Cost Living Calculator
Cost of Living Comparison Calculator works out Basic-needs budget before tax and Basic-needs budget a month from Current annual income, Annual cost of living where you are now and Annual cost of living where you are going. The default figures on this page give equivalent income at the destination of 91,000.00; change any entry and the result, the working and the sources update together.
Your figures
Updates as you typeHow this is worked out
3 steps
- Cost ratio = 52000 / 40000 = 1.3
- Equivalent income = 70000 x 1.3 = 91000
- Difference = (1.3 - 1) x 100 = 30%
Its 4 worked examples are re-run on every release, last on 15 September 2026. What changed
Sources and references
2 sources
Keep this result
Save it, change one figure, then compare the two
The calculation stays free. Save this scenario, adjust one assumption, save that too, and put them side by side to see exactly what the change costs you. A free account keeps 5 scenarios and 2 comparisons; Personal makes both unlimited and adds exports and private links. Nothing is saved unless you press Save.
What the Cost of Living Comparison Calculator calculates
Turns a household basic-needs budget into the hourly living wage a full-time worker must earn, grossing up for taxes and splitting the budget across working adults, and compares the equivalent income between two places.
How to use this Cost of Living Comparison Calculator
Enter Current annual income, Annual cost of living where you are now and Annual cost of living where you are going. Basic-needs budget before tax updates as you type. Change one figure at a time to see what drives the result.
How the result is worked out
Open “How this is worked out” beside the result for the step-by-step calculation behind Basic-needs budget before tax, Basic-needs budget a month and Taxes to be covered.
The method follows Living Wage Calculator (Living Wage Institute / MIT), Methodology - basic needs are food, child care, health care, housing, transportation, internet and mobile, civic engagement and other necessities; taxes are added to the budget; full-time work is 40 hours a week for 52 weeks (2,080 hours) and the family budget is divided by the number of workers and U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, "Using the Consumer Price Index for escalation" - an amount is escalated between two places or periods by the ratio of their index values.
What you can compare
Change one input at a time to see how it affects Basic-needs budget before tax, Basic-needs budget a month and Taxes to be covered. The inputs you can vary are Current annual income, Annual cost of living where you are now and Annual cost of living where you are going.
Results are general information, not financial, tax, legal, medical or engineering advice. Check any decision that matters with a qualified professional.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the most accurate cost of living calculator?
The Cost of Living Comparison Calculator follows the stated method, but the result is only as reliable as Current annual income, Annual cost of living where you are now and Annual cost of living where you are going and the assumptions shown. Check the working and sources before relying on it for an important decision.
How much is a 3% cost of living raise?
On the figures this page opens with — current annual income 70,000, annual cost of living where you are now 40,000 and annual cost of living where you are going 52,000 — the equivalent income at the destination is 91,000. No single number fits everyone: change any figure above and the answer updates as you type, with each step of the arithmetic beside it.
What information do I need for the Cost of Living Comparison Calculator?
You need Current annual income, Annual cost of living where you are now and Annual cost of living where you are going. The page opens with default figures that give equivalent income at the destination of 91,000.00, so you can see the scale before entering your own.
What does this Cost of Living Comparison Calculator show?
It shows Basic-needs budget before tax, Basic-needs budget a month, Taxes to be covered, Required gross household income, Required gross income per worker, Living wage, Shortfall against the wage earned and Annual shortfall per worker, with the working and any warnings for your entries.
Can I check how the Cost of Living Comparison Calculator result was calculated?
Yes. The “How this is worked out” section shows the calculation steps, and the sources section identifies the references used for the method.