Cost of Living Calculator

See price comparisons between U.S. cities with the Extra Space Storage Cost of Living Calculator! By factoring in your current salary and common expenses like groceries, housing, utilities, and more, this tool can help determine what salary you'll need to maintain your lifestyle in a new city—or what changes to your budget might be necessary.

Where are you moving from?
Where are you moving to?
What is your pre-tax household income? (optional)

COMPARE CITIES

See how those cities compare to the national average below.

What's Included in Cost of Living?

Cost of living comparisons include necessities like housing, utilities, groceries, and healthcare, as well as common expenses like entertainment and other goods and services. By looking at a cost of living comparison between cities, you can get an idea of how your budget may change from one place to another.

🏠 Housing

Housing is usually the biggest expense in a budget and a key factor in calculating a city's cost of living. An accurate cost of living estimator will consider average monthly rent and home purchase prices.

💡 Utilities

Utility costs typically include electricity, water, gas, internet, and trash services. These prices vary by location, climate, and household size, making them an important factor in calculating your cost of living in a new city.

⚕️Healthcare

Healthcare costs are an important cost of living factor and vary widely based on location and individual needs. Typical expenses include insurance premiums, prescriptions, and doctor or dentist visits.

💵Income

By looking at median household income in different cities, you can see how salaries compare and estimate whether your earnings will be enough in your new city or if they fall short of what's needed to maintain your lifestyle.

🚗Transportation

Transportation costs will vary from city to city and change the overall cost of living. Our calculator considers gas prices, maintenance, parking, public transportation costs, and more.

🍎Food

Food is a major part of monthly living expenses. Grocery costs vary by location and household size, covering items like produce, meat, dairy, and pantry staples.

🛍️Goods & Services

Goods and services cover everyday lifestyle expenses, from essential needs to discretionary spending. Expenses like clothing, personal care items, seeing a movie, going to a baseball game, and more are included in this category.

Explore City Costs Near You


Planning a move to a new city? Our cost of living guides break down typical expenses like housing, transportation, groceries, utilities, healthcare, and more. Use these insights to compare your current city to your next home and see how your monthly budget may change.

Methodology

Our cost of living calculator is powered by data from the Council for Community and Economic Research (C2ER), a trusted nonprofit organization that collects and compares prices across hundreds of U.S. cities. The C2ER Cost of Living Index measures everyday expenses like housing, groceries, transportation, utilities, healthcare, and other common goods and services, so you can see how costs stack up in different places.

Each city’s score is benchmarked against a national average of 100, which makes comparisons easy. For example, a score of 110 would indicate costs about 10% higher than the national average.

We update our calculator twice a year to reflect the latest C2ER data. While these numbers represent citywide averages, it’s important to keep in mind that your actual expenses may vary depending on your lifestyle and the neighborhood you choose.

A family unpacking their belongings into a new house.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What is a Cost of Living Index?

A cost of living index is a numerical measure that compares everyday expenses across locations or over time.

How Does Income Influence the Cost of Living?

Income is a crucial factor when considering the cost of living because the two are closely connected. In some cases, higher living costs lead to higher wages, while in others, average wages can't fully keep pace with expenses. Ideally, your income should align with the cost of living in your area.

What is a Cost of Living Calculator?

A cost of living calculator is a tool that compares expenses across different cities or regions. It helps estimate the salary needed to cover basic needs in a specific location and highlights key differences between metro areas.

How is Cost of Living Calculated?

Cost of living is typically calculated by comparing everyday expenses in a given area to a baseline, such as the national average. Most indexes use 100 to represent the baseline, so users can easily see whether costs fall above or below the average cost of living.

What Expenses are Included in Cost of Living Comparisons?

Cost of living is determined by several categories of goods and services, including housing, food, utilities, taxes, education, childcare, clothing, personal care items, and more.