Cost of Living Calculator
Compare the cost of living between any two US cities — and see the salary you'd need to keep the same standard of living. Free, no sign-up, powered by official government data.
Compare the cost of living in two cities
Based on BEA Regional Price Parity indices. Reflects overall cost differences, not taxes or take-home pay. US national average = 100.
How the cost of living comparison works
Pick two cities
Choose where you live now and the city you're comparing against.
Enter a salary
Add your current annual salary so we can index it to the new city.
See the difference
Get the cost-of-living gap and the equivalent salary needed, from BEA government data.
Popular cost of living comparisons
Cost of Living Calculator — FAQ
How does the cost of living calculator work?
Pick two US cities and enter a salary. We pull each city's BEA Regional Price Parity (RPP) — a government-published price index where the US average is 100 — and calculate the equivalent salary you'd need in the second city to keep the same purchasing power. A city at RPP 120 costs 20% more than the national average; RPP 88 costs 12% less.
Is this cost of living calculator free?
Yes — completely free, with no sign-up and no paywall. Unlike some tools that now charge a monthly subscription to compare cities, CompareLiving.us is free because it's built entirely on public US government data (BEA, Census, BLS, HUD).
Which cities can I compare?
Over 1,800 US cities. The calculator features the largest metros for quick access; for any other city, open the full comparison page which covers rent, home prices, wages, taxes, air quality, and more.
Does it include taxes?
The calculator itself compares overall cost of living (goods, services, and rent) via BEA RPP and does not model state income tax. Individual city and comparison pages do include state tax rates so you can factor those in separately.
How accurate is the data?
It uses the Bureau of Economic Analysis Regional Price Parities — the same official dataset economists use to compare price levels across US metro areas. RPP is released annually with a 1–2 year lag, so it reflects structural cost differences rather than this month's prices.
Why our data is different
Every number comes from official US government sources — the BEA Regional Price Parities, US Census, BLS, and HUD — not crowd-sourced guesses. That means the comparison is consistent, transparent, and free to use. Looking for a deeper breakdown of rent, home prices, wages, and taxes? Open any full city comparison or read our methodology.