Cost of Living Calculator
Compare cost of living between any two cities with tax-adjusted disposable income and equivalent salary calculation. 10 expense categories, shareable URL, PDF export. Free.
Support Our Free Tools
If you find this calculator helpful, please consider supporting our work. Your contribution helps us build and maintain these free tools for everyone.
Buy me a coffeeBeyond Rent: The True Cost of Moving
Most cost-of-living comparisons only look at housing prices. This tool goes further — it factors in income tax rates, utilities, childcare, healthcare, and all living expenses to give you the only number that actually matters: your monthly disposable income after everything.
# How equivalent salary is calculated
Monthly Take-Home = (Annual Salary ÷ 12) × (1 − Tax Rate)
Disposable Income = Monthly Take-Home − Monthly Expenses
Equivalent Salary = (Disposable Income + New Expenses) ÷ (1 − New Tax Rate) × 12
Tax-Adjusted
Moving to a no-income-tax state (TX, FL, WA) can equal a 5–10% salary increase with zero negotiation — the calculator quantifies this exactly.
10 Expense Categories
Housing, utilities, groceries, transport, healthcare, childcare, entertainment, and savings/other — every major cost covered in one comparison.
Shareable URL
Every input is encoded in the URL. Share the exact scenario with a recruiter, partner, or financial advisor with one click.
Estimated Monthly Costs by City
Use these as starting points. Click any city to pre-fill the calculator.
| City | Housing/mo | Est. Tax Rate | Est. Total/mo |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco, CA | $3,200 | 35% | $6,800 |
| New York City, NY | $3,000 | 33% | $6,400 |
| Los Angeles, CA | $2,400 | 34% | $5,500 |
| Seattle, WA | $2,100 | 25% | $4,600 |
| Austin, TX | $1,800 | 22% | $4,000 |
| Miami, FL | $2,200 | 23% | $4,400 |
| Chicago, IL | $1,800 | 28% | $4,200 |
| Denver, CO | $1,900 | 26% | $4,200 |
| Nashville, TN | $1,700 | 22% | $3,800 |
| Raleigh, NC | $1,500 | 23% | $3,600 |
| Phoenix, AZ | $1,600 | 23% | $3,700 |
| Minneapolis, MN | $1,600 | 29% | $3,900 |
| London, UK | $2,200 | 30% | $5,100 |
| Toronto, Canada | $2,000 | 31% | $4,800 |
| Sydney, Australia | $2,300 | 30% | $5,000 |
| Dubai, UAE | $2,000 | 0% | $4,200 |
| Cairo, Egypt | $300 | 15% | $900 |
Sources: Numbeo, Zillow, SmartAsset (2024–2025 estimates). Verify before financial decisions.
Why Taxes Change Everything
A city might have lower rent, but if its state income tax is significantly higher, you can end up with less money every month. Here's a real example:
🏙️ San Francisco, CA
- Salary: $120,000/yr
- Effective tax rate: 35%
- Monthly take-home: $6,500
- Monthly expenses: $5,200
Disposable: $1,300/mo
🤠 Austin, TX
- Salary: $95,000/yr
- Effective tax rate: 22% (no state tax)
- Monthly take-home: $6,175
- Monthly expenses: $3,800
Disposable: $2,375/mo
Tips for Accurate Results
Use Numbeo.com
Best free source for city-level cost estimates for groceries, transport, utilities, and restaurants. Search your destination city.
Check current rental listings
Search Zillow, Apartments.com, or Redfin with your actual target neighbourhood and bedroom count. Markets move fast.
Use your effective tax rate
Not your marginal (bracket) rate. Your effective rate is total tax paid ÷ gross income. Find it on your last tax return or use SmartAsset.
Don't forget childcare
Childcare costs vary wildly by city — $800–$3,000/mo for full-time daycare. A huge factor often missed in comparisons.
Include health insurance
If changing jobs, your employer contribution may differ. A worse health plan can cost $300–600/mo more out of pocket.
Use the report in salary negotiation
Click "Copy Report" and share the equivalent salary calculation with recruiters or hiring managers as objective data.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is a cost of living calculator?
- A cost of living calculator helps you compare the total monthly expenses in two cities — housing, food, transport, utilities, healthcare, and taxes — so you understand how much salary you need to maintain the same standard of living after moving.
- What is the "equivalent salary" calculation?
- The equivalent salary is the pre-tax income you need in your destination city to have the same monthly disposable income (take-home minus expenses) as in your current city. It accounts for both cost-of-living differences and local tax rates — making it the correct number to use in salary negotiations.
- What is disposable income and why does it matter?
- Disposable income is your after-tax monthly pay minus all monthly living expenses. It's the money left for savings, investments, or discretionary spending. Two cities may look similar in cost, but different tax rates can mean hundreds of dollars difference in what you actually keep.
- How do I find my effective tax rate?
- Your effective tax rate is total income tax paid ÷ gross income. Find it on your last tax return, or estimate using SmartAsset's income tax calculator for your state and income level. It combines federal, state, and local taxes.
- How does moving to a no-income-tax state affect my finances?
- States like Texas, Florida, Nevada, and Washington have no state income tax. Moving from California (up to 13.3% state tax) or New York effectively gives you a 5–10% income increase without a pay raise. This calculator quantifies the exact amount.
- Can I save and share my comparison?
- Yes. All inputs are encoded into the page URL automatically. Click "Share Scenario" to copy a link you can send to a partner, recruiter, or financial advisor. The link restores your exact scenario when opened.
- How accurate is this calculator?
- The formula is mathematically precise. Accuracy depends on the data you enter — for best results, research actual rental listings, use Numbeo for expense estimates, and calculate your effective tax rate from your last return.
- What currencies are supported?
- USD, EUR, GBP, EGP, CAD, AUD, JPY, and INR. Select from the currency dropdown and all inputs and outputs use that currency symbol.
Explore All Tools
95 free tools — no signup required
All 95 tools are free · No signup · No ads