.1 $63,072 $960/mo $179,500 396,488
10 Lincoln, NE 90.1 $69,991 $1,045/mo $248,200 291,932

What is Cost of Living?

The cost of living measures how expensive it is to live in a particular area compared to others. It takes into account housing costs, groceries, transportation, healthcare, utilities, and other everyday expenses. Our Cost of Living Index (COLI) uses 100 as the baseline, representing the US metropolitan average. A city with an index of 110 is 10% more expensive than average, while a city at 90 is 10% cheaper.

How the Calculator Works

Our calculator uses the formula: Equivalent Salary = Your Salary × (Target City COLI ÷ Current City COLI). For example, if you earn $75,000 in Austin, TX (COLI 97.1) and want to move to San Francisco, CA (COLI 110.7), you would need approximately $85,500 to maintain the same standard of living — a 14% increase.

What Factors Affect Cost of Living?

Housing is typically the largest factor, often accounting for 30-40% of total expenses. Cities like San Francisco, New York, and Los Angeles have significantly higher housing costs than the national average. Median rent in San Francisco exceeds $2,400/month, compared to about $1,000/month in cities like Oklahoma City or Little Rock.

Beyond housing, property taxes vary widely by state. Texas and New Jersey have some of the highest property tax rates, while Hawaii and Alabama have the lowest. Income levels also matter — a high cost of living city may still be affordable if wages are proportionally higher.

Data Sources

This calculator uses data from the US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), HUD Fair Market Rents, IRS property tax data, Zillow home values, and Redfin market data. Cost of Living Index is sourced from the Bureau of Economic Analysis Regional Price Parities.