Prices differ by city. See the salary needed elsewhere to live the same way.
This calculator estimates the salary you would need in a new city to maintain the same lifestyle, based on cost-of-living index ratios.
Cost-of-living indexes express a location's overall expenses relative to a national average of 100, so a city at 120 costs about twenty percent more than average. The tool multiplies your current salary by the ratio of the new city's index to your current city's index, giving the salary needed to hold your buying power steady. If the new city has a lower index, the required salary drops, and if it is higher, you need more.
A composite index blends housing, food, transportation, and other categories, but your personal mix may differ, especially since housing swings the most between cities. The calculator does not account for differences in state income taxes, which can meaningfully change take-home pay. It also ignores lifestyle changes you might make after moving. Use the result as a negotiating anchor and starting estimate, not financial advice.
An index of 100 represents the national average, so a value above 100 is more expensive than average and below 100 is cheaper.
No, state and local income taxes differ by location and are not included, so compare after-tax pay separately when possible.
Several public cost-of-living comparison sites publish city indexes; use the same source for both cities so the ratio is consistent.
See the exact formula and a worked example on our methodology page.