Cost of Living Calculator (US City to City)
Compare two US cities by housing, food, transport, healthcare. Shows the salary needed in city B to match city A.
LIFESTYLECompare two US cities by housing, food, transport, healthcare, and overall cost-of-living index. See the salary you would need in city B to maintain your standard of living from city A.
Cost-of-living indexes normalize prices across cities to a national average of 100. Top metros: NYC Manhattan ~225, San Francisco ~195, LA ~150, Houston ~96, Memphis ~84. Housing is the biggest driver (3-5x range vs only 10-20% for groceries). Salary adjustment formula: needed = current × (new_index / old_index).
Cost of Living Calculator (US City to City)
Compare two US cities by housing, food, transport, healthcare, and overall cost-of-living index. See the salary you would need in city B to maintain your standard of living from city A.
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(National avg = 100)How Cost of Living Comparison Works
A cost-of-living index normalizes prices across cities to a national average of 100. New York Manhattan sits around 225 (everything costs 2.25x the national average); San Francisco around 195; Los Angeles around 150; Houston around 96; Memphis around 84. The biggest driver is almost always housing - rent and home prices in coastal metros can be 3-5x cheaper-city rates while groceries differ by only 10-20%.
The standard adjustment formula: salary_needed = current_salary × (new_city_index / current_city_index). So $80,000 in Austin (index 119) maintains the same standard of living at $80,000 × (225/119) = $151,300 in Manhattan, or at $80,000 × (84/119) = $56,500 in Memphis. This is the "lifestyle break-even" salary - not your actual market wage.
COL indexes do not capture everything. State income tax (no tax in TX, FL, NV; 13.3% top in CA, 10.9% top in NY) can swing effective income by 5-10%. Quality-of-life factors (commute time, weather, culture, schools, distance from family) matter more than price for many people. Use the index as a starting filter, then dig into rent comps and job-market salary data for your specific role.
Index values are approximate snapshots and change with rent and food prices. Compare specific neighborhoods for housing - "Manhattan" and "Queens" land 30+ points apart.