Choose two cities
Start with where you live and where you may move.
YOUR EQUIVALENT SALARY
To maintain a similar lifestyle in Seattle
$128,000
+$28,000 · +28%
Monthly cost difference
+$2,333
Largest cost driver
Housing
Current median rent
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Destination median rent
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Uses 2024 BEA Regional Price Parities. Public-data estimate, not financial advice.
GOT A JOB OFFER?
See whether the move pays off after taxes and moving costs.
WHAT CHANGES
See where the difference comes from.
A single percentage hides the trade-offs. CityCost separates the categories that shape your monthly budget.
JOB RELOCATION
A bigger offer can still leave you with less.
Add taxes, benefits, commute and moving costs to see the first-year impact—and the salary you may need to negotiate.
- Estimated after-tax monthly change
- Relocation break-even month
- Minimum acceptable salary
- Salary and relocation-package targets
SAMPLE DECISION
NEGOTIATE
The offer is worth
+$4,680
in the first year after estimated moving costs
Suggested target salary
$134,000
HOW IT WORKS
A clearer move in three steps.
Add your income
See the salary needed to maintain a similar lifestyle.
Test the offer
Add job and household details for the real first-year effect.
METHODOLOGY
Numbers you can inspect.
Production results will show the source date, assumptions and calculation method. User-edited values stay separate from local averages.
Connected public sourcesBEA 2024 · Census ACS 2024 · HUD FMR 2026
Estimates are for planning purposes and are not tax, legal or financial advice.
POPULAR COMPARISONS
Compare the most-searched US city pairs.
See real cost differences and the equivalent salary you would need to move.
Austin vs Boston
Tech hub vs East Coast establishment.
Austin vs Seattle
Two no-income-tax tech hubs side by side.
Austin vs Houston
Texas rivals on cost and culture.
Austin vs Nashville
Two fastest-growing Southern cities.
Austin vs Miami
No-income-tax Sun Belt showdown.
Austin vs Chicago
Mid-size vs major metro.
Austin vs Raleigh
Live Music Capital vs the Research Triangle.
Austin vs Phoenix
Two Sun Belt boomtowns compared.
COST OF LIVING BY CITY
Explore any city we cover.
Each city guide breaks down price parity, rent, income and the salary you would need.
HOW IT WORKS
How our cost of living comparison works.
We use official US government data from three independent sources so the numbers are inspectable, not crowd-sourced guesses.
- BEA (Bureau of Economic Analysis) — Regional Price Parities (RPP) measure how much more or less goods and services cost in each metro area versus the national average of 100.
- US Census Bureau — median household income, median gross rent and median home value for each city.
- HUD (Department of Housing and Urban Development) — Fair Market Rent (FMR) data for accurate one-bedroom rental benchmarks.
Our equivalent salary calculator answers the real question: "If I make $100,000 in Austin, what salary do I need in Boston to keep the same standard of living?" The public estimate is pre-tax and uses regional price parity; the relocation report adds after-tax, housing and moving-cost detail.
WHO USES CITYCOST
Built for people making a real move.
Remote workers considering a move
Comparing offers in two cities and need to know which actually pays more after cost of living.
Job relocation negotiations
Your employer wants you in Boston but the offer is $80k. Find out if that is really a raise.
Cross-state movers
Moving from Texas (no state income tax) to a state that has one? See the real tax-adjusted impact.
HR and total-rewards teams
Setting competitive salaries across multiple US locations? Use our data for compensation planning.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions.
How accurate is the cost of living data?
Our data comes from official US government sources (BEA, Census, HUD), updated quarterly. The numbers reflect regional price differences, not individual spending.
Does CityCost account for state income tax?
Yes. The equivalent salary calculation factors in federal, state, and local taxes for each city.
Can I compare cities outside the US?
Currently we cover 15 major US metros. International comparisons are coming soon.
Is CityCost free?
Yes. Basic city comparisons are free. Premium reports include detailed breakdowns by category (housing, food, transportation, healthcare).
How is this different from Numbeo or BestPlaces?
Numbeo is user-submitted and can be skewed. We use only official government data, and we calculate an equivalent salary rather than just an index.