Cost of Living Comparison
Compare the cost of living between cities. Find out what salary you'd need in a new city to maintain your current standard of living.
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100 = US average. NYC~187, SF~180, Austin~103, Omaha~89
Enter the cost index of the city you're considering
Understanding Cost of Living
Cost of living measures how expensive it is to maintain a standard of living in a particular area. The index uses 100 as the US average. A city with index 130 is 30% more expensive than average, while 85 means 15% cheaper.
Major Cost Components
Housing (30-40% of total): The biggest variable. Median rent in San Francisco is 2-3x the national average. Transportation (15-20%): Varies by commute and public transit availability. Food (10-15%): Grocery and restaurant costs vary 10-30%. Healthcare (5-10%): Varies by state and local provider costs. Taxes: State income tax ranges from 0% (TX, FL, WA) to 13.3% (CA). Check your tax impact with our Income Tax Estimator.
Common City Cost Indexes (Approximate)
New York City: 187, San Francisco: 180, Boston: 152, Seattle: 149, Denver: 128, Austin: 103, Nashville: 101, US Average: 100, Dallas: 96, Phoenix: 95, Omaha: 89, Memphis: 82.